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Examining Final Stage Of WR Trade Market

October 31st, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The top dominoes on the wide receiver trade market have likely fallen. Third-round picks changed hands in the Davante Adams and Amari Cooper swaps, and DeAndre Hopkins will join Adams as a Hall of Fame candidate — one who can now bolster his case by moving the needle for a Chiefs threepeat bid.

Diontae Johnson also wound up in a second trade this year, albeit for lower-than-expected compensation. This offseason also brought the likes of Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Jerry Jeudy being traded, marking another busy year — both contractually and transactionally — at the position.

More pieces figure to be moved before the deadline. Here is where things stand with the remaining trade chips at the receiver position:

Likely departures

Darius Slayton, Giants

This Giants regime attempted to move on from Slayton two years ago, leaving the proven target out of the starting lineup into training camp and cutting his pay on a rookie contract. Slayton ended up mattering quite a bit in Brian Daboll‘s first year, which produced a surprise playoff berth despite Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay producing next to nothing and Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson suffering season-ending injuries. Slayton, as he has throughout his career, remained a reliable albeit unspectacular Daniel Jones weapon. Slayton, 27, has led the Giants in receiving four times since being a 2019 fifth-round pick but has never eclipsed 800 yards, illustrating the long-running issues plaguing this aerial attack.

Malik Nabers arrived as a result of those issues (and the Patriots passing on the Giants’ trade-up bid for Drake Maye), but Slayton has not been marginalized. The sixth-year wideout, with 420 yards in eight games, is on pace for a career-high total. He continues to aid Jones, but with the Giants falling to 2-6 and having a Commanders matchup on tap, teams will call on Slayton. Linked to several big-name receivers this year, the Steelers are believed to be interested. The Texans may be lurking as well.

Just more than $1.3MM remains on Slayton’s through-2024 contract, and although a recent report pointed to a high asking price, this remains the best chance for the Giants to collect an asset for a player they did not extend — despite the veteran’s efforts to secure better terms — this offseason.

Mike Williams, Jets

Williams is 30, coming off an ACL tear and on a team that has rendered him to the periphery following the Adams acquisition. The free agency pickup combined for one reception since Adams’ Week 7 debut and has just 11 catches for 160 yards in eight games as a Jet. With Allen Lazard regaining steam with Aaron Rodgers healthy, it is unsurprising the Jets started shopping Williams in earnest immediately after the Adams trade. Just more than $2.3MM will remain on the former top-10 pick’s contract after tonight’s game; the Jets will wait until after their Week 9 matchup to see if a worthwhile offer emerges.

Considering the rumor volume here, enough smoke exists to predict a second Williams separation from a team this year. The Saints and Steelers have pursued him, though at 2-6, New Orleans no longer profiles as a buyer despite being in on Adams weeks ago. The Jets also are in a seller’s position, though GM Joe Douglas‘ job being on the line may keep the subtractions to a minimum. The Chargers are 4-3 and have inquired about bringing the 2017 draftee back, despite cutting him in March.

Lazard’s Thursday IR placement does throw a wrench in teams’ potential plans to trade for Williams. He was previously viewed as a near-certainty to be dealt. It would be interesting if that injury prompted the Jets to take Williams off the market due to the high-stakes circumstances tied to this season.

A to-be-determined Patriot

Three separate Pats wideouts — K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton and trade-rumor fixture Kendrick Bourne — have been tied to potential moves. At 2-6, New England will need to aim for some moves before next week’s deadline. Bourne, 29, has indicated he would like to stay to help the team’s Drake Maye-fronted rebuild. In addition to Thornton being one of many highly drafted Bill Belichick wideouts who have failed to take off in Foxborough, second-year target Kayshon Boutte has griped about his role.

