FOXBOROUGH – Kendrick Bourne had already seen the rumors.
Then while doing a TikTok live, he saw the comments. Over and over again, people mentioned Tee Higgins. The future 2025 free agent is set to be the top wide receiver available on the open market next March. Considering this team hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman, Higgins has been a popular Patriots target for fans and media alike.
As it turns out, he’s also a popular target for players on the Patriots 2024 roster.
“Tee Higgins, if you’re out there, I know they’re screen recording this. Come to the Pats, bro,” Bourne said during his TikTok live session. “It ain’t what it seems bro. It’s gonna be lit. Drake Maye and Tee Higgins touchdown. Look how good that sounds.”
Bourne pitched Higgins on Christmas Eve. Four days later, the Cincinnati Bengals receiver caught 11 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos. While that was happening, Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux tweeted out two words: “Tee Higgins” with two smiley face emojis.
The Patriots 2024 season has been rough for new Patriots coach Jerod Mayo. The team holds a 3-13 record heading into this regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills. Although Mayo’s job security has been routinely questioned, veteran players inside the Patriots locker room don’t blame their head coach for this season’s failures.
Multiple Patriots players spoke to MassLive, on the condition of anonymity, and unanimously pointed to the lack of talent on the roster. Players, on both sides of the ball, stuck up for Mayo and questioned what else the coach could’ve done considering the roster he’s been working with.
That’s why a player like Bourne openly recruited another receiver, Higgins, while the Patriots season was still ongoing.
“I’ve been seeing the rumors, too, and I’m just encouraging it. I want to play ballers,” Bourne told MassLive. “It’s dope to be around great competition. If that was to happen, that would be great. I look at it as though it would make the room better. That’s the key. If you bring in more competition to the room, the more you compete. The better you get. If you want to play, there’s more talent in the room to fight to play.”
Players noted that the lack of elite talent on this Patriots roster has severely hamstrung the team’s coaching staff. A poor offensive line to go with a receiver room without an elite pass catcher is two reasons why the Patriots are once again one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NFL.
That’s why this offseason is so important for New England. The Patriots have to convince (or overpay) bona fide players, such as Higgins, to come to Foxborough.
As players noted, that won’t be easy.
“I don’t feel like we’ve had the season to say we’ll attract anything right now,” running back Antonio Gibson said. “That’s the goal – to get there, to get to where we need to be so people can see the potentional and attract what we need to attract.”
Multiple Patriots players noted that New England isn’t a popular free-agent destination pointing to the region (most players are from the south), weather, and lack of results post-Tom Brady.
The Patriots front office found that out the hard way this past offseason. Multiple sources told MassLive that the team struck out on their top two free agent targets – wide receiver Calvin Ridley and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
The Patriots offered to make up the difference in taxes for Ridley, who turned them down to sign with Tennessee. The Patriots thought they had a competitive offer out to Wilkins, who signed a four-year deal worth $110 million, with $84.75 million guaranteed, with Las Vegas. One Patriots source noted the team would’ve had to do something ‘stupid’ to land either player.
Later in the summer, the Patriots were then turned down by Brandon Aiyuk. Despite having trade terms set and offering the receiver a contract averaging $35 million per season, Aiyuk opted to stay in San Francisco for less money (a deal worth $30 million over four years).
“It’s not breaking news,” Austin Hopper said when asked about New England not being a popular destination. “It kind of just depends on what you’re looking for. For example, the reason I was afforded the opportunity to come here was my prior experience with (Alex Van Pelt). That’s the reason why I was on their radar and able to receive an offer from them. It comes down to who you worked with in the past. Speaking for myself, that was the deciding factor for me to come here. Just familiarity.”
Hooper said he’s enjoyed Massachusetts, calling the region “beautiful” and he’s happy to have signed with the Patriots.
Gibson was in a similar situation last offseason. The running back said the area and franchise surpassed his expectations. He noted that he’s heard players talking about not wanting to come to New England.
“There’s not much to do out here,” Gibson said. “That’s not what I came here to do, at the end of the day. I did hear that (players don’t want to come here) but it’s not that bad. My family loves it. The culture’s not bad. It’s been nice.”
For the Patriots to become a contender, again, they need to attract more talent.
On offense, the Patriots have allowed 51 sacks this season. That’s the fifth-most in the NFL. That is the most sacks allowed in New England since 1999. Heading into the final game, it’s the sixth-most sacks allowed in team franchise history.
Right tackle Demontrey Jacobs is ranked 134th out of 138 tackles by Pro Football Focus. Left tackle Vederian Lowe is ranked 100.
The Patriots leading receiver, tight end Hunter Henry, is 48th in receiving in the NFL. The Patriots don’t have a single wide receiver in the top 50 — DeMario Douglas is 64th. Edelman is the last Patriots receiver to catch 100 passes and 1,000 yards (in 2019).
On defense, the Patriots head into this final game with the fewest sacks (28) in the NFL. Their linebacker play, without Ja’Whaun Bentley, has been troubling.
The key to the Patriots attracting more talent – other than winning and overpaying – is Drake Maye. The No. 3 overall pick looks like a future franchise quarterback. He’s been the best part of this tough Patriots season.
“That sells itself right there,” Hooper said. “You have a young gun who can sling it. They watch the film. They like what they see, that’ll definitely be a factor. No doubt.”
“His potential and where he’s headed I think will attract certain players,” Bourne added. “For instance, wideouts. If people want to play with a good quarterback – that’s definitely going to help the situation.”
The Patriots hope so.
Internally, there are coaches nervous about job security heading into this final game. Those in the front office believe they’ll be back but need to nail free agency and the draft this offseason – or there will be sweeping changes in 2026.
Although veteran players support Mayo, the Patriots need to show they’re on a better path for jobs to stay safe. Players believe the main issue is the lack of talent. The Patriots hope to rectify that problem this offseason.
In New England, that could be easier said than done. Players hope that’ll change.
“You want to have talent. You want to have hard workers you want to have that mixture, I think a great player has all those attributes – the work ethic, the mindset. Everything that comes with it,” Bourne said. “You want to find those guys that have character, too. Finding those kinds of guys but having great players is what a team runs off of. I’m definitely open to bringing in whoever they think is best for us and working next to guys who want to compete in the room, in the building. I think that would help us be a better team.”
Speaking to WEEI on Monday, one of the few Patriots players with a Super Bowl ring, Jonathan Jones didn’t hold back when asked about the franchise returning to their former winning ways.
“It starts with getting good players in the building,” he said. “Starting there – having the capital whether it’s through the draft or free agency. Getting good players in the building.”
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