The Patriots may have a good problem on their hands, but it’s still a problem.
With Romeo Doubs added in free agency and A.J. Brown arriving via trade, New England’s receiver group has gotten crowded in a hurry.
Eleven pass catchers are now fighting for snaps and roles around quarterback Drake Maye, and Kayshon Boutte is right in the middle of it. He’s also been one of the standouts of camp so far.
Boutte, a fourth-year pro and the Patriots’ sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft, emerged as Maye’s preferred deep threat during the team’s run to Super Bowl LX last season. That connection has carried over into this summer. Even with the uncertainty around the room, Boutte said Thursday he still wants to be in New England in 2026, answering “yeah” when asked directly.
“I think my main focus is just that I’m here today,” Boutte also said. “My feet are here today.
If I’m somewhere else next week, the week after, that’s kind of what it is. That’s part of the business.
But I’m taking every day, day by day, not thinking about what’s next.”
Asked whether he believes he’s on the trade block, Boutte pointed that question back to coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel, for his part, had already addressed the Patriots’ receiver depth earlier in the day.
“I love having depth, but I would say that we're always going to try to look to improve,” Vrabel explained. “Whether that's by adding draft capital, obtaining a player or keeping the guys we have. We want to try to provide competition throughout the roster at each position.”
There’s also been outside buzz around Boutte’s future. MassLive’s Karen Guregian reported Friday that Boutte, “seeing the direction the receiver room was headed,” asked for a trade out of New England in the spring. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote in May that he thought Boutte could be available “for a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick right now.”
If that was the price then, it may be climbing now. Boutte’s strong start to camp only helps his value, and there are a few teams that fit the profile of a possible landing spot.
The Chargers stand out first. They’re still trying to get Justin Herbert his first playoff win as they move into the third year of the Jim Harbaugh era, and they’ll do it with a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel.
The issue is the receiver room around him. Ladd McConkey has been the team’s most productive wideout in each of his first two seasons, but the rest of the depth chart is shaky.
Quentin Johnston has not played up to first-round expectations, Tre’ Harris managed only 30 catches and one touchdown as a rookie in 2025, and fourth-rounder Brenen Thompson is a speedy but untested rookie. Boutte would give Herbert a legitimate outside target and another threat to attack downfield.
Washington makes sense too. Terry McLaurin is the clear top option, but the rest of the room leaves plenty to be desired.
The Commanders have been mentioned as a possible fit for free agent Stefon Diggs, and the current group also includes Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Van Jefferson and Dyami Brown. Jayden Daniels is heading into his third season, and Washington needs to keep adding talent around him.
McLaurin recently praised Williams as a smooth and twitchy route-runner, but that shouldn’t keep the Commanders from at least checking on Boutte.
Carolina is another team worth watching, especially after Chris Brazzell II was left out of the depth chart because, according to The Athletic’s Joe Person, he is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery on the torn LCL he suffered during training camp. That leaves the Panthers’ pass-catching group around Bryce Young looking top-heavy.
Tet McMillan is coming off a 70-catch, 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown season that earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but Xavier Legette still has not matched the hype and Jalen Coker is more of a supporting piece than a true every-down answer. Boutte would bring a more established option to a Carolina offense coordinated by Brad Idzik, who previously helped coach a pass-heavy Buccaneers attack, and could give Bryce Young another reliable target in 2026.
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Around him, the rest of the AFC West is still full of moving parts. Tuli Tuipulotu is concentrating on training camp while his agent handles the contract side, and the Chiefs and Raiders are each dealing with their own development stories at different spots on the roster. For the Chargers, though, Mack staying put keeps one of the most important pieces in place while the bigger question remains how far this group can go with him back in the fold. [Read more 🡒]