This fluid situation will almost definitely involve one trade. Osborn, Bourne’s rumor regularity notwithstanding, may be the more likely veteran piece New England deals. The Pats are believed to be shopping he and Bourne, despite the latter having re-signed (on a three-year, $19MM deal) in March. The 49ers, who wanted Bourne back during Brandon Aiyuk trade talks with the Patriots this summer, appear to be standing down at the position following Aiyuk’s injury. The Pats signed Osborn for one year and $4MM, but just $1.18MM consists of base salary, providing relative value for teams, as Osborn has two 600-plus-yard seasons as a Vikings slot on his resume.

Calls coming in

Tee Higgins, Bengals

Carson Palmer‘s quasi-retirement and a Jason Campbell injury producing a monster offer (first- and second-rounders) brought the Bengals to make a deadline trade; Carlos Dunlap becoming a malcontent before the 2020 deadline keyed another such move. Teams have asked about Higgins for a while, as the former second-rounder requested a trade in March. Despite a failure to complete an extension with Ja’Marr Chase this offseason, the Bengals have made it clear the younger WR is their long-term priority.

Higgins is tied to a $21.8MM franchise tag tender, being the only 2024 tag recipient not extended this offseason. Couple that $10MM-plus salary number, if traded after Week 9, and the Bengals’ past and it is a mortal lock the longtime Chase wingman finishes the season in Cincinnati. Higgins, 25, could be re-tagged in 2025, giving the Bengals another window to move on if/once they hold onto him at this year’s deadline.

Cooper Kupp, Rams

The Rams made news earlier this month by both confirming they had received calls on Kupp and a separate report suggesting the team was shopping him. The Chiefs, Bills and Steelers are among the teams to discuss Kupp with the Rams; Kansas City is believed to have preferred Kupp to the player ultimately acquired (Hopkins). But the Rams have won two straight, the second of which featuring Kupp and Puka Nacua back at work.

Sean McVay has all but confirmed Kupp is not going anywhere, and the Rams — who had wanted a return that surpassed the Adams price (conditional third-round pick) — have the former triple-crown winner signed through 2026.

D.K. Metcalf, Seahawks

At this season’s outset, Deebo Samuel appeared much less likely than Metcalf to play out a three-year contract inked during training camp in 2022. Now, Samuel is back as the 49ers’ No. 1 wideout (thanks to Aiyuk’s injury) and Metcalf is drawing trade interest. Calls have come in on the sixth-year pass catcher, who is tied to a three-year, $72MM extension that runs through 2025. The Seahawks, however, are not expected to move their top wideout.

Paired with Tyler Lockett for six seasons, Metcalf is a more appealing trade option due to his age (26). Lockett is 32, and while it is worth wondering the Seahawks would be more amenable to moving the older player, no rumors have swirled there. Seattle has hired a new coaching staff and would drop to 4-5 with a loss to Los Angeles this weekend, but it appears the Mike Macdonald-run team will stick with the big-bodied target throughout the season before potentially reassessing ahead of his contract year.

On trade radar

Jakobi Meyers, Raiders

The Raiders did extensive work on the past two quarterback classes, going elsewhere in 2023 and then seeing an effort to trade up for Jayden Daniels predictably fail this year. Las Vegas is between eras at quarterback, with a flood of rumors set to tie the team to the 2025 class undoubtedly coming soon.

The team already picked up a Jets 2025 third-rounder, but with Meyers initially signed to continue working under his three-year Patriots OC (Josh McDaniels), he makes sense as a trade chip as well. Although the Raiders were rumored to want to keep the sixth-year vet, teams are monitoring his status. The Texans, whose GM (Nick Caserio) was in place when the Pats signed Meyers as a UDFA, may be one of them. Meyers’ three-year, $33MM deal runs through 2025; no guarantees are on the accord post-2024.

Josh Palmer, Chargers

Drafted by current Raiders GM Tom Telesco, Palmer is not believed to be in the Jim Harbaugh-run Chargers’ plans much longer. The former third-round pick has been productive in recent years, as injuries to Mike Williams and Keenan Allen proved frequent in that span.

