With the 2024 season in the books, MassLive will look at each position group on the Patriots, analyzing how the team performed and where it might be heading in the future. This is an important offseason for new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and owner Robert Kraft. This series continues with receivers. Wide receivers: Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, John Jiles, Braylon Sanders, Alex Erickson, JaQuae Jackson
Bourne, 29, enters the second year of his three-year contract extension. The veteran is an offseason candidate to be released. His cap hit for next season is $7.7 million. That’s currently the seventh-highest on the roster. However, it’s not guaranteed. If the Patriots cut Bourne, before June 1, they’d save $4.9 million and owe $2.8 in dead money.
Bourne’s cap hit rises to $7.9 in 2026 but only his prorated signing bonus of $1.4 million is guaranteed if he’s released.
Douglas and Boutte will enter the third year of their rookie deals. Douglas, 24, will have a cap hit of $1.06 million. Boutte, 22, has a cap hit of $1.07 million. Both are signed through 2026.
Polk enters this year in the second year of his rookie contract. He’ll account for $2.2 million of the cap next season. Baker’s in a similar spot in his rookie deal. His cap hit is only $1.16 million next season. Both players are signed through
2027.
Jiles was signed to a futures contract that pays him $840.000. The Patriots didn’t sign Sanders or Erickson to contracts. Jackson is an exclusive rights free agent.
2024 review: The Patriots front office tried to revamp this depth chart, but it didn’t work as anyone hoped.
The team’s lone veteran free agent addition, K.J. Osborn, started the first four games before being benched. He wasn’t very productive (seven catches on 18 targets for 57 yards) before being released.
Like Osborn, Thornton started the first week. However, he also fell down the depth chart and was released after catching four passes for 47 yards.
The two draft picks, Polk and Baker, had disappointing rookie campaigns. Polk’s season was a strange one. He had a great training camp and started five of the first six games. In that timeframe, he caught 10 passes for 78 yards. Over the final 11 games, the second-round pick caught two passes for 9 yards.
Baker struggled with the playbook and received little playing time. The fourth-round pick caught one pass for 12 yards in the Patriots final game.
Coming off knee surgery, Bourne missed the first four weeks. He finished with 28 receptions, 305 yards and a touchdown.
This group had two positive stories – Douglas and Boutte.
Boutte had a career year, finishing with 43 receptions, 589 yards, and three touchdowns. He caught seven passes for 117 yards in the final game. Douglas also had a career year with 66 receptions, 621 yards and three touchdowns.
The future: Once again the Patriots will search for a top-flight receiver.
The team hasn’t had a legitimate No. 1 receiver since Julian Edelman. They haven’t been able to regroup since not signing Jakobi Meyers in 2022. Meyers finished with 87 receptions, 1,027 yards, and four touchdowns last season.
The Patriots desperately need to find Drake Maye a bona fide offensive weapon. Unfortunately, the options in free agency are limited.
The bell of the ball is Tee Higgins. It would be a shock if the Patriots didn’t target the 6-foot-4 veteran receiver in free agency. Higgins, 26, has had some durability issues but when healthy, he’s a legitimate X-receiver. Last year, in 12 games, he caught 73 passes for 911 yards with 10 touchdowns.
It’s also worth monitoring what the Patriots do with Bourne. He was successful with Josh McDaniels in 2021 and is a good influence in the locker room. But, if the new regime doesn’t like his cap number ($7.7 million), he could be cut.
The Patriots need to figure out this position. They haven’t had a 900-yard receiver since Edelman (2019). Their last pass catcher to finish with 10+ touchdowns was Rob Gronkowski in 2015.
If the Patriots can’t land Higgins, the next best free agent is Chris Godwin, who’s coming off ankle surgery. Other options include Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, Darius Slayton, and Josh Palmer.
Eliot Wolf could also try the trade market. Players such as DK Metcalf and Tyreek Hill might be available.
However they find it, the Patriots need a massive upgrade at receiver.
