The New England Patriots have had an eventful offseason. The spring and summer have included a second top-ten spending year in free agency, a pair of trade-ups in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, and trading for A.J. Brown after months of speculation.
While acquiring Brown was the