Who Should I Start? Justin Hardee or Kendrick Bourne

Tuesday, April 2, 4:30 PM

Free-agent cornerback and special teams ace Justin Hardee is signing with the Cleveland Browns, as reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 30-year-old was originally undrafted out of Illinois in the 2017 class and has appeared in 100 games through his first seven professional seasons. Hardee spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints before a three-year stint with the New York Jets. He earned Pro Bowl honors for his work on special teams in 2022, which is likely where the Browns are primarily interested in utilizing him. Hardee has racked up 78 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception thus far in his career.

Monday, May 20, 2:12 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee) will not be on the field this spring with the rest of the team, according to new head coach Jerod Mayo. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise after a torn right ACL forced Bourne to miss the final nine games of the 2023 season. The 28-year-old said that he expects to be full-go for the start of training camp this summer, though, but he's going to miss valuable time working with new quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and rookie first-rounder Drake Maye during organized team activities. As long as Bourne doesn't suffer a setback during training camp or the preseason, he should be ready for the Week 1 season opener. Bourne had a career-high 800 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his first year with the Pats in 2021 before regressing to 434 yards and one score in 16 games (two starts) in 2022.