Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne received a seal of approval from a Patriots legend after signing with New England in free agency last week.
Former Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker was Bourne's wide receivers coach with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 and 2020. The two touched base after Bourne signed a four-year contract with the Patriots.
"Yeah, Wes definitely told me -- had a talk with him -- he told me great place, great decision I picked," Bourne said Monday on a video conference call. "And how they work hard there. Everything is earned. That was the biggest thing when I heard that, come to a place where you can earn everything, go out there and showcase and earn your keep, it was a no-brainer. He had a lot of stories, a lot of winning stories. A lot of good times there. I learned a lot from that guy in San Francisco and the stories he gave me about New England."
Bourne caught 137 passes for 1,769 yards with 11 touchdowns in four seasons with the 49ers. He had a career-high 49 receptions for 667 yards in 2020. They're different types of wide receivers since Welker, 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, was almost exclusively a slot in New England while Bourne, 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, has the versatility to line up outside, but Welker had 96 catches for 1,121 yards with one touchdown in three seasons before coming to the Patriots. He was coming off of a 67-catch, 687-yard, one-touchdown campaign in 2006 with the Miami Dolphins before exploding for 112 catches, 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year in New England.
It's unlikely that Bourne will see a similar increase in production with the Patriots (quarterback Tom Brady is no longer the quarterback, after all), but New England did make it a priority to lock up the 25-year-old wide receiver on the first day of the NFL's free agency negotiating period last Monday. So, clearly, New England has high hopes for the young wideout.
