At one point during training camp and the preseason, the prevailing thought was the Patriots would trade one of their wide receivers given the depth at the position. Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and Jakobi Meyers were all floated as potential trade chips.

Following the injury to rookie Tyquan Thornton, most of that talk died down. However, after getting kicked out of a joint practice with the Panthers for fighting and then not suiting up for the second preseason game, some wondered if Bourne’s standing on the Patriots’ roster may be in jeopardy.

In the end, the Patriots ended up holding onto Bourne, keeping him as one of five receivers on the initial 53-man roster. We’re learning now though that had they wanted to move on from him, they had multiple changes to do so.

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According to Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald, “several teams expressed interest in trading for Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne” in the days leading up to roster cuts. Callahan added that “none of those conversations gained much traction.”

It’s not surprising teams would be interested in Bourne. He finished last season with 55 catches for 800 yards, and from Week 3 to Week 12 was on a 1,000-yard pace (he caught COVID heading into the Patriots’ Week 13 matchup). That’s significant production on its own, even before factoring in his cap hits for the next two seasons are $6.5 million and $6.9 million. In terms of production compared to cost, his current contract is one of the most team-friendly in the NFL.

Perhaps that’s why the Patriots weren’t in a rush to trade him. Given what he showed last year and the chemistry he developed with Mac Jones, the risk/reward of dealing him just didn’t skew in the team’s favor, even with Bourne having a relatively rough camp. Now the question is can Bourne reward the Patriots’ patience and get back to the player he was last season?

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].