The New England Patriots are in the midst of building their offense around young quarterback Drake Maye. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne doesn't fit the timeline of their rebuild at the age of 29. That's why it's time for New England to trade him for draft value as soon as possible.
New England's front office got a tense reminder of the need to trade Bourne soon when he limped off the field during the team's most recent scrimmage. Fortunately for the Patriots, Bourne told fans after the scrimmage that he exited the game due to a cramp. That means the veteran wide receiver should rejoin preseason activities in the coming days.
Kendrick Bourne seen limping off the field with a trainer during the team’s in-stadium scrimmage. Hopefully he’s alright.
— Boston Buzzer (@TheBostonBuzzer) August 1, 2025
Just can’t seem to stay healthy.
Video Credit: @SavageSports_ pic.twitter.com/qoLqLtV5Yv
Patriots get harsh reminder after Kendrick Bourne's injury scare
Injuries have been a significant issue for Bourne throughout his NFL career. That's one of the reasons he's failed to hold down a starting spot with the Patriots. He currently sits behind DeMario Douglas as the second string slot receiver. In other words, he's squarely on the fringes of having a meaningful target share for New England's aerial attack.
When healthy, Bourne does have the ability to help a team as a starting slot receiver. It's easy to envision a scenario where a team in win-now mode would be willing to offer some modest draft compensation to pry him away from the Patriots. New England's front office should be working hard to find that trade partner before Bourne goes down with a more serious injury.
The real challenge for the Patriots will be getting meaningful value for a player with Bourne's injury history. They must be reasonable with their expectations of potential draft compensation they can get in return. Something along the lines of a sixth-round pick with incentives that could elevate it to a fifth-round selection should be possible.
That might not seem like enough of a return for Patriots fans, but Bourne does not fit their timeline for potential playoff contention. Any draft compensation they get for his services can help accelerate their rebuild. Offloading him would also open up more space in the receiver room for young players to develop. Trading Bourne is not going to be a franchise changing transaction, but it's a move New England needs to make.