Kayshon Boutte might be on the move after the worst-kept secret in the NFL, AJ Brown, was finally traded to the New England Patriots on June 1st. New England has a true number one wide receiver for the first time since Randy Moss, but they now have a logjam at the position.
The Patriots dealt away a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for Brown’s services, and they paired him up with his former head coach, Mike Vrabel. Brown is now on his childhood team that he grew up rooting for. He will get to join his former Philadelphia Eagles teammates, Milton Williams and Kevin Byard.
New England now has their X (split end) receiver in Brown, but what does that mean for the previous X receiver in Boutte, who Pro Football Talk mentioned earlier today might be open to a trade?
Boutte is coming off a very intriguing season where he had some highs and lows. The ups and downs weren’t because of him; it simply came down to how often he got targeted and how much the ball came his way.
Overall, Boutte caught 33 of his 46 targets for 551 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 14 regular-season games. Boutte also had nine receptions on 19 targets for 168 receiving yards and one touchdown in the Super Bowl run for the Patriots. Boutte’s performance included a phenomenal one-handed catch against Derek Stingley Jr. for the dagger touchdown to beat the Houston Texans. Boutte somehow corralled the pass with one hand, the second touchdown he’s had on Stingley in their two matchups.
Both Boutte and Brown are X receivers, but Brown is the superior player. The draft capital New England dealt away for him speaks for itself. It’s also a tough situation for Boutte since he’s entering a contract season, coming off a career year, and played a good role in getting the team to the Super Bowl.
Boutte’s impending free agency and impact performance are why it would make sense to deal him. It would allow Boutte to spread his wings in a better situation and cash in with another team. The Patriots also signed Romeo Doubs to a $68 million contract, Mack Hollins played well last season, and they spent a Top 100 pick on Kyle Williams in 2025. New England also has Pop Douglas and Efton Chism III helping to round out their quality wide receiver depth.
Disagree? Join the Stadium Rant iPhone App open sports community and tell us.
There are a number of avenues the Patriots can choose with Boutte: they can trade him for straight-up picks, or they can deal him for players at positions of need.
If New England goes the pick route, Dontayvion Wicks of the Green Bay Packers was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles for a fifth and sixth-round pick. So the Patriots stand to get more for a superior player in Boutte. He is coming off a regular season in which he was 18th in receiving touchdowns at six, and fourth in drops at only one. Boutte was also fourth in yards per reception at 16.7, first in passer rating when targeted at 133.2, and third in average depth of target at 17.5, according to Pro Football Focus.
New England could also look to swap players and swing a deal for an edge rusher like Kayvon Thibodeaux, who’s entering a contract season and coming off a down season. The New York Giants also have good edge rush depth, and they kicked the tires on trading him already during the NFL Draft. Thibodeaux could use a change of scenery, as among edge rushers this past season, he was 72nd in sacks at three, 56th in hurries at 53, and 56th in hits at six. Thibodeaux was also 66th in total pressures at 66 in 10 games, according to PFF.
The Patriots badly need edge rush help, as Harold Landry III is 29 years old and currently out with a knee injury. Rookie second-round pick Gabe Jacas is also currently out with a hamstring injury and has yet to sign his rookie contract.
Last but not least, New England can look to trade Boutte for a high-end backup tight end in Michael Mayer of the Las Vegas Raiders. Patriots backup tight end Julian Hill went down with a season-ending knee injury on Monday, and third-round rookie Eli Raridon still needs time to get his feet wet. Mayer is in the last year of his rookie contract, and this past season, he caught 35 passes for 328 receiving yards and one touchdown on 50 targets in 13 games.
The Raiders have superstar tight end Brock Bowers, and they need receiver depth. Las Vegas’ wide receiver room currently consists of Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Dont’e Thornton Jr, and Jack Bech, so first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza can definitely use an elite deep threat in Boutte.
Trading Boutte makes sense since his role will be more diminished now. The Patriots don’t want to sour the situation with a player who hasn’t even been showing up for offseason workouts. The writing is clearly on the wall, even with Boutte reposting the story of Brown being traded to New England on Instagram.
For the first time in a while, the Patriots have a formidable wide receiver room. They can afford to trade from within to recoup draft capital or trade for players at a position of need.
It’ll be hard to stomach dealing away Boutte at first, especially if New England trades him for lackluster draft capital. It will also be difficult initially since quarterback Drake Maye and Boutte have such a good connection, albeit not in a ton of targets.
Still, a Boutte trade is a move that needs to be made, assuming no wide receiver injuries, which is why the Patriots might take their time. God forbid a New England wideout goes down, or an injury occurs on another team; this would change the trade equation. De facto General Manager Eliot Wolf has a tough decision to make on the horizon.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
