Among the most highly anticipated roster battles of training camp for the Patriots is the wide receiver room, as 12 players are currently signed to the team for the 2025 season. There are a few who are considered to be locks, no matter what happens through the preseason, including Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams.
That means players like Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, and Ja'Lynn Polk will be competing for the final few spots on the team, some of whom might be traded so the Patriots reap the benefits of cutting them. The leading candidate for that potential future continues to be Bourne, as the longest tenured Patriot who has had a few unremarkable seasons in Foxboro.
He's been deemed their most valuable asset of the receiving corps to be moved for some sort of return, despite how impactful he would be for Drake Maye to work with this season. That remains a talking point among NFL analysts, with USA Today's Cory Wooroof being the latest to suggest Bourne be traded before the season begins.
But there's no reason for the Patriots to seriously consider the trade offer that he projects could get a deal done.
The Patriots would be foolish to trade Kendrick Bourne for this kind of return
While discussing ten realistic trades that could happen before or during training camp, Wooroof lists the Patriots trading Bourne to the Eagles, as Philadelphia wants to surround quarterback Jalen Hurts with as much offensive talent as possible.
The problem is that he suggests the Patriots receiving a 2026 seventh-round pick in return for the receiver, which is basically a throw away selection in next year's draft for a player who could be an undervalued weapon for Maye to work with, especially since the best season of his career came under Josh McDaniels in 2021.
"The Patriots have one of the most crowded receiver rooms in the NFL, and it feels there will be an odd man out with potential starters. Bourne still holds value as a veteran wideout who can help any quarterback, and New England might be curious to see what it could get in a future asset as opposed to cutting Bourne outright. The Eagles could give Bourne a clearer path to the field and quarterback Jalen Hurts an excellent depth option in the passing game. Adding Bourne could be a really savvy move to address receiver depth for Philadelphia."
Trading for Bourne makes sense for the Eagles, who hope to make it to the Super Bowl again next February. Adding him to a room that already consists of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith would be a no-brainer, but there's nothing in it for the Patriots.
Acquiring more draft picks is never a bad idea, but when it's a seventh-rounder, it's easy to decline the offer and move on. The Patriots would be losing far too much in Bourne only to receive a last-round pick for him, and knowing the potential he has by reuniting with McDaniels should prompt Mike Vrabel and Co. to immediately turn down the Eagles if they made such an offer.
It would be a foolish decision on their part and the first mistake the new regime would make if they agreed to the trade. If they, for whatever reason, decide that Bourne shouldn't be on this year's roster, perhaps a trade should be considered. However, it seems plausible that they could get more than a seventh-rounder in return, and that's more of an understandable move than this one.