New England Patriots: The weakest link in the new-look offense

The New England Patriots really went out and made a statement this offseason, as they went on the biggest free agent spending in franchise history.

If that didn’t prove head coach Bill Belichick has zero intentions of missing the playoffs again (they’ve never missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons under his 21-year tutelage and just three times in total), then good luck finding something that does.

Speaking strictly in terms of the offense, the Pats really had no other choice but to make significant upgrades after their passing game was one of the worst in the NFL last year.

For context, they ranked 30th in passing yards per game and last in passing touchdowns.

That figures to change in a big way following the additions of Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, and Jonnu Smith. With that being said, however, it’s not hard to realize the Patriots’ receiving corps (at least on paper) is still one of the least-inspiring in the NFL.

In fact, it could even be regarded as the weakest part of the roster. After all, New England’s rushing attack, led by Damien Harris and a resurgent Sony Michel, exceeded expectations last season by finishing fourth with 146.6 rushing yards per game.

It would be easy to identify N’Keal Harry as the weakest link of the passing game, but that’s obvious after he struggled to make an impact as a sophomore. In terms of players who are expected to start and play a big role, we’re looking at Bourne as the biggest soft spot.

Is Kendrick Bourne the weakest link in the Patriots’ new-look offense?

Let it be known that we have NOTHING against Bourne. The latest buzz from OTAs suggest he’s adjusting to life in New England without a hitch and he really seems tremendous for locker room morale. However, it’s hard not to single him out as the so-called weakest link of the offense after you compare his stats to the Patriots’ other receiving options.

For starters, Bourne is entering his fifth season and has just 13 starts under his belt. That’s just three more than Jakobi Meyers, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and didn’t really become a factor in the passing game until last season.

For his career, Bourne has registered 137 receptions for 1,769 yards and 11 touchdowns. In comparison, Meyers has managed 85 catches for 1,088 yards in 31 fewer games (59 to 28) and 960 fewer snaps (2,041 to 1,081). It’d be easy to peg Meyers as the weakest link given his lack of experience, but he’s actually outperformed Bourne on a game-to-game basis.

And for those fans claiming Agholor should take the cake, neither Bourne nor Meyers have produced the type of season the former Raiders star did last year. In 16 games, Agholor logged 48 receptions for a career-high 896 yards (18.7 YPR) and eight touchdowns.

Though Agholor has his warts (he’ll occasionally produce a back-breaking drop), we’re talking about a player who’s caught eight touchdowns twice in his career, logged at least 730 receiving yards three times in his career and has a career 12.5 yards per reception. The same cannot be said for Bourne, who’s yet to top the 670-receiving-yard threshold in his career.

We’d love nothing more than for Bourne to prove us wrong down the road. It wouldn’t even be surprising if he led the Patriots in receiving next season. However, his lack of production over his first four years made him a no-brainer choice for the “weakest link” mantle.

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