Patriots Must Avoid This Dangerous WR Mistake

The New England Patriots' wide receiver room is suddenly crowded after adding three pieces during the offseason, signing both Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency and then selecting Kyle Williams in the third round of the NFL Draft.

All three of those players are expected to make the team, which creates a rather sticky situation for the Patriots when it comes down to cutting the roster down to 53 players.

You have to figure DeMario Douglas is also a lock, which leaves Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker battling for the last couple of spots.

The general consensus is that one of Boutte or Bourne will be moved, and Michael DeVito of Musket Fire seems to think that the former could be on borrowed time in New England.

"One third-year player, Kayshon Boutte, has been the subject of trade rumors. He's on the bubble," DeVito wrote. "While he caught 43 for 589 yards and three touchdowns, he's not guaranteed a position on the 2025 roster. There will be an all-out battle for receiver positions, and Boutte may not make the cut."

To be fair, the "trade rumors" come from ESPN's Adam Schefter labeling Boutte as "expendable" heading into the draft, so we don't actually have any concrete evidence that the Pats have actually been shopping the 23-year-old in trade discussions.

And to be perfectly honest, it would be a pretty big mistake for the Patriots to cut ties with Boutte considering how impressive he was in 2024 and how much of a rapport he appeared to develop with quarterback Drake Maye, particularly down the stretch.

Will Boutte ever be a No. 1 receiver? Almost certainly not, but he proved last season that he is a very capable weapon who can stretch the field while also making tremendous catches.

New England would be better off trading the aging Bourne rather than moving Boutte.