Even though they are still in the ramp-up period and have yet to put on pads, the New England Patriots have turned the competition switch to “on” early in training camp. That is particularly true at a position as crowded as wide receiver.
The Patriots currently have 12 wideouts under contract, with no more than six or seven of them expected to end up on the eventual roster. Who those players will be obviously remains to be seen — a lot of football will be played before those decisions have to be made
— but the competition itself is already shaping up to be a fun one.
And don’t just take it from us. The group’s elder statesman, Kendrick Bourne, also feels that way.
“It’s actually awesome. I think it’s better than it’s ever been, from my experience being here,” Bourne said about the state of the wide receiver competition after Thursday’s practice.
“I’m really enjoying it. You love to have the challenge. You love the environment of competition. It really brings the best out of you.”
Bourne joined the Patriots as a free agent in 2021 and has since appeared in 54 regular season and playoff games for the organization. Despite being put in some tough situations as far as quarterback play and coaching consistency is concerned, he was able to steadily produce over his first three seasons in New England.
Now heading into Year 4 and under quite a bit of pressure from veteran acquisitions and youngsters alike, Bourne is well aware that he will need to perform to keep his spot on the team. Two practices in, he has seen some chance to do so.
Repping with both the first- and second-team units, he has caught two passes in competitive team drills. Both of those, however, have come from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs rather than starter Drake Maye.
Bourne knows that he too needs to earn his opportunities, despite his superior experience compared to most of his teammates.
“It’s not going be given. You have to earn everything. Even for myself. Seniority or however you want to call it, it really doesn’t matter. I have to practice hard. I have to show up in preseason,” he said on Thursday.
“The cards are going to play out how they play out, so I don’t have any predictions. I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do, and I think everybody in the room has this mindset.”
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