The New England Patriots continue their 2026 roster-building as the all-important June 1 date arrives, when teams are more likely to cut or trade highly paid players and save on the salary cap. One dream trade that's been the talk of the town in Foxborough is for Eagles' No. 1 receiver, A.J. Brown.
Should he arrive, a shuffle of players may occur in the wide receiver room, and Bleacher Report's Moe Moton thinks DeMario Douglas may be the odd man out.
Douglas' departure would be a bit of a surprise since he led the team in the dismal 2024 season with 66 catches. Last season, though, his production slipped to only 31 catches for 441 yards and three touchdowns. He is a slot receiver. They're easier to replace, and the Patriots have a ready-made slot who can step right in to replace him in Efton Chism III, an undrafted free agent from 2025.
Chism is a sure-handed receiver who was prolific at Eastern Washington in 2024. The only thing holding him back is the offensive coaching staff's reluctance to give him an opportunity. Whenever he got that in 2025, he caught the ball and made things happen after. His presence makes Douglas' departure easier.
DeMario Douglas may be on the chopping block ahead of the 2026 season
The popular Douglas wouldn't be easy to let go. But the Mike Vrabel-led Patriots are a goal-oriented team. The only objective is winning, and the players who give the team the best chance to win will make the roster.
Moton has named "The Best Players Who Could Still Be Cut From Every NFL Roster," and Douglas, the player he chose for the Patriots, is a bit surprising but not shocking.
"DeMario Douglas led the New England Patriots with 561 receiving yards in 2023. In the following season, he tied tight end Hunter Henry for a team-leading 66 receptions. However, in his first season in Josh McDaniels' offense, Douglas saw fewer snaps out of the slot compared to the two previous years. The Patriots featured Stefon Diggs and Henry in that spot.
New England signed Romeo Doubs, who, like Diggs, can line up inside. In a contract year, Douglas could be the odd man out of the Patriots' receiver rotation, especially if the club acquires A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles."
Moton hits the nail on the head. While Diggs is gone and Doubs is better suited to be the No. 2 receiver if Brown arrives, Douglas is expendable. Chism is a receiver who's ready to explode onto the scene if his myopic offensive coaching staff finally realizes he's a slot receiver.
That's why Moton's prediction that Douglas may be on his way out is not outlandish. Cutting him, though, makes less sense. Douglas should have some value on the trade market for a team that can use a slot receiver. He's shown he's a verified NFL slot.
The move should be to explore a trade, even for a team's sixth-round draft pick. That trade while playing Chism in 2026 makes a lot of sense.
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