Bourne Identity: Why is Patriots WR Buried on Depth Chart?

From the team's No. 2 receiver last season, Kendrick Bourne has slid into Bill Belichick's dog house.

In the movie franchise, "Jason Bourne" constantly changes identities out of necessity.

On the New England Patriots' depth chart, Kendrick Bourne is involuntarily evolving.

While the silver-screen character was constantly trying to save his own life, the Pats' receiver is suddenly fighting for his role ahead of Sunday's season opener against the Miami Dolphins.

After a dazzling rookie season in which he was New England's second-leading receiver in catches (55), yards (800) and touchdowns (five), Bourne is now listed on the second-team as the team released its first depth chart of the season Monday . Bourne finds himself behind Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker. He could be No. 5, if not for rookie Tyquan Thornton's injury that has the second-round draft choice sidelined for the season's first month.

At the start of training camp in late July it was thought that Bourne's spot was secure and Agholor was on the trading block.

But Bourne had a disappointing training camp in which he was kicked out of joint practices with the Carolina Panthers for fighting, then didn't play in the preseason opener. He caught only two passes for 16 yards in the preseason.

Said coach Bill Belichick of Bourne after the opener against the Panthers, "He wasn't available."

Receivers coach Troy Brown, however, insists Bourne's obvious demotion - and apparent regression - isn't a product of discipline.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong, or bad, or anything like that,” Brown said. "Obviously, he hasn’t had the type of offseason that he had last year."

Without Thornton's blazing speed, the Patriots' receivers group is a underwhelming mix of quantity over quality with no real identity. Brown clarified that Bourne remains in the rotation and that likely all four will see extensive playing time Sunday.

“There’s no named person that’s going to be out there playing more than another person,” Brown said. “It’s just going to be whoever earns the right to go out there and play. They’re going to be the guys who play for us on Sundays.

"(Bourne) is coming along, and he’s getting more and more reps. As we go into the first game here, he’s getting more and more reps. We’re going to play the guys who deserve to play.”

The last time we saw the Patriots in a game that mattered was in last January's playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, in which Bourne scored both touchdowns. But come Sunday in Miami, we may not see much of him at all.

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