Capable of playing inside and outside, Palmer would be of interest to a team that misses on Slayton — if, in fact, the six-year Giant is moved. The Bolts are believed to be open trading Palmer, potentially wanting someone else to fill in alongside new top target Ladd McConkey. Palmer appears likely to leave as a free agent in March, so it is logical — even at 4-3 — for the Chargers to consider moving on now.

Courtland Sutton, Broncos

Never one to be excluded from rumors during one of the NFL’s trade windows, Sutton remains the Broncos’ top wideout. His purpose is now boosting Bo Nix‘s development, which is going better than most expected. As Nix won NFL Rookie of the Month honors for October, Sutton is still coming up as a candidate to be moved. The Steelers are interested, to the point they may have the ex-Russell Wilson weapon as their lead trade target. This is old hat for the seventh-year player, who has been coming up in trade rumors since the 2022 deadline. Sean Payton confirmed his WR1 drew more interest this year.

Sutton, 29, is tied to a four-year, $60MM deal — one that has become rather team-friendly, especially with no 2025 guarantees in place — that features just a $1.13MM base salary. Because the Broncos restructured the deal for cost-saving purposes, Sutton would tag them with more than $15MM in dead money — an amount that would be spread between this year and next in the event of a trade. The low salary would appeal to trade suitors, but with Wilson set to count more than $30MM against the Broncos’ 2025 cap, taking on another chunk of dead money now would be a curious strategy. Sutton’s exit would come as strange due to his importance to Nix’s growth and the Broncos having declined a third-round offer from the 49ers in August.

Jonathan Mingo, Adam Thielen, Panthers

Thielen is a 34-year-old receiver on a Panthers team early in a rebuild. No guarantees remain on the ex-Viking’s three-year, $25MM contract for 2025, making him a logical trade candidate. This topic came up recently, and despite the Panthers trading Johnson already, it is doubtful they would pass on offers to keep Thielen, who profiles as a 2025 cut candidate. The former Minnesota UDFA, who tacked on a third 1,000-yard season to his resume last season, remains in the IR-return window after a hamstring injury.

A 2023 second-round pick who has not thus far justified his draft slot, Mingo came up recently as a player who is probably not part of the Panthers’ long-term plans. Mingo may have more trade value, despite the accomplishment gap between these Carolina targets, due to his age and contract status. The Ole Miss alum’s rookie deal runs through 2026, though he is sitting on just 12 catches for 121 yards despite not missing a game this season.

Texans Looking Into WR Market; G Kenyon Green Drawing Trade Interest

October 30th, 2024 at 9:59am CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans have seen their wide receiver armada take some hits during the season’s first half. While Nico Collins is expected back fairly soon, Houston will be without Stefon Diggs the rest of the way due to a torn ACL. Diggs’ injury occurring before the trade deadline gives the AFC South leaders an opportunity.

This offseason bringing a change to the trade deadline helps teams like Houston, as clubs now have until 3pm CT on Nov. 5 to discuss deals. The Texans will be among those teams, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indicates the team is looking into acquiring receiver help in the wake of Diggs’ injury.

Houston already made a deep dive into the WR pool this offseason, adding Diggs for a package fronted by a 2025 second-round pick. Diggs, 30, had avoided a major injury throughout his career; his first as a pro changes Houston’s equation, as it has gone from a Collins-Diggs-Tank Dell trio to depending on Dell, who is coming off a season-ending 2023 injury. Dell also sustained minor injuries in an offseason shooting. As it stands, the 2023 third-round pick is the Texans’ top active pass catcher, but his 2024 totals (24 receptions, 229 yards) are well off the pace Collins (32/567) and Diggs (47/496) have set.

Nick Caserio did well to pair Diggs’ $24MM-per-year contract with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal, as the Houston GM was far more active this offseason — after Stroud’s Offensive Rookie of the Year season — compared to his first three in charge. As Diggs, thanks to an agreement with the Texans to remove the final three years of his contract, heads toward free agency coming off a knee injury in Year 10.

