Should the Patriots Trade Kayshon Boutte? The Argument For and Against

FOXBORO --- The New England Patriots have 11 wide receivers on the roster right now. Not all of them can make the roster, or even play each week if they do make the team. Something has to give this summer.

One of those things is the future of Kayshon Boutte, the deep ball threat who's been part of a number of trade rumors this offseason. His role started to increase last season, as he grew alongside fellow young star Drake Maye. But the Patriots were able to overhaul the wide receiver position this offseason.

They added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, essentially making Boutte's role in this offense a bit redundant. Anything Boutte can do, from the route running to the versatility in the route tree, is something that Brown can bring at a higher level. It's part of the reason why, according to MassLive's Karen Guregian, Boutte requested a trade in April.

"Boutte, seeing the direction the receiver room was headed, requested a trade as far back as April. But the Patriots haven’t been able to get the best bang for their buck," Guregian wrote. "One report suggested the most the Patriots could get in return was a fifth or sixth-round pick."

So clearly, despite Boutte saying he doesn't know if he's on the trade block this summer, a trade has been mentioned at some point by the wide receiver. The question is if it actually happens before Week 1.

There's two avenues the Patriots could take, and here's the argument for both of them.

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Argument For: Crowded Room, Draft Pick Return

The biggest thing that stands out about Boutte's role on the team is that he's stuck in a crowded room. At the top, you have Brown and Doubs, along with Mack Hollins. DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III and Kyle Williams have all popped this summer and those six players alone could be the Patriots' wide receiving corps this season.

Once you add Boutte to that list, it feels like one of those players has to give. It makes sense that it ends up being Boutte.

The return won't be all that high -- likely a fifth or sixth rounder would be the best the Patriots get back. Maybe a team splurges and sends a fourth if one of their receivers goes down in the preseason with an injury. But the Patriots would be able to add another pick to replace Boutte (who may just leave in free agency after this season anyway).

Mike Vrabel spoke Thursday about always looking to improve the team. Maybe just freeing up the rest of the receivers for more snaps would end up improving the team after all.

"Well, I love having depth, but I would say that we're always going to try to look to improve, whether that's by adding draft capital, obtaining a player or keeping the guys we have," Vrabel said. "We want to try to provide competition throughout the roster at each position. I think that's something that's critical. I think that's what good teams do every year, year in and year out, that they're making the roster as competitive as possible."

Ultimately, it's probably best for both sides, despite the hot start to training camp, to move on before the regular season kicks off.

The Argument Against: Talented Player, Chemistry With Maye

But Ethan! Boutte has a connection with his quarterback and it's showing during these practices!

That's true, and that's really the part that would allow him to remain with the Patriots.

Say Maye and Brown don't get onto the same page early on. They could struggle with their timing, or Brown isn't able to separate enough. Perhaps Doubs doesn't flourish in his WR2 role and also struggles.

Keeping Boutte around gives the team insurance at wide receiver in case of an injury or a player missing the mark.

It's a competitive room in camp, something that the franchise quarterback is well aware of. He knows players, like Boutte, want larger roles and the ball more often.

"Well, I mean, I think the nature of seeing other guys make plays makes people feel like, 'Man, I want to be in the right spot and do the right thing and go make a play,'" Maye said on Friday. "So, I think the competitive spirit in that room, in the skill group position, in the position room and that offensive room does it for itself."

Keeping Boutte fits the argument of keeping the best players on the roster. His chemistry with Maye is a given, more trustworthy than what the Patriots are getting from Brown/Doubs right now. Boutte hears the chatter, but doesn't want to focus on it.

“I think my attitude, I mean, we all hear a lot of the stuff that’s going on,” Boutte said. “My main focus is just I’m here. I’m here today, if I’m somewhere else next week, or the week after, that’s kind of what it is. That’s part of the business. I’m taking every day, day-by-day, not thinking about what’s next.”

Boutte's talents would be useful on this New England team, even though the snaps might not be what he hopes them to be. If the Patriots want to maintain the best six receivers, they'd find a way to keep him around.

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