Sometimes a school pumps out so much talent, the NFL can barely keep up. Eastern Washington University is a prime example, of course, and now the New England Patriots might be in a crunch at wide receiver as one Eagle, UDFA Efton Chism, looks like a near-lock to make the roster after a strong camp, and another Eagle, veteran Kendrick Bourne, might be the odd man out in the room.
What, is EWU not the school you expected me to say? I have some advice for you; respect the Big Sky and respect the 509. Thank you. Anyway, Chism went undrafted this year which isn't a huge surprise, as he posted just one 1000-yard season in five years of college football. But he's impressed at Patriots camp all offseason long, and a touchdown in the preseason opener may have been the final lift Chism needed to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.
That spot, unfortunately, may come at the expense of Kendrick Bourne, who has 1945 receiving yards in four seasons with the Patriots but hasn't eclipsed 500 yards in a season since 2021. Bourne, 30, would definitely find a spot on another NFL team; maybe he heads back to San Francisco, where he spent the first four years of his career. Whether the Patriots decide to trade Bourne, release him or keep him on the team in case of injury to another player is unclear, but his spot is in jeopardy. Bourne is also dealing with an injury that's kept him sidelined in training camp, and that's never a good thing when fighting for a roster spot.
Patriots have far more talent than last year
A competition for a depth wide receiver doesn't seem like much, but competition at any skill position feels like a big improvement from last year's Patriots team, which was basically just looking for NFL talent to fill out its roster. The Patriots aren't quite a contender in the AFC yet, but they're trending in the right direction. Now that Drake Maye actually has some talent surrounding him, namely rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, we should see what he's capable of with a competitive supporting cast.
So, Chism making this version of the Patriots would be a little more noteworthy than if he were to make last year's team. Of course, an UDFA wide receiver making any NFL roster is deserving of praise, but making a roster that will surely go better than 4-13 is all the more impressive. With Chism on board, and third-round pick Kyle Williams from Washington State hoping to make an immediate impact too, the Palouse will be well-represented in New England in 2025, even if Bourne moves on to a new team before Week 1.