New England Patriots

The New England Patriots have made an offer to impending free-agent wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee) after months of stalled talks, according to a source. Despite playing in only eight games last year due to an ACL tear that he suffered in Week 8, the 28-year-old is expected to draw significant interest on the open market if he makes it to free agency. The Jets were among the teams to show interest in Bourne over the last 18 months, when a Patriots source said their front office received trade calls at the end of training camp in 2022 and 2023. The Raiders, Rams, Bills and Texans were other teams interested, but they were told Bourne wasn't available. Two front-office executives project Bourne to eventually sign a deal with an average annual value around $7 million. He's ahead of schedule in his recovery from his ACL and is tracking toward a return for Week 1 of the 2024 regular season.

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is not going to throw at the NFL scouting combine this week in Indianapolis and is solely planning to do "just physicals and interviews," according to a source. The top-three quarterback prospects for this year's NFL draft -- USC's Caleb Williams, Maye, and LSU's Jayden Daniels -- will all skip throwing drills at the combine this week. The 21-year-old Maye will instead do his throwing for scouts at his school's pro day. In his final season with the Tar Heels in college, Maye threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year after throwing for 4,321 yards, 38 TDs and seven interceptions in 2022. Williams is widely expected to be taken first overall by the Bears in this year's draft, but Maye could easily go No. 2 to the Commanders and start immediately in his rookie season.

KPRC's Aaron Wilson says not to expect a new deal at this time for New England Patriots impending free-agent wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee), according to league sources. Bourne is expected to test the market, where strong interest is expected. He's expected to make a full recovery and be ready for Week 1 of the 2024 regular season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in Week 8. The 28-year-old said he would like to re-sign with New England, but that won't stop him from leaving if he finds a better offer on the open market. Before his injury in 2023, Bourne was averaging career-bests with 4.6 catches and 50.8 receiving yards per game. Latching on with another team might be best for his fantasy value, given the fact that the Patriots are shifting to a whole new coaching staff, but he'll also be a risky fantasy selection coming off major knee surgery.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson said he wants to be the team's featured back in 2024 as he gets set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. In his third year in the NFL, a high-ankle sprain limited the 25-year-old to just 12 games. In 156 rushing attempts, he averaged a career-low 4.0 yards per carry for 619 yards and four touchdowns, adding 38 receptions on 51 targets for 238 yards through the air. He was essentially New England's lead back before getting hurt, albeit in an offense that was among the worst in the league because of quarterback issues. Stevenson should be able to bounce back with better health in 2024 after accumulating 1,400 scrimmage yards in 2022, but what the Patriots do at QB will have a big effect on his fantasy upside.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee) said he's ahead of schedule in his rehab and projects to be ready for the 2024 season opener despite tearing his right ACL in the team's loss to the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 29. He's one of the team's 18 players scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, but Bourne is hoping to re-sign with New England. "I want to come back [to New England]. That is a goal of mine. I love being a Patriot -- it's a great environment for a person like me," Bourne said. The 28-year-old was on pace for a career-best season in 2023 before getting injured, even considering the team's offensive struggles as a whole. The Patriots have undergone an entire coaching-staff change, so even if Bourne re-signs, there's no guarantee he'll pick up where he left off in 2023.