The first NFL Draft of the Mike Vrabel era is set to begin, and how the rest of the offseason will go is even more questionable than the first year without Bill Belichick. There are far more new faces behind the scenes making decisions this time, and with that comes a lot of trust that they will do the right things for the team to put them in the best position possible this fall.
A lot of that hinges on making the right draft picks and building the roster to be a competent team moving forward, which might also include making trades. That could involve players coming from other teams to Foxboro for the fall or trading players away, even if the list of desirable players on the Patriots roster currently isn't too long.
That has been the case for much of the last five years, but it will become a bigger story this offseason given the lack of ties to the new coaching staff and the 2024 roster. We've already seen that with some of the decisions Vrabel and Co. have made this offseason, like releasing longtime starting center David Andrews and linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, while also not re-signing free agents Jonathan Jones and Deatrich Wise.
Now that we're about to ascend on the draft, there's a bigger chance more players will be traded over the weekend, which some NFL insiders are already suggesting before the draft officially begins.
There's a good chance the Patriots' roster will change far more during the draft than just adding rookie players
Because the Patriots still have a significant amount of cap space remaining to spend this offseason, if they so choose, they have been a leading name in conversations about big-time trades that could transpire during draft weekend.
Most of that discussion involves them trading for top-name players, like Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson or Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, no matter how unrealistic or possible they might be. But there is a solid chance that they will also try to trade players from their current roster, too, with NFL insider Jordan Schultz mentioning Kayshon Boutte as a name to watch during the next few days.
Sources: The #Patriots, with Mike Vrabel at the helm, are open to trading players from the previous coaching staff — and one name to watch is WR Kayshon Boutte.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 23, 2025
The former LSU receiver turns 23 next month and had 43 catches for 589 yards, with 3 touchdowns last season. pic.twitter.com/0Tm1QjVSct
Despite his previous potential as a first-round draft pick before the Patriots selected him in the sixth round in 2023, Kayshon Boutte hasn't produced at the level that some were expecting. He had an improved year in 2024, which was impressive given the circumstances and the rest of the offense predominantly playing worse. But it's unlikely enough for Vrabel to keep him around, especially if he can trade him for some kind of return.
The wide receiver room, in particular, could be at the forefront of trades if teams come calling this year, with the offense being the primary focus of the draft and wanting to surround Drake Maye with improved talent. That could result in someone like Kendrick Bourne being on the trade block or the pair of rookies picked last year.
The issue will be whether there is a trade market for any of them, though. Based on what we've seen from them, it doesn't seem likely, but it will inevitably be a story to watch during Draft weekend, even more so if the Patriots add more offensive talent to the roster.