Patriots are reportedly prioritizing re-signing top pending free agent

On top of the significant changes the Patriots have already and will be implementing this offseason, they have a long list of pending free agents that will force Jerod Mayo and whoever the general manager will be to decide who's worthy of re-signing versus who's not.

Unfortunately, this is another year where several key players are heading to free agency, and although they won't be able to keep them all, plenty should remain with the team if possible. One of those players is reportedly a priority for the Patriots, at least according to the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan.

On a recent episode of his "Pats Interference" podcast, the journalist addressed a question about the team's pending free agents.

That's when he revealed the team has already been in contact with Kendrick Bourne, who was on pace to have the best season of his career in 2023 before suffering a season-ending injury against the Dolphins.

"The team has already been in contact with Kendrick Bourne, I can tell you that. I don't know the likelihood of him staying."

Considering the list of New England free agents includes Kyle Dugger, Hunter Henry, and Josh Uche, it speaks volumes about the team already speaking to Bourne before any reports have claimed others have also been in contact with them.

It's unsurprising, though, because Bourne has been a consistent bright spot for an underperforming offense since he signed with the team in 2021 and was set to have a tremendous bounce-back season this year before his injury.

Because the only receivers under contract for 2024 are not the most exciting outside of Demario Douglas, ensuring Bourne remains with the team should be a top priority, as he's proven to be an explosive option and reliable.

So even though Callahan couldn't confirm if the conversations had reached a point of discussing a new contract, the fact the Patriots have already reached out to Bourne, who has repeatedly shared his desire to come back to the team before and after Bill Belichick's departure, is surely a good sign.

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