Wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, a 2024 second-round pick out of Washington who had a rocky rookie season (12 catches, 87 yards, 2 TDs), is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Vrabel said he has been excited about how Polk has approached his rehabilitation, working on his lower-body strength.

Related Players: Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Javon Baker, Kendrick Bourne, Mack Hollins

There's no timetable for recovery here, but Polk certainly didn't need any setbacks after catching only 38.7% of his 31 targets as a 2024 rookie. He should be considered more of a Dynasty hold than a redraft option, particularly with the Patriots tied to a number of options in the '25 Draft class.

Free-agent WR Stefon Diggs reached agreement on a three-year, $69 million deal including $26 million guaranteed with the New England Patriots.

Related Players: Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker

This is an incredible injection of talent to what is arguably the worst WR room in the NFL. Diggs should be immediately considered somewhere in the WR3 range, with (hopefully) more weapons for Drake Maye coming in the next month.

Jerod Mayo says Kendrick Bourne is expected to play this weekend.

Related Players: Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn

Kendrick Bourne didn't log a snap in the Patriots' 19-3 Week 10 win, as there seems to be a riff between the WR and the coaching staff, or at the very least, he's been pushed all the way down the depth chart. We should continue to see some of the younger guys earn more playing time as the season closes down, but none of them are fantasy priorities until one emerges in the clouded target share.

Someone in the set of wideouts has to emerge as an eventual No. 1. Right now, rookie Ja’Lynn Polk has as good a shot as anyone.

Related players: Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Javon Baker, K.J. Osborn, Kayshon Boutte

For what it's worth, we've already reflected this on our fantasy depth charts listing Polk as the top option. Robinson thinks Polk could step in and get a ton of targets immediately. In the preseason opener, Polk played limited snaps but caught three balls for 14 yards. Robinson expects those numbers to grow. Polk could be worth targeting in the later rounds of drafts given his very late ADP.

But before Matthew Judon and Co. dominated team periods, the Patriots’ young pass-catchers finally flashed. Javon Baker badly beat Christian Gonzalez, the Pats’ best corner, for a reception in 1-on-1 coverage drills. Later, Baker collected an over-the-shoulder grab at full speed to clinch the play of the day.

Kayshon Boutte bested Gonzalez, too, for a disputed catch deep downfield in the same drill. Seventh-round rookie tight end Jaheim Bell also extended for a 1-handed effort over safety Kyle Dugger during 1-on-1s, and second-round rookie receiver Ja’Lynn Polk pocketed three receptions in team periods.

Related players: Drake Maye

The story said overall the defense won the day, but that's to be expected. The story added these flashes are the moments the team will point to as progress, especially with a new coaching staff, and a rookie QB in Maye. The story added the coaches will study practice film like game film, "determining whether these flashes are peeks into their future or mirages born from the summer heat," the story added.

Patriots injury report:

Did not participate: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle)

Limited participation: DT Christian Barmore (shoulder), WR Kayshon Boutte (shoulder), OT Trent Brown (ankle/hand), WR Pop Douglas (concussion), WR DeVante Parker (knee), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle)

Related Players: Ezekiel Elliott

It Looks like it's setting up for another Zeke week, after the veteran handled 100% of the RB workload in Week 14. That kind of usage would make him a very solid RB2, regardless of how close his yards per attempt is to 3.0.

Patriots ruled out for Thursday night's game vs. the Steelers: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, WR Demario Douglas, WR Kayshon Boutte and OL Riley Reiff.

Related Players: Ezekiel Elliott, JaMycal Hasty, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster

Phew. An offense that needs all the help/luck they can get is dug even deeper with the absence of some key pieces. Ezekiel Elliott should get a huge percentage of the running back work, but even that is likely to keep him in the low RB2 considerations.

Starting any Patriots wide receivers should be a stay-away at this point, though Hunter Henry can be considered a de facto TE streamer with the team rolling out an extreme lack of consistent options.

Jalen Reagor, rookie Demario Douglas and JuJu Smith-Schuster are now the top three on the depth chart, with 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton (a healthy scratch Sunday) and 2023 sixth-rounder Kayshon Boutte (inactive since the season opener) next in line.

The 5-8, 192-pound Douglas is a quick slot receiver whose playing time has spiked the past two weeks (78 of 113 snaps).

It's not a great WR group, but, as they say, someone needs to catch the ball. The story said Reagor has drawn some praise, but we've all been down that road before. If he's on your wire, Douglas could be someone to stash away at this point, especially with his increased playing time recently. The story went on to say Douglas is often sent in motion before the snap, making him a threat as a runner with the possibility of taking a handoff, and has been targeted 13 times the past two weeks.

Follow-up tests Monday revealed that New England Patriots leading receiver Kendrick Bourne tore his right ACL, according to a source.

Related players: DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte

The injury ends Bourne's seventh season in the NFL, which was on pace to be his best, as he faces a recovery that a source estimates in the six- to eight-month range. Bourne was injured on the first play of the fourth quarter Sunday. It's a big hit to the Pats offense as Bourne had a TD in each of the last two games and before that had a line of 10-89-0 in Week 6.