Kendrick Bourne

Bourne re-signed with New England as a free agent this spring, deciding to stick around under a new coaching staff. During his seven-year career, Bourne played his best football with the Patriots over the last three season. In 2021, he had 925 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. After a down year in 2022, Bourne came back strong last season with 406 yards and four touchdowns before suffering an ACL tear in Week 8. He'll now focus on rehab ahead of his age-29 season, hoping to regain a starting spot in a WR group that added veteran K.J. Osborn and rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker this offseason. The Patriots still lack a clear top target, but their WR depth looks a bit better than in Bourne's previous seasons, potentially leaving him with less volume even if he makes it back for Week 1 and claims a top-three role in an offense that will have either Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett under center.

After recording a 55-800-5 receiving line in his first season with the Patriots in 2021, Bourne dipped to 35 catches (on 48 targets) for 434 yards and a touchdown in 16 games to go with six carries for 39 yards in 2022. Bourne, who turns 28 in August, is entering the final year of his contract with New England, with his chances of a fantasy bounceback this fall hinging on earning steady snaps in an offense that will be under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. Bourne will be competing for playing time with JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton, and when all four are healthy, Bourne's weekly volume figures to fluctuate, with TEs Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki also in the mix to log their share of targets.

Bourne finished his first season with New England with 55 catches (on 70 targets) for 800 yards and five TDs, while averaging 14.5 yards per catch. This coming season, he should remain a key cog in the team's wide receiver corps, which also includes newcomer DeVante Parker, returns Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor and has added speedy second-rounder Tyquan Thornton. Meanwhile, tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith and running back Ty Montgomery also are around to command their share of passing looks. With that many mouths to feed, any potential uptick in Bourne's production hinges on the continuing development of second-year signal-caller Mac Jones as well as his volume not being suppressed due to the potential of the team spreading the ball around to its many targets.

Bourne, who signed a three-year, $15 million deal with the Patriots this offseason, has an opportunity to emerge as the team's top slot option with Julian Edelman's retirement. Like fellow free-agent acquisition Nelson Agholor and returnee Jakobi Meyers, Bourne has the versatility to line up outside or in the slot. Edelman's departure following a productive stint that began in 2009 sets the stage for a revamped wide receiver depth chart in New England. As things stand, Bourne - who logged a 49-667-2 stat line in 15 games for the 49ers in 2020 - is in line to be a key target for QB Mac Jones. If Agholor is deployed as a deep threat by New England, it's plausible that Bourne's share of the team's slot targets could translate into PPR relevance.

Bourne began the 2019 campaign as receiver depth and a special teams contributor, but he forced his way into the starting lineup for the second straight season and finished with 30 receptions for 358 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-1 wideout doesn't possess blazing speed and drops the occasional catchable ball, but he provides much-needed size for San Francisco's receiving unit and has earned Jimmy Garoppolo's trust in key moments, as evidenced by a crucial 3rd-and-15 pitch and catch in the Super Bowl. The 49ers only made one impact addition at the wide receiver position - first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk - while losing veterans Emmanuel Sanders and Marquise Goodwin this offseason, but Deebo Samuel's summer foot injury could open the door for Bourne to see some extra targets early in the year.

Bourne had the best season of any San Francisco wideout when you factor in preseason expectations and actual production. The 23-year-old produced 487 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 42 receptions over 16 games (eight starts). If things remained status quo, it would be safe to say that Bourne was a fantasy player on the rise with a larger role ahead, but the 49ers brought in two talented wideouts via the draft, which could bump the former back into a fringe position to begin the 2019 campaign.

Bourne was able to make the squad as an undrafted rookie after impressing coaches in camp. The 6-1 receiver didn't make an impact until the second half of the season, when injuries took their toll on the receiving corps. Bourne generated enough good will to get another shot to prove himself in camp, but he'll be taking on a larger pool of young receivers after the team added two wideouts in the draft.