FOXBOROUGH — Nobody can accuse Kendrick Bourne of not being his own man.
The receiver, who is entering his third season with the team after signing as a free agent, spoke the kind of honest truth that is seldom if ever heard around Gillette Stadium — which makes you wonder how long he could be for this place.
On offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien:
"Just Bill .. he's familiar with what he's doing, so it feels good. You can tell he knows what he's doing in all areas of the offense, from receiver, linemen and running back, he knows the entire offense, so it feels good.
"He's doing well, he knows how to engage with all of us, I feel like. He knows our traits right now and he knows where to put us so it's been good. We're still learning each other as a group. But he's doing well. You can tell he knows what he's doing."
Notice how he TWICE said, "He knows what he's doing?"
Tom Curran did well to follow up, and gave Bourne the opportunity to sort of take a step back from his comments, told Bourne that we would sort of run wild with his comments.
Bourne doubled down. You could say that, at this point, after last year when he, for some reason, landed in Matt Patricia's doghouse, that Bourne no longer gives a (crap).
"No doubt," he started. "It just feels good. Change is good. It's something we needed, I feel like, and it's good. It feels good so far.
"So if that's what it's gonna be (the media running with this comment) then ... it's better so far."
No one should be surprised that Bourne was eager to move on from last season. He went from 55 receptions, 800 yards and 52 percent playing time in '21 under Josh McDaniels and WRs coach Mick Lombardi, to 35 catches, 434 yards and 42 percent playing time with Patricia and WRs coach Troy Brown.
As BSJ previously reported, Bourne quickly lost confidence last year in training camp and never really recovered.
"Yeah, new year, new me, new us, new everything, so that's what I'm focused on," Bourne said. "And that's always the goal every year is to move forward and be better.
"Just a bad year. I want to get better every year. I feel like I didn't get better. I don't go off stats, just go off how I feel, how I look. And I was just ... I just wasn't in a good place. So now just want to avoid that. So it was a good learning process. You know, it's good it happened to me. It's always been to learn from hard times, struggling the time so that's where I'm at.
"I didn't give the team my best effort. So, personally, you know, we all as players need to be our best so that we can, you know, give the team the best opportunity to win and I felt like I didn't do that."
Bourne also backed QB Mac Jones, and again hinted at last year's issues.
"Just the same leadership that he's been having," Bourne said. "I feel like last year was tough for all of us. It's all about us growing again, like I said. I just see the growth, I see the focus, just from everybody too. It's different and so ready to make it count this year."
One thing that is different about Bourne, and he confirmed, is that he is noticeably bigger and stronger this season. Bourne was always sort of a skinny, quick player. But he has definitely bulked up this season.
"Just being fit, you know, just being in shape in ways that I've never been before," Bourne said. "So just taking care of my body, eating well, you know, doing everything that I need to do, just to be prepared to play better. Like we were talking about last year, I was very disappointed in myself and my play and everything, how the year went. So just giving myself the best opportunity to do the best I can for the team."
Once these comments reach Bill Belichick, you have to wonder about Bourne's future in New England in a contract year. If the Patriots do land DeAndre Hopkins, it would make the most football and financial sense to part ways with DeVante Parker, who is more similar in size and style to Hopkins. But one could easily see Belichick use this episode to send Bourne packing, which would be a disappointment. Sounds like Bourne, with so many good changes on offense for the better, would be disappointed as well.
"Just how (the offense) feels — it feels good, feels fast," Bourne said. "Just exciting. everybody's on the same page. You could feel the growth already. So that's the most exciting part. Like we're gonna know exactly what we're doing. We are, figuring out who we are quickly."
Will that include Bourne? That remains to be seen.