K.J. Osborn Fantasy Overview

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne will open the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, according to multiple reports. That means Bourne will miss at least the first four games while continuing to work back from last October's ACL tear.

Patriots rookie WR Ja'Lynn Polk has impressed over his first week of training camp. NESN's Sean T. McGuire praised Polk's work across multiple drills and situations Tuesday, adding that the rookie "continues to stack [good] days."

ESPN's Mike Reiss posited this week who the early favorites might be to lead the Patriots at WR. "Former Viking K.J. Osborn ... has positioned himself as an early leader among Patriots receivers," Reiss wrote. "Second-year slot receiver DeMario Douglas appears as quick as ever. Add in [rookie Ja'Lynn] Polk, and that could be the team's top three targets if everyone is healthy." That assessment came amid a longer intro that focused on Polk's work. The second-round pick has reportedly impressed with his work in practice. He -- and the others -- face a seemingly wide-open fight for jobs in a WR corps that stunk last year and didn't spend much on adding to it this offseason.

The Patriots are signing WR K.J. Osborn to a one-year deal worth $4 million, with a top value of $6 million. That's not enough to guarantee a significant role. But Osborn clearly lands in a place with opportunity. WR Demario Douglas led the team in targets last year as a late-round rookie who played just 14 games. RB Ezekiel Elliott led the team in receptions as a 28-year-old addition averaging just 6.1 yards per catch. And TE Hunter Henry was the only other Patriot to reach 40 catches. We'll see how this year's pass-catching corps sorts out and who's throwing passes. Osborn arrives as an unexciting option, topping out at 3.5 receptions per game in 2022.