Kendrick Bourne credits Bill Belichick’s coaching amid breakout season

The New England Patriots chose to open the checkbook this offseason, splurging on players like Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor at wide receiver.

If the goal was to surround a rookie quarterback like Mac Jones with tons of experienced, productive talent on the perimeter, Bourne has helped check that box.

Bourne was coming off of four solid years with the San Francisco 49ers, but his production never made him seem like a No. 1 receiving option on a Super Bowl contender.

After just one year in New England, Bourne has already become one of Jones’ favorite targets due to his ability to make plays on third down and in the red zone.

Bourne is leading the team in receiving yards while coming in second in both receptions and touchdowns. Considering Agholor was the bigger name when the pair arrived in New England this offseason, Bourne’s improvement in a short period of time has been genuinely stunning.

While going to a Josh McDaniels-led offense that loves players with Bourne’s skillset as well as the increased volume could all be logical explanations for his uptick in production, No. 84 credits the sage-like advice of Bill Belichick for his turnaround. He’s getting pointers in New England that he wasn’t getting in San Francisco.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots helped turn Kendrick Bourne around.

“When I first got here, I kind of was running with the ball in my way, my technique, and doing just how I’ve grown up playing,” Bourne told NBC Sports. “Bill showed me techniques that I’ve never been taught before, and this is how I know Bill is special.”

Bourne has been Jones’ primary target when he wants to stretch the field. Excluding a rookie year in San Francisco in which he had very limited snaps, Bourne’s 14.8 yards per reception mark this year is the best of his entire career. Belichick may know how to use him better than Kyle Shanahan.

Bourne signed for much less than some of the elite free agent wide receivers in this class, yet he is outperforming all of them. Kenny Golladay, Will Fuller, and Curtis Samuel have all struggled with injuries, while Marvin Jones and Corey Davis have been stuck with rookie quarterbacks that aren’t playing as well as Mac.

Bourne was largely viewed as a gamble by the Patriots when they signed him. Why else does Keelan Cole have a higher AAV than him? Just 12 games into his tenure in New England, Bourne has shown he is capable of being a top option in the passing game, and he’s got Belichick to thank for that.