Recent DeVante Parker extension is horrible news for Kendrick Bourne
On Wednesday, the New England Patriots signed DeVante Parker to a three-year extension. This extension is probably terrible news for Kendrick Bourne. There was a thought earlier this offseason that the Patriots would have parted with one or both of Parker and Bourne.
The team added JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency and also drafted Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, so they definitely added some bodies to this unit that have great potential. There's also Tyquan Thornton as well who could be in line for a breakout season.
Sources: The #Patriots & WR DeVante Parker reached an agreement on a 3-year new contract worth up to $33M. The deal, done by Parker’s long-time agent and owner of Management One Jimmy Gould, also includes $14M in guarantees and per-game roster bonuses. Parker finds a home in NE. pic.twitter.com/0aEUVhZedU
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 28, 2023
Two of the older receiver veterans on the team are Parker and Bourne, and it was the right line of thinking to believe that the Pats planned on parting with one of them. Well, DeVante Parker just signed a three-year contract extension with the team, so he isn't going anywhere.
He's a big-bodied wide receiver who gives the Patriots a legitimate jump-ball threat. He's also had the most statistical success of any WR on the roster, so his presence may just be needed. Well, now that we know Parker isn't going anywhere, shouldn't that spell bad news for Kendrick Bourne?
I think it does. Bourne played quite well in 2021, his first year with the team. He had 800 yards and five touchdowns. In 2022, however, he was put in the doghouse a bit and only finished with 434 yards and one touchdown. It's not a talent issue with Bourne, but it seems like the Pats might want to give some of the younger guys more of a chance while also maintaining a solid veteran presense.
Parker can definitely be the latter, so I think we won't see Bourne on the roster come week one. The team can save about $5.5 million if they cut Kendrick Bourne this offseason. That is significant savings for what was likely going to be something like the fourth option in the receiving game.
Could the New England Patriots see if there's a market for Bourne? Perhaps. I'm not sure if they could get more than a 6th round pick, but I guess that would be better than simply cutting him. I think the DeVante Parker extension has put the nail in the coffin for Kendrick Bourne's time in New England.