Kendrick Bourne sets the record straight regarding possible Patriots return

Even though free agency hasn't officially begun yet, the Patriots haven't had much luck re-signing some of their most important players set to test the market next week.

That seemed clear with the news of Chukwuma Okorafor's signing, an offensive tackle, as he wasn't the name most were hoping to hear would be on the team in 2024. It brought on a chaotic response since Mike Onwenu will be a free agent for the first time in his career, and that panic is now setting in for another critical position on the team: wide receiver.

The Patriots missed out on the top names who would be available this offseason, with Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, and Michael Pittman Jr. receiving new deals or the franchise tag to remain with their current team.

It puts a lot of pressure on New England to make something out of the limited receivers who will be looking for new teams, and re-signing one of their own is even more critical now.

Kendrick Bourne sets the record straight regarding possible Patriots return

He may not be the flashy name that fans were hoping would be on the team next year, but Kendrick Bourne has proven his value to the Patriots over the last three years, and given their less-than-excitingHowever, options outside of the team, his importance within their offense has skyrocketed in recent days.

The receiver has said on multiple occasions that he would like to return to New England, and it looked to be trending that way. But reports suggested Bourne and the team were not "seeing eye to eye" about a new contract, explaining why he left the stadium without one when he was there with his agent just last week.

Now that circumstances have changed with the closing of the franchise tag window, Jerod Mayo might be more inclined to get a deal done to secure a productive receiver for their impending developing offense.

With that in mind, Bourne appeared on NFL Network's "Total Access" on Thursday and discussed possibly returning to Foxboro next season. He reiterated what he's been saying all along, revealing that conversations about a new contract are going well.

Hopefully, the negotiations continue to go well and ultimately lead to a new deal because losing a guy like Bourne would be devastating.

There aren't many receivers remaining in free agency that would be deemed worthy of pursuing over him, especially since he's a proven talent in the system and bringing in someone new is always a gamble.

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