Patriots could look to trade intriguing wide receiver

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are looking to get back into serious contention in the AFC this season. After a rough year in 2022 and missing the playoffs, Mac Jones and company are looking more dangerous after the offseason the franchise put together. Arguably the biggest move so far was signing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who should provide Jones with a much-needed No. 1 target.

While the AFC has gotten much tougher, especially the AFC East after the New York Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers, the Patriots are very confident in the roster they have put together.

However, there could still be a big move or two on the horizon for the Patriots. One of those moves could include trading an intriguing wide receiver currently on their roster.

Bleacher Report recently suggested that the Patriots could consider trading Kendrick Bourne. B/R's Matthew Davis did mention that releasing the wideout is the more likely path for New England if the Pats part ways with him.

“The Patriots could release Bourne, which is the likely route, but they could dangle him on the trade market to see if they can get a Day 3 draft pick or two in case there is a wide receiver-needy team looking for a veteran pass-catcher.”

Bourne could be a piece that other teams would have interest in trading for before the season. There are still quite a few teams around the NFL that have major question marks at the wide receiver position.

During the 2022 season with the Patriots, Bourne ended up catching 35 passes for 434 yards and a touchdown. The numbers weren’t amazing, but he didn’t have a large role either. In a new situation, Bourne could be a quality piece for an offense that needs wide receiver help.

Expect to continue hearing a lot of rumors about player movement around the NFL as camp gets underway. The Patriots and Bill Belichick are always looking to improve and add future draft capital. Bourne seems like a name that could very well be on his way to a new home in the near future.