The New England Patriots feel like they have been on the up ever since they replaced former head coach, Jarod Mayo, with now-HC, Mike Vrabel.

Some astute offseason additions were followed by some very well-received draft picks, but it could be that Vrabel and general manager, Eliot Wolf’s next move could be in the other direction.

The Patriots’ offense – despite upgrades over the past four months – still has at least something left to be desired.

Yet, we could well see departures of some high profile names over the next couple of months, particularly at wide receiver where the unit is not especially strong, but has a lot of different options.

So New England could part with one of their many wideouts – eight of which currently have a realistic shot at making the final 53 man roster.

The player that makes the most sense for a trade at this point is Kendrick Bourne, whose combination of previous production and experience, yet lower future upside over the next few years, makes him about the best candidate to be moved.

The Atlanta Falcons May Be Smart To Make A Move For Kendrick Bourne

And a destination that could prove to be a great fit may be the Atlanta Falcons, who in this trade proposal send a day three draft pick to the North East for Bourne’s services.

Bourne still has value as a commodity, despite entering his ninth year in the NFL.

But after three successive seasons with less than five hundred receiving yards/year, he will not be regarded as anything more than a workable slot weapon.

However, that is exactly what the Falcons need, as they might look to bolster their offensive pass-catching artillery going into Michael Penix Jr‘s first full year as the starting quarterback.

Beyond Drake London and Darnell Mooney, who did excellently as the WR2 in his first year in Atlanta, the depth chart at receiver looks exceptionally thin.

Bourne is a proven talent who has shown the ability to make plays over the middle – something that is notoriously valuable for young quarterbacks looking for quick throws and escapes as they gradually get accustomed to different defensive looks in the pros.

What Compensation Would The Patriots Receive For Bourne?

It is not even assured that New England would receive anything for the former San Francisco 49er.

But if they did, it would likely not be much more than a seventh rounder in 2026.

In this proposal, the trade goes as following:

Atlanta Falcons receive: Kendrick Bourne

New England Patriots receive: 2026 seventh round pick

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report speculated that Bourne could even be cut this training camp, given the position’s depth in New England.

“Bourne sticks out as the most likely cut candidate among the receivers currently occupying the roster’s fringes”, Kay wrote on Tuesday, “…With Bourne soon turning 30 and due to make $5.5 million in base salary, New England can part ways with the aging veteran in exchange for $6.3 million in cap relief and a paltry $1.4 million dead cap hit.”

Any return would beneficial for the Patriots, if they do decide to keep youth like Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker on their roster, over veterans like Bourne