The Patriots have already turned over a good chunk of their receiver room since the Super Bowl loss, and the latest move only sharpens the spotlight on DeMario Douglas.
Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte are out, A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs are in, and New England suddenly has a wideout group that looks deeper than it has in years - maybe not since the Tom Brady era. The fit on the field still has to be proven, but on paper there’s plenty to like about what the Patriots are building around their pass catchers.
Douglas has earned his own place in that picture. A sixth-round pick in 2023, he quickly won over fans with the kind of underdog story and style of play that tends to stick.
He brings real versatility, too. He can work out of the slot, which figures to be a major part of his job this season, but he’s also shown he can threaten defenses down the field, including on what should’ve been a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints last year.
Now the question is less about whether Douglas matters and more about whether New England locks him in. He’s heading into the final year of his contract, and while the Patriots have bigger items on the to-do list - including getting Christian Gonzalez extended - Douglas is the kind of player they need to keep around.
Boutte’s trade to the Houston Texans only makes that more obvious. The Patriots likely had a few reasons for moving him, but his expiring deal and the fact they were never going to pay the price he wanted probably sat near the top of the list. Once that decision was made, it opened the door for New England to redirect some of that money toward Douglas.
That makes sense on a football level, too. Douglas should be one of the offense’s main slot options moving forward, and that role suits him well. His quickness, reliable hands and 5-foot-8 frame give him a natural fit inside, where he can keep working in space.
His production last season didn’t jump off the page, but the context matters. In 17 games as a non-starter, Douglas caught 31 passes on 46 targets for 447 yards and three touchdowns.
He also had five catches for 45 yards in the Super Bowl. Statistically, it was the least productive season of his NFL career, but he was on the field for just 26% of the team’s snaps, well below the 55% and 62% marks from his first two seasons.
Even with the smaller role, he stayed efficient and made his chances count.
With Diggs and Boutte gone, and with his comfort level with Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels already in place, Douglas looks positioned to slide back into a much bigger role in the Patriots’ offense.
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Patriots Are Counting On An Unproven Linebacker In A Thin Spot
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For the Patriots, the move is as much about coverage as it is about upside. Hunter gives them an extra body in a spot they need to reinforce, and he also brings a path to contributing on special teams, which is often how unproven defenders carve out a place on the roster. The question now is whether his preseason momentum can carry into a bigger opportunity when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]