Getty Kendrick Bourne
The New England Patriots didn’t trade for Deebo Samuel this offseason, but perhaps they will turn to his former teammate to play a similar role.
Kendrick Bourne was teammates with Samuel while with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 and 2020, so the former has seen the latter up close in practices and games. While Samuel didn’t hit his stride until 2021 when Bourne was having his own career season with the Patriots, there is no doubt there is some level of awareness to how the 49ers star crafted a do-it-all niche for himself in San Francisco.
Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports believes Bourne will be the Patriots’ most important offensive player–outside of Mac Jones of course. There has been talk the Patriots will start to use some of the concepts we’ve seen from San Francisco’s attack under Kyle Shanahan.
That’s where Bourne comes in as Curran believes he will be the guy taking on some of Samuel’s responsibilities as a versatile weapon.
“Idle speculation?,” Curran asked. “If the Patriots are going to shift toward the Shanahan Offense — which Bourne played in while with the Niners — then the obvious shift would be to sprinkle in some Deebo Samuel-type responsibilities. Samuel had an eye-popping 2021 with 1,770 yards from scrimmage on 136 touches (77 catches) and 14 total touchdowns. Bourne generated 925 yards on 67 touches with five total touchdowns. Whether the Patriots are merely tweaking the offense or going through an overhaul, Bourne is one player who’s done well finishing everything on his plate and looks hungry for more.”
Bourne popped in 2021 for the Patriots. While free agents such as Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor had underwhelming seasons after signing free-agent deals, Bourne quickly became a fan favorite behind his energy and production.
Bourne set career highs in receptions with 55 and receiving yards with 800. He tied a career high with 5 TDs. Bourne’s ability to run after the catch is part of what sparked Curran to fit him for Samuels’ rugged RB/WR hybrid role in the offense.
In 2021, Bourne had 385 yards after the catch and an average of 7 YAC. In addition to that total, he also had 12 rushes for 125 yards and 7 first downs.
Curran may be on to something.
Another Writer Likes DeVante Parker
While Phil A. Perry agrees Bourne will be important, the NBC Sports writer sees DeVante Parker as the most important offensive player besides Jones. Parker was acquired this offseason in a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Parker is the only receiver currently on the Patriots roster who has ever had a 1,000-yard season in his career. It happened in 2019 when he had 72 receptions for 1,202 yards and 9 TDs.
The hope is for Parker to provide the No. 1 target and downfield threat the Patriots has been lacking for some time, and the one New England fans have hoped N’Keal Harry would become since he was drafted in the first round in 2019.
In any case, Parker and Bourne could both provide Jones with the sort of weapons he needs to build on a strong rookie season.
Don’t Forget About Jakobi Meyers
Bourne and Parker are both noteworthy targets in the Patriots’ offense, but everyone seems to forget about Jakobi Meyers. All he has done the past two seasons is lead the Patriots in receptions with 142 and receiving yards with 1,595.
Meyers was the safety blanket for Cam Newton in a tough 2020 season and he was a similar lifeline for Jones during his rookie season. Meyers has seen his numbers climb every season he’s been in the NFL. If the trend continues, he’ll likely eclipse the 1,000-yard mark.
Could Meyers emerge again as the Pats’ top passing weapon? Stay tuned.
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