From Brandon Aiyuk to Chris Godwin, the New England Patriots have done their due diligence on potentially available No. 1 wide receivers in recent years. The team's ability to sign Stefon Diggs and his being able to practice without having visible restrictions throughout training camp, just 10 months after a torn ACL, is a small miracle.
With camp now rounding to a close, the Patriots are widely considered to have five roster locks at WR, with Diggs leading a group that will feature Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams. From there, 2024 fourth-rounder Javon Baker is battling for a roster spot along with fan-favorite Efton Chism III.
All of a sudden, the Patriots have a crowded wide receiver room with some difficult roster decisions looming. That means, when the NFL’s next prominent wide receiver requests a trade, Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf, and company should be leaving the phone on the hook.
New England should pass on Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs if he’s placed on the trade block in 2025
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay predicts Doubs to issue one of the league’s next trade requests, given Green Bay’s own crowded depth chart with Jayden Reed and rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the fold:
“Although he's only earning a base salary of $3.4 million this season, obliging a potential trade request would help Green Bay's brass out in several ways,” Kay wrote. “Moving Doubs would not only free up a roster spot, but it would also help bring clarity to the team's pass-catching pecking order and potentially return even more draft capital than the Packers would receive via the NFL's compensatory pick formula for departing free agents.”
Doubs would have been a more intriguing prospect for the Patriots back in March, but with training camp now winding down, it’s hard to see them replacing any of their first-team WRs barring a major injury. While Hollins’ clear path to a roster spot has been a lightning-rod topic among fans this offseason, his work as both a run blocker and special teams player has him firmly among New England’s locks entering cut-down day.
The team will also want to see things through with Boutte, who has surged up the depth chart this summer thanks to an obvious rapport with quarterback Drake Maye. With Diggs, Douglas, and Boutte locked in as the top three wideouts, and Hollins poised to mix in plenty (especially as a bigger target for Maye in the red zone), swapping draft capital for Doubs at this point wouldn’t make a ton of sense. We haven’t even mentioned Williams, whose role figures to grow as the season goes on.
New England's goal for 2025 should be clear — assemble a strong, young core around Maye and start building the offense, brick by brick. It's too soon to call the Patriots’ new-look WR corps a roster strength, but it feels much improved and plenty deep enough to get things rolling in a positive direction this season.