3,400-yard playmaker, Kendrick Bourne may be on the trade block this year and the Saints, Chargers are among the teams that could pursue him. Bourne has been in several trade rumors for the past two seasons but the Patriots sitting at 1-5 look like they’ll move on from him and rebuild. One source had Bourne heading to the 49ers in exchange during the Brandon Aiyuk drama, which included Courtland Sutton from the Broncos too. However, Bourne stayed in New England signing a three-year deal after his 2023 campaign ended with an ACL injury.
Bourne is slowly getting back into rhythm among several wideouts ahead of him like Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas and Tyquan Thornton. Originally selected as an undrafted prospect from San Francisco in 2017, Bourne attempted to be a reliable wideout for any quarterback coming in. With Matt Judon traded, Bourne is from the Bill Belichick Era along with Hunter Henry from their 2021 free agency haul so it makes sense why the Patriots may put him on the trading block this season. Interestingly, the Patriots are shopping Thornton who has yet to do much of anything, recording two receptions for 27 yards.
Jerod Mayo claims Bourne is one of the top three wide receivers but giving Douglas and Boutte more reps might be the direction they go to. Bourne may not be a healthy scratch as he’s still working his way back, but the Patriots could receive decent draft capital in return. He’s an inexpensive option for teams who need immediate help in their passing game as opposed to pricey wideouts like Cooper Kupp, Mike Williams and DeAndre Hopkins.
3,400-Yard Star Kendrick Bourne May Be On Trade Block, Saints, Chargers
Possible Trade Destinations
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are probably one of the most desperate teams that needs a wide receiver. Chris Olave is out with a concussion and Rashid Shaheed likely won’t return until 2025. It doesn’t help that Derek Carr is out which leaves rookie Spencer Rattler to bare for what’s coming. New Orleans could rely on their running game for this type of situation but it may become too predictable for opposing defenses.
Head Coach Dennis Allen will most likely lose his job if the Saints aren’t at least in a wild card. With this, the Saints should be scrambling for any cheap trade acquisition that could be out there to serve as immediate help for Rattler. New Orleans is already 2-4 so the time is ticking to make a splash move.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh can’t let this offense be a run-based type of roster. Justin Herbert is still a top-5 quarterback and that probably won’t happen if he continues to hand the ball off often. After releasing Mike Williams and trading Keenan Allen, the team didn’t make many moves to replace them other than signing DJ Chark and drafting Ladd McConkey. Chark is finally coming back in the lineup but there’s no guarantee he’ll do anything explosive as he’s another journeyman.
The Chargers could add Bourne to their lineup as a rotational piece to create separation for McConkey as he’s already exploding in his first year. Bourne is not the fastest but his presence could help Herbert keep moving the football quickly.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore probably has one of the most dangerous offenses this season. However, they did go on a slow 0-2 start thanks to the offense not closing out some of those matchups. Zay Flowers is their top-receiving option but Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor still have a few inconsistent issues. Bourne has the height and weight to match the elusivity to match the energy of this offense.
The Ravens don’t depend on height as much so Bourne teaming up with Lamar Jackson makes sense all around.
Kansas City Chiefs
Since Amari Cooper and Davante Adams are off the board, they may have to resort to trading for Bourne. No one should expect any AFC team to trade their weapons to Kansas City since they may want to avoid increasing their chances for a third straight Super Bowl. After losing Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice, the Chiefs have yet to sign a starter but they probably don’t have to acquire a superstar like DeAndre Hopkins or Diontae Johnson. They might be better off getting a solid receiver that can be useful in the rotation and wouldn’t need to be a full-time starter.
