In his article earlier in the month, my colleague Devon Platana mentioned some Patriots players on thin ice after serious performance concerns last season. Last week’s re-hiring of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels further increases the spotlight on these three offensive players.
1. Ja’Lynn Polk
Ja’Lynn Polk had a dominant 2023 season at the University of Washington. As the program’s number-two receiver, Polk played in all 15 games and caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards. Polk’s yards total was the sixth most in school history. As a result, the receiver-needy Patriots selected Polk with their second-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft, and received some rave reviews for said selection:
“Overall, Polk must continue developing as a route runner, but he is [a] natural athlete addressing the football, with three-level instincts and pro-level toughness,” wrote Dane Brugler in “The Beast”. “A potential NFL starter, his game is reminiscent of Josh Palmer’s when he was coming out of Tennessee.”
– Dane Brugler, “The Beast”
“He definitely brings versatility to the game, he’s a guy that played inside and outside, I’d assume more of a perimeter skillset, he’s kind of a good mismatch option that way,” Cam Williams told Patriots Unfiltered after the pick.”
– Cam Williams
A year into his career, Polk has a lot of work to do before he lives up to his high draft status. As a rookie, Polk played in 15 games and only had 12 catches while being targeted 33 times.
To make matters even worse, the Patriots had Polk so high on their draft board that they traded down in the draft with the Los Angeles Chargers to select him. Had the Pats stayed with their 34th pick, the team could have chosen rookie sensation Ladd McConkey, who in his first season with Los Angeles led the AFC’s No. 5 seed in receiving with 82 receptions, 1,149 yards, and 7 touchdowns.
Polk’s chances of having a role in New England are dwindling. While the returning McDaniels won’t have the G.O.A.T at quarterback, he does have Drake Maye, who has the potential to be a top-7 quarterback in his own right. And McDaniels needs to surround Maye with receivers who will catch the ball. Time is ticking for Polk, and he has to make a great impression with his new OC, or else he may not be on the team come next season.
2. Rhamondre Stevenson
Rhamondre Stevenson is a serviceable starting running back in the NFL and has been the Patriots’ best skill-position player for the past few seasons. Since being selected by the Pats in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Stevenson has amassed 3,066 yards and has found the end zone 21 times. His best season was in 2022 when he had 1,000 yards on the ground while averaging five yards per carry, along with 69 catches for 421 yards.
This past season, Stevenson finished with 801 yards and six touchdowns while rushing and had 33 catches for 168 yards receiving, a far cry from his 2022 numbers. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), his performance led to an overall grade of 69.6, which was 31st out of 47 running backs.
Rhamondre’s biggest problem is that he cannot hold onto the football. This season, he put the ball on the ground seven times (six rushing and one receiving), including four in the first four games. When asked before Week 5 about his fumbling problems, Rhamondre said:
“I’m super tough on myself. I’m more disappointed in myself than anyone could ever be. It’s very simple – I just have to hold on to the ball and have that mentality to come up with the ball every time. It’s my job to do that and I haven’t been doing it well.”
– Rhamondre Stevenson
These numbers will not slide in Josh McDaniels’ offense, and if Stevenson wants to remain as the team’s number-one running back next season, he needs to clean up this area of his game.
3. Kendrick Bourne
After spending his first four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Kendrick Bourne decided to move across the country and sign a multi-year deal with the New England Patriots during the 2021 free-agency period.
During that season, Bourne had a career year–catching 55 passes for 800 yards and five touchdowns. Since then, Bourne has not come close to matching those numbers.
Last season, after returning from a torn ACL which he suffered in 2023, Bourne had 26 catches for 293 yards and one touchdown.
Before last season, Bourne was rewarded by the Patriots with a three-year, $33 million extension. With his best days presumably behind him, the team may look to cut ties (via trade or waivers) as doing so would save the team millions.
While financially it would make sense for the team to cut ties with Bourne, his saving grace may be the team’s new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who also had the same role during the 2021 season.
While the Patriots have the most cap space in the NFL and are rumored to be interested in acquiring receivers from outside the organization (most notably Tee Higgins, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals), I hope Josh McDaniels retains Kendrick Bourne and can get the 2021 version of him.
While the future of these three Patriots remains uncertain, new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is one of the best offensive minds in the league and will get the best out of the skill-position players for his franchise quarterback Drake Maye.
