Kendrick Bourne Recruits Star Receiver To Patriots, Makes Promise
The New England Patriots front office has begun to take care of rebuilding the coaching staff, and the locker room is getting started on recruiting new talent.
New England wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, a four-year team veteran, reached out on social media to a potential Patriots offseason target: Cooper Kupp. Bourne sent a public message to the 31-year-old as New England embarks on yet another critical offseason, following the team’s disastrous 4-13, last-in-the-AFC East finish — the second in a row to take place in Foxboro.
“Come to NE Cooper Kupp,” Bourne published Tuesday on X. “We’ll take care of u lol all the targets!”
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Bourne and Kupp have a history. They were both college teammates at Eastern Washington University from 2013-2016 before undergoing different career paths. Kupp was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams while Bourne went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers. Now eight years later, Bourne feels as though enough time has passed and the duo should reunite.
Kupp has two years remaining on his three-year, $80 million contract with the Rams, which does leave the possibility for a release from Los Angeles open. That could allow the Patriots a chance to sign Kupp and provide a proven veteran receiver to franchise quarterback Drake Maye.
It’s wishful thinking from Bourne, but not a far-fetched possibility.
Kupp isn’t sure what the future holds with Los Angeles as the team endured a playoff elimination at the hands of Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional round this past Sunday.
“I feel like I’ve got a lot of good football left in me,” Kupp told reporters, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “I’ll be playing football next year. That much I know.”
Kupp continued: “Who knows what’s going to happen? That’s out of my control. And we will see what it’s going to be.”
Kupp totaled 67 catches for 710 yards and six touchdowns in 12 regular-season appearances with the Rams this past season. He missed four games after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 and was sidelined during Los Angeles’ Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. So while it didn’t match the best we’ve seen from Kupp’s career, the campaign wasn’t a complete dud, either.
The Patriots could trade for Kupp, and considering the state of decline with the Rams, it might not take much to bring him to New England.