Will Kendrick Bourne’s ‘Really Good’ Offseason Pay Off For Patriots?

FOXBORO, Mass. — After a 2022 season he would love to forget, Kendrick Bourne did all he could to set himself up for a stronger showing in ’23.

Bill Belichick took notice.

Speaking before Sunday’s training camp practice, New England’s head coach said Bourne was among the team’s most dedicated players this offseason.

“Yeah, KB’s had a really good offseason,” Belichick said. “Really good … (in) every way. Physically, it was good. Mentally, it was good. Participation was good. He was good on the field, good off the field. Yeah, he really had a good offseason — one of our best.”

Bourne worked to add extra weight and muscle this offseason and said he came into camp feeling “probably the best (he’s) ever felt.” The 27-year-old wide receiver also honed his rehab/recovery process as he prepared for his seventh season in the NFL and third with the Patriots.

“Breaking my body down and then getting it back so I can break it down again,” Bourne said. “I would say I did that a lot better this offseason than I ever have.”

The question, of course, is whether those offseason improvements will yield better on-the-field results.

Bourne was one of the Patriots’ top playmakers in 2021, when he thrived as a receiver, ball carrier and occasional trick-play passer under former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. But his numbers and usage plummeted after McDaniels departed and was replaced by Matt Patricia.

“He had a really good offseason — one of our best.”

Bill Belichick on Kendrick Bourne

The Patriots’ offense as a whole was a well-documented mess with Patricia at the controls, and Bourne quickly landed in his doghouse. The energetic wideout was given just two snaps in New England’s season opener — one of which resulted in a 41-yard reception — and though he saw more playing time in subsequent weeks, he remained an afterthought in Patricia’s passing game.

Despite appearing in all but one game, Bourne finished the season with 20 fewer catches (55 to 35), more than 350 fewer yards (800 to 434), four fewer touchdowns (five to one) and more than 130 fewer snaps played than he had the previous year. And nearly a quarter of his yards came during a six-catch, 100-yard, one-score effort in a Christmas Eve loss to Cincinnati.

Belichick’s decision to boot out Patricia and bring in a new, proven coordinator in Bill O’Brien gave hope for improvement from all of the team’s skill players, Bourne included. Bourne, for his part, raved about O’Brien during spring minicamp, openly stating that his system and approach are “better” than Patricia’s. (He also said he was “very disappointed” in his own performance last season, so he didn’t dump all of the blame on his embattled former coach.)

But Bourne has been quiet since training camp kicked off last Wednesday. He’s consistently repped with starting quarterback Mac Jones and the offensive regulars, but through four practices, he’s seen just two total targets in competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills and did not catch either.

Second-year pro Tyquan Thornton, Bourne’s top competition for the No. 3 receiver spot behind projected starters JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker, also was shut out in the first three practices but broke through Sunday with a pair of touchdown catches from backup QB Bailey Zappe.

“Of course you want the ball, but it’s about the team,” Bourne said. “We don’t count stats; it’s all about the game. I’ve just got to be prepared in the game and come into practice like I’m going to get the ball every time. Running my route like I’m going to get the ball, and in a game, it’ll come together.”

As for how his skill set fits in this new O’Brien-led offense, Bourne said he’s “just being anything he wants me to be.” Time will tell whether the much-needed coaching change can help transform him back into the player he was two years ago, when he ranked among the most efficient pass-catchers in the entire NFL.

“I feel like I can do a lot,” Bourne said. “They’ve had me do a lot so far, and I’m enjoying it. Just having fun. I’m in a place of having fun, and it’s the best feeling.”