The Texans still have some options at receiver, with Robert Woods and 2022 second-round pick John Metchie rostered. No one beyond Houston’s top three has cleared 75 yards this season, however, with second-year player Xavier Hutchinson‘s 64 leading the way among the team’s second-stringers.

Mike Williams, Darius Slayton, Adam Thielen and a few Patriots (K.J. Osborn, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton) represent the known trade market. Some options may be in play beyond this group, depending on what teams are willing to trade. The Seahawks have seen teams check in on D.K. Metcalf, while the Chargers may be open to moving contract-year target Josh Palmer. It would not be a trade deadline without Courtland Sutton rumors, but like the Bengals and Tee Higgins, the Broncos do not appear likely to move on.

The Raiders may want to retain Jakobi Meyers, but it does not sound like they are committed to keeping the Josh McDaniels-era signing, and Graziano adds the Texans would likely be interested if the sixth-year vet — whose Patriots tenure overlapped with Caserio’s — was made available. Bourne’s 49ers tenure also overlapped with now-Texans OC Bobby Slowik‘s, providing some scheme familiarity. Though, the Patriots may be more interested in moving Osborn.

Elsewhere on the Texans’ roster, their No. 12 overall pick in 2022 (Kenyon Green) is drawing interest, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Teams had placed the third-year guard on their radars before the Texans benched him in Week 8. Missing all of last season due to a knee injury, Green rebounded and reclaimed a starting job. But the Texas A&M product has struggled, being benched for Jarrett Patterson. The latter’s concussion, however, led Green back into action. Among regulars, Pro Football Focus ranks Green as the NFL’s worst guard (77th overall) this season. He will retain his starting job in Week 9, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the Texans had considered Kendrick Green to start.

Teams do not look to view Green as a player the Texans will commit to in the long term. First-round O-linemen generally receive second chances, and some suitors appear ready to provide one for Green, who is signed through 2025. With Patterson in concussion protocol, the Texans may be less inclined to listen — especially as low-end offers figure to come in given Green’s woes to date.

Latest On 49ers’ Deadline Plans

October 26th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The 49ers currently sit with a disappointing 3-4 record, but they’re also only a game behind the Seahawks for the NFC West lead. Considering the conflicting outlooks, there have been some questions about how the front office would proceed at the trade deadline.

It sounds like John Lynch and co. will generally be aggressive when it comes to acquiring players. Michael Silver of The Athletic wrote earlier this week that the 49ers could be eyeing help at defensive tackle and wide receiver. While the front office has to consider future cap constraints, the organization is still eyeing both “marquee” acquisitions and affordable, “less glamorous” options.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic points to two potential trade targets in New England: wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and defensive lineman Davon Godchaux. Bourne has already been connected to his former club, especially following Brandon Aiyuk‘s season-ending injury. Bourne dismissed recent rumors that he’s pushing for a San Francisco reunion, but the veteran wideout would be a seamless fit for the WR-needy offense.

Godchaux would also be a logical fit with Javon Hargrave lost for the season. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has started 57 of his 58 appearances in New England across four seasons. According to Russini, the 49ers have also considered making a run at two former players in DeForest Buckner (Colts) and D.J. Jones (Broncos), although the reporter hasn’t gotten the impression that their current squads have reciprocated the trade interest.

Christian McCaffrey will soon be providing some firepower to the offense, and the team will eventually get some defensive reinforcement in linebacker Dre Greenlaw. While the 49ers may not have started the 2024 campaign on the best foot, there’s still good reason for optimism in San Francisco. We also know the 49ers are not strangers to trade-deadline acquisitions, with the team adding Chase Young, Charles Omenihu, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jimmy Garoppolo in recent years.

