Vikings Linked to Random WR Trade
All attention regarding the Minnesota Vikings at the moment has turned to the 2025 NFL Draft, when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will add at least four rookies.
Vikings Linked to Random WR Trade
Soon after, another subtle wave of free agency will occur, and before folks know it, training camps will arrive in July.
There’s also still time for trades, and according to Pro Football Network, New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne could be a candidate for Minnesota.
Vikings Listed as Trade Spot for Kendrick Bourne
PFN’s Sterling Xie picked a veteran player from each NFL team who represented the top trade option during or after the draft. For New England, that man was Kendrick Bourne, a wide receiver, and Xie mentioned the Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams as fits.
He wrote: “A new coaching staff typically won’t have much loyalty to players the previous regime brought in. Applying that logic, the Patriots have one of the least predictable wide receiver rooms in the NFL. New England will surely draft more receivers this year, leaving recent picks like Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, Demario Douglas, and Kayshon Boutte in an uncertain spot.”
“One veteran who probably doesn’t fit with the rebuilding Patriots is Kendrick Bourne. Since his 55-catch, 800-yard season in 2021, Bourne has yet to hit 500 yards in a season, with a torn ACL from October 2023 hampering him each of the last two seasons. Bourne turns 30 in August, and the Patriots signed Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins to serve as the reliable veterans in the receiver room.”
New England has the single worst wide receiving unit in the business, and if that club’s front office is wise, it will add some WR juice during the draft.
Xie added, “Teams from the Shanahan-McVay tree would make sense for a reunion, starting with his original team in San Francisco. The 49ers might need some early-season receiver depth depending on Brandon Aiyuk’s recovery timeline, and Bourne would serve as an insurance policy in case Ricky Pearsall isn’t ready for a larger role.”
“In Minnesota and Los Angeles, Bourne could also provide competition to Jalen Nailor and Tutu Atwell, respectively, for the No. 3 receiver role.”
Bourne is 29 and will carry a $2.8 million dead cap penalty for the Patriots if he’s traded before June 1st.
Who’s Kendrick Bourne?
Bourne began his career as an undrafted free agent with the aforementioned 49ers in 2017. Since, he’s averaged about 450 receiving yards per season, with 2 to 3 touchdowns annually.
He’s a textbook WR3-WR4 type, one who could thrive in Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system — if O’Connell didn’t have Jalen Nailor or Rondale Moore on his depth chart.
Bourne is 6’1″ and 200 pounds. He was at the peak of his powers in 2021 with the Patriots, tabulating 800 receiving yards and 5 paydirts. His production has steadily dipped since.
Bourne on the Chopping Block?
Bourne, indeed, could be on his way out in New England.
Athlon Sports‘ Coby Leibowitz wrote earlier this month: “The New England Patriots have made it apparent that they want some better talent in the wide receiver room, and they have drafted and signed multiple players over the past few years to try to do that. This offseason, they signed Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins; in last year’s draft, they drafted Jevon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk, and they drafted Romeo Douglas and Kayshon Boutte the year before.”
“With them bringing in young talent and some established veterans over the last few seasons, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne seems to be the odd man out. Bourne signed a three-year deal with the Patriots in 2021 and then signed a three-year extension in 2024. Bourne had a stellar first season with the Patriots and showed a lot of potential, but due to injuries and quarterback issues, he has struggled over the past few years.”
Leibowitz writes for the “Patriots Country” section of Athlon, so he’s plugged into the Patriots’ affairs.
Vikings Not Really in the Market for a WR
Minnesota has spent the last couple of months pumping up its own wide receivers, mainly Nailor and Moore. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison need no hype at the top of the ticket, but Nailor and Moore will vie for WR3 and WR4 snaps in 2025.
Most don’t expect Minnesota to add another WR3-WR4 type, although fans wouldn’t be too upset about a Bourne trade. He’d likely fetch a 6th- or 7th-Rounder via trade.
On the whole, a Bourne trade for the Vikings is unlikely.
Vikings’ WR Room with Bourne
If PFN has it right, however, the 2025 WR room would resemble this:
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jalen Nailor
- Rondale Moore
- Kendrick Bourne
Bourne will turn 30 in August.
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