A new era has begun for the New England Patriots as head coach Bill Belichick departs after 24 years and is replaced by Jerrod Mayo.
A rebuild in Foxboro seems possible, but does that mean the Patriots will be giving up a lot of familiar faces? Current Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne hopes otherwise as his three-year contract with the franchise expires through the 2021 season.“I want to get back (to New England). This is my goal. “I love being a Patriot. It’s a good environment for a guy like me,” Bourne told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Being a Patriot helped me become the player I am today. I’m happy with the organization, but you never know. We’ve been through free agency before, so we didn’t know what was going to happen.
And now I don’t know.”Bourne’s three years in Foxborough could be described as a roller coaster ride. After making an immediate impact in 2021 and finishing second on the team in the 800 yards behind Jacoby Meyers, things went downhill the following season.
Bourne has just 434 yards and 35 receptions in 2022 as he moves quickly in an offense led by quarterback Matt Patricia. At the time, it appeared the 28-year-old would be sold rather than terminate his contract with Foxborough.But despite rumors that he was on the trading block, that didn’t happen.
Instead, the coaching staff changed, with Belichick bringing back Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator from last season.O’Brien’s return from a season prior to filling the same position at Ohio State didn’t provide the offensive prowess many had hoped for, but it restored Bourne’s status as a standout player. Bourne had 406 yards and four touchdowns on 37 receptions in just eight games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
But now that the coaching staff is changing, with Mayo hiring Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator, Vaughn’s future in New England looks as uncertain as it did in 2022. This article first appeared on FanNation Patriot Maven and is published with permission.
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