However, while the organization will try their hardest to make a playoff push, they still may consider subtracting from their current roster. Popular trade candidate Deebo Samuel is likely staying put following Aiyuk’s injury, but Russini says the team could consider dealing impending free agent cornerback Charvarius Ward.

Patriots’ Kendrick Bourne Not Eyeing Trade Back To 49ers

October 24th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trade rumors have followed Kendrick Bourne for much of his Patriots tenure. Despite having re-signed with the team on a three-year deal in March, his name circulated in potential trades this summer and again recently.

The 49ers discussed Bourne with the Patriots this offseason, as the defending NFC champions would have wanted him to come back if Brandon Aiyuk had wanted to be traded to New England. He did not, despite the Pats submitting the top per-year offer. As for Bourne, he does not want to be traded back to his original team.

[RELATED: Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte Unhappy With Role]

“This is where I want to be. I see myself being a strong footprint for this change, and a foundation of where this place is going, because I helped the Niners in their foundation get to where they are,” Bourne said, via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “And I want to do it here. I just kind of ignore it, but I hear it, but this is where — I want to do it here, you know what I’m saying? I want to, because when it starts popping, it’s going to be popping, and so I want to be a part of it.

“Because San Fran, they popping, and I see it from a distance. But now that’s not my calling. My calling is to be here and help these guys here in this organization here. 

One of the 2021 additions brought in during Bill Belichick‘s uncharacteristic free agency splurge, Bourne has impressed at points in New England. The former 49ers role player finished with a career-high 800 receiving yards in 2021, helping the team to the playoffs in Josh McDaniels‘ final OC season. As the Pats’ offense cratered during the odd Matt Patricia play-calling season, Bourne was made available as he fell into Belichick’s doghouse. Re-emerging last season, Bourne was leading Patriots pass catchers with 406 yards and four touchdowns in eight games before suffering an ACL tear. But the team still prioritized him during an offseason that featured numerous re-signings and extensions.

Bourne, who began this season on the reserve/PUP list, is now 29. Although he re-signed on a three-year deal worth $19.5MM, only $5.5MM is guaranteed. An acquiring team would have Bourne on a flexible contract, and with the Pats rebuilding, it would make sense if the eighth-year veteran was interested in being dealt. As of now, he is not eager to move. Bourne is a bit out of place on this Pats roster, as the rest of the team’s receiving corps consists of players drafted from 2022-24. (K.J. Osborn was also acquired during Eliot Wolf‘s first offseason in charge.) But Bourne, who has just four catches for 29 yards in three games this season, told Kyed he is willing to be a mentor in New England.

The 49ers saw their receiver operation crumble against the Chiefs. Deebo Samuel needed to be hospitalized with pneumonia, and Aiyuk suffered an ACL tear. Jauan Jennings missed the game and has not returned to practice this week, and Ricky Pearsall was making his debut weeks after being shot in a robbery attempt. Considering Bourne’s four seasons in Kyle Shanahan‘s system and the NFC West team’s interest in reacquiring him this summer, an emergency return would be logical.

Losers of six straight, the Patriots will have until Nov. 5 to decide on moving Bourne and their other trade candidates.

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Generating Trade Interest?

October 17th, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

For sheer consistency, Kendrick Bourne can hold his own with the likes of Courtland Sutton and Denzel Mims in terms of trade rumor volume. As both those wideouts came up across multiple years, Bourne saw his name thrown into rumors in 2022 and 2023.

The 49ers also discussed a Bourne reunion with the Patriots — as part of Brandon Aiyuk trade talks that also included Sutton — this summer. While Bourne re-signed with the Patriots in March, he looks to be back on the trade radar. As the Pats have struggled since their season-opening win over the Bengals, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes Bourne has again come up in trade rumors.

Like Sutton, trade buzz has followed Bourne in each of the past three years. The Patriots re-signed Bourne to a three-year, $19.5MM deal. That pact came with only $5.5MM guaranteed at signing, as an ACL tear cut short Bourne’s promising 2023 season. The Patriots activated Bourne from their reserve/PUP list in Week 5. He has started slowly on his second Pats contract, catching three passes for 15 yards in two games.

