With roster cuts having happened rapidly over the last few days, some teams have continued to make signings and releases in the aftermath. For the San Francisco 49ers, they should be paying attention to any and every wide receiver that's been cut.
We've already gone into the wide receiver room and its current predicaments at length, but in short: the Niners need help. Fortunately, the New England Patriots just granted Kendrick Bourne his release and he now enters the free agent market.
Bourne began his career with the 49ers back in 2017 after going undrafted out of Eastern Washington. For the past four seasons, he's spent time with the Patriots. Now, Bourne has a chance to return where it all started.
Kendrick Bourne would be more than a stopgap signing for the 49ers
Bourne is one of those savvy veterans who succeeds in running clean routes and flies under the radar in most games because he isn't flashy. Yet, he gets the job done. And right now, the 49ers need someone who can do exactly that.
With Brandon Aiyuk still out and recovering from his ACL injury, Jauan Jennings hurt and in the middle of a contract dispute, along with multiple other wide receivers currently not healthy or able to play, the 49ers are in a difficult spot.
Ricky Pearsall is the de facto no. 1 wide receiver and, thankfully, comes with Round 1 pedigree. He'll be capable of handling the majority of targets if Jennings doesn't end up playing right away. But, Skyy Moore is the only other healthy wide receiver at this very moment, and he was just acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bourne would at least give the 49ers another wide receiver they could plug and play immediately. He has trust with Kyle Shanahan. He knows that locker room and some of the guys in there already. Bourne is about as good of a free agent signing the Niners could ask for right now, especially considering the other risky options available.
Will he return to the place it all began? It's certainly a situation to monitor.