Thanks to the recent salary cap spike, the San Francisco 49ers now have a little bit of breathing room heading into free agency.
The 49ers still don’t have a ton of cap space, as they have just over $6 million to work with at the moment. But at least it’s something, and San Francisco can surely open up some more room if it gets creative.
All things considered, the Niners will still have to be pretty economical with how they try to improve their roster this offseason, which is why Kyle Madson of Yahoo Sports is suggesting they bring back an old friend who probably won’t cost too much.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.
Bourne spent the first four years of his career with the 49ers between 2017 and 2020, and while he was not exactly a No. 1 target, he was a fine, consistent threat for the club.
After logging just 16 catches for 257 yards during his rookie campaign, Bourne proceeded to catch 42 passes for 487 yards and four touchdowns in his sophomore year. He followed that up by snaring 30 balls for 358 yards and five scores in 2019, and during his final season in the Bay, Bourne hauled in 49 receptions for 667 yards while reaching the end zone twice.
After his time in San Francisco, Bourne joined the New England Patriots, and in 2021, he enjoyed the best season of his career to date, registering 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
Bourne’s production dwindled in 2022, as he finished with 35 grabs for 434 yards and a score, and this past season, a torn ACL limited him to eight games. During that time, he tallied 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns, so he was actually on pace to have a pretty solid year.
Should the 49ers sign Bourne, he would link up with a receiving corps that already includes Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel (not to mention tight end George Kittle). He wouldn’t be asked to do too much other than represent a reliable auxiliary option for quarterback Brock Purdy.
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