Bourne, 29, is the Pats’ longest-tenured receiver, having initially arrived in Foxborough as part of Bill Belichick‘s uncharacteristic spending spree in 2021. With Matt Judon traded, only Bourne and Hunter Henry remain from that free agency haul. Despite leading the Patriots in receiving when he went down last season, Bourne has operated as a backup thus far this year. As Bourne reacclimates, the Pats have seen younger wideouts Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte show some promise. Now that Drake Maye is at the controls for a 1-5 team, it will make sense for the Pats to give their young receivers plenty of run.

Though, Bourne can also work as a potential security blanket for the No. 3 overall pick. Jerod Mayo also recently called Bourne one of the team’s top three wide receivers. The Patriots made Bourne available in 2022, when he fell into Belichick’s doghouse, and calls came in again in 2023 — both in August and October. Bourne sustained his knee injury two days before last year’s deadline. Bourne has nevertheless persisted, being one of many Belichick additions to remain in the Pats’ plans under new front office boss Eliot Wolf.

More Patriots figure to come up before the deadline, as Wolf will undoubtedly be interested in adding draft capital to help this rebuild. Based on history, it would surprise if Bourne’s name did not continue to be mentioned.

Patriots Activate WR Kendrick Bourne, S Marte Mapu

October 5th, 2024 at 2:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots will be dealing with a number of injuries along the offensive line moving forward, but the team’s receiving corps is set to receive a boost. Kendrick Bourne is set to be activated from the PUP list, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The move will allow Bourne to make his season debut during tomorrow’s game against the Dolphins. The 29-year-old returned to practice earlier this week (when first eligible), so it comes as no surprise he will be back in the fold tomorrow. Expectations will be in place for him to handle a notable workload early and often once on the field.

Bourne’s 73% snap share from last season was not only the highest of his Patriots tenure but also his career. He was limited to only eight games due to an ACL tear, an injury which halted an encouraging campaign. The ailment was not serious enough to dissuade New England from committing to a new three-year, $19.5MM contract, however. Bourne’s return will provide the Patriots with another pass-catching option, something which will be welcomed given their struggles on offense.

New England ranks 31st in the NFL in scoring and last in passing yardage. The timing of when rookie Drake Maye will take over at quarterback remains a key storyline surrounding the team, but for now Jacoby Brissett is atop the depth chart. Adding Bourne (who averaged a personal best 50.8 yards per game and scored four touchdowns last year) to the mix will provide a starting-caliber option alongside Demario Douglas, K.J. Osborn and Ja’Lynn Polk in a receiver room which may not include Tyquan Thornton for much longer.

The Patriots are also expected to activate safety Marte Mapu from injured reserve, as first reported by KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. That move is now official, along with Bourne’s activation. Mapu entered the league with the versatility to play at middle linebacker, but the 2023 third-rounder saw time in the secondary during his rookie campaign in addition to a special teams workload. Designated for return from IR before roster cutdowns, the 24-year-old returned to practice on Wednesday, signaling his pending activation.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/24

October 2nd, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Practice window opened: T Christian Jones

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Practice window opened: DT Jonathan Ford

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Today marks most teams’ first practice before Week 5, making it the first date players stashed on IR as teams set their initial 53-man rosters can work out again with their teams. This year’s IR tweak allowed teams to designate up to two players for return August 27, the catch being all players who receive that designation count toward their respective club’s eight-activation total. The batch included in today’s minor moves post consists entirely of players to receive that August IR-return designation.

The IR-return window is unchanged, however, with teams having 21 days from Wednesday to activate these players. Anyone from today’s group not being activated from IR by October 23 must miss the rest of the season. PFR will keep track of all players returning from IR via the Injured Reserve Return Tracker.

