The New England Patriots spent much of their offseason stuck between a rock and a hard place. I think we all knew what would wind up happening with A.J. Brown, but the fact that the Patriots couldn't make that trade until June threw a wrench into the ability to put a complete receiver room together.
Now, New England is in a position where everybody knows they have to figure out what to do with Kayshon Boutte. And, sadly, the end result will very likely be that Boutte ends up playing in another uniform. But, when exactly is a trade going to take place?
Sports Illustrated's NFL insider, Albert Breer, recently alluded to the Patriots having such a good thing going inside their building and having long planned to "do right" by Boutte.
"The plan, all along, has been to do right by Kayshon Boutte ... Do you want a guy who, now is about to play the most important season of his life? This is where he gets the life-changing money and you're basically screwing up his value," Breer said via NBC Sports Boston.
Patriots will have a hard time doing right by Kayshon Boutte considering his current value
The definition of "doing right by" Boutte can be different depending on who you ask. But, the way I see it, doing right by him would be allowing Boutte to get into another building before training camp kicks off here in just a few short days.
Breer acknowledged Boutte will eventually be on another team.
"I do think eventually he's going to be somewhere else."
But again, if you're looking at it strictly from Boutte's perspective, he has to want a chance to get into a new organization and go through a full training camp rather than coming in halfway through practices or the preseason.
As Breer noted, this coming season is the most important campaign of Boutte's life. His rookie contract is up after the 2026 season and he'll be allowed to test free agency for the first time.
But, in order to get him into a new organization before camp, that means a trade must be facilitated. And, at the moment, Boutte's trade value is probably lower than New England would like. The league knows they have a logjam at the X receiver spot. The league knows they want to part with Boutte if they can.
So, why would another team offer anything substantial to land him on a 1-year rental?
It's a difficult position to be in if you're the Patriots, but if they're truly wanting to do right by him, then maybe this is a situation where New England is forced to cut their losses and deal him for less than they would like.
It wouldn't be the first time a situation like this came to fruition. Teams often try to do what's best for players they love and respect greatly. This is, in fact, a business. But, the Patriots only have a short time to try and work something out that'll benefit Boutte in the long run.
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