New England Patriots training camp was far from joyous.
The Patriots offense struggled consistently and head coach Bill Belichick -- unsurprisingly -- chose not to put an end to the unrest had by fans and media alike, stringing everyone along through the implementation of a new system. What was surprising was the assumed strain those problems had on the relationship between New England and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.
The new Patriots offense reportedly made Bourne unhappy, leading to speculation that the 27-year-old could be dealt prior to the start of the season. Well, he wasn't. But that reportedly isn't for a lack of NFL teams trying.
According to The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan, multiple teams reached out to New England in an attempt to goad away the talented receiver, though those conversations never had any traction.
It's understandable why the Patriots wouldn't want to deal Bourne. He was statistically New England's most explosive pass catcher in 2021-22 -- posting a career-best in catches (55), targets (70), yards (800) and touchdowns (5).
While knowing a top pass catcher is unhappy is undoubtedly nerve-wracking, there is something to be said about the frustration for any player experiencing change throughout those long-summer practices. At the end of the day, Bourne is still on the Patriots' 53-man roster and it doesn't look as though that will change anytime soon.
