The start of the first training camp in New England under Mike Vrabel has garnered considerable attention around the league, with most Patriots fans fixated on the offense. The second season of Drake Maye will undoubtedly be among the highlights of the season, as he has a significantly improved group to work with and the well-respected Josh McDaniels back in the building.
The coordinator's return is particularly exciting for the few remaining players who were on the team during his last year in Foxboro in 2021. Among the most notable is Kendrick Bourne, who had the best season of his career with McDaniels and hopes to build upon that this upcoming season.
The expectation was that he would be prominently used during practice because of his familiarity with McDaniels' playbook. But that hasn't been the case so far, leaving many wondering if Bourne's future with the Patriots is further from certain than we thought.
Kendrick Bourne appears to be falling down the Patriots' depth chart this summer
Because Stefon Diggs was brought in to be Drake Maye's go-to target, it's expected that the receiver will see the most reps during practice. The same can be said about rookie Kyle Williams or even DeMario Douglas, who has been having a standout performance every day so far this summer.
Beyond those names, the belief was Bourne would be in the mix. However, he hasn't been involved nearly as much as many predicted, especially since he has already proven to be successful in a McDaniels offense.
Many are questioning whether Bourne hasn't been involved as much to allow his teammates to become more acclimated to what McDaniels has planned. Or if this is a sign of what's to come, and Bourne is going to be the odd one out of a very competitive wide receiver room.
This has only been fueled by the rise of other players around him, with even Kayshon Boutte and Ja'Lynn Polk having highlighted moments in the first padded practice on Monday. That could be a disastrous situation for Bourne, but it wouldn't be wise for the Patriots to move on from a trusted veteran with a proven record with their offensive coordinator.
Maye will really benefit from having a Bourne security blanket to work with until shown otherwise, so hopefully, things will pick up for him over the next few weeks as preseason begins.