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne Expected To Practice This Week

September 30th, 2024 at 9:29pm CST by Ben Levine

After starting the year on the reserve/PUP list, Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will soon be back on the field. Coach Jerod Mayo confirmed to reporters today that the veteran wide receiver is expected to start practicing on Wednesday, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.

Bourne hasn’t played since Week 8 of last season after suffering a season-ending ACL tear. The wideout was having one of his strongest campaigns prior to his injury, averaging a career-high 50.8 yards per game. Despite his uncertain status heading into the 2024 campaign, the Patriots were comfortable enough handing the veteran a three-year extension this offseason.

After inking a three-year, $15MM deal with New England ahead of the 2021 campaign, Bourne often found himself with an inconsistent role. He had a standout first season with the Patriots, collecting career-highs in receptions (55), receiving yards (800), and touchdowns (five). While poor QB play was partly to blame for his drop in production in 2022, Bourne got into only 441 offensive snaps, his lowest total since his rookie campaign with the 49ers. Those snaps were back up in 2023, with the wideout getting into 73 percent of his team’s offensive snaps prior to his injury.

While the Patriots will surely welcome back Bourne, his return shouldn’t do a whole lot to remedy a putrid offense. Jacoby Brissett has struggled under center for the Patriots this season, leading to natural calls for rookie Drake Maye to take over. Bourne will be entering an uncertain WR room that’s currently led by the likes of K.J. Osborn, Demario Douglas, and second-round rookie Ja’Lynn Polk. Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, and rookie fourth-round pick Javon Baker have generally been the odd men out, and one of those players may be dropped when Bourne is ready to join the active roster.

Patriots Injury Updates: Ximines, Barmore, Strange

September 29th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots started the season with a crowded injured list. In addition to seven players on injured reserve, New England has one player on the reserve/non-football injury list and three players on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Here are some updates on three of those eleven players, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Oshane Ximines didn’t start the season on injured reserve, but due to an injury suffered on punt coverage in Week 2, he has found his way there. Ximines, a reserve outside linebacker and key special teamer, is in his first year with the Patriots after five seasons with the Giants.

A former third-round pick out of Old Dominion, Ximines flashed potential in his rookie season with sack (4.5), tackle for loss (5), and quarterback hit (9) numbers that have stood to this point as career highs. Since then, his role has varied greatly from year to year. Fellow New England defender Jonathan Jones predicted a big season for Ximines in 2024, but a torn ACL has put that prediction to bed as the 27-year-old will miss the remainder of the season.

Another injured defender is defensive lineman Christian Barmore, the sole player on the NFI list. Barmore has been on the injured list since being diagnosed with blood clots in July. The team has braced for a potential full-season absence for Barmore, and there doesn’t seem to be any improvement on that prognosis. While Barmore has been spending more time around the team as of late, he hasn’t been cleared by doctors and likely won’t be any time soon.

Lastly, usual starting guard Cole Strange started the season on PUP after tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee in December last year. Around the NFL, players on NFI, PUP, and IR-designated to return lists will be eligible to start practicing. While the other two players on PUP — wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and linebacker Sione Takitaki — and the lone IR-designated to return player — safety Marte Mapu — are likely to begin their practice periods this week, Reiss does not believe Strange is ready to take that step quite yet.

Patriots Set 53-Man Roster

August 27th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have set their first 53-man roster in a post-Bill Belichick era. The team announced the following moves:

Released:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Placed on reserve/NFI list:

Placed on IR:

Atonio Mafi was a fifth-round pick by the Patriots just last year, and he ended up starting five of his 17 appearances as a rookie. It wasn’t pretty for the UCLA alumni, as Pro Football Focus ultimately graded Mafi as the second-worst qualifying guard in the NFL (among 79 qualifying players).

Kevin Harris was a sixth-round pick by New England in 2022, but the running back struggled to carve out a role through his two seasons with the squad. The South Carolina product was ultimately limited to nine appearances (one start), collecting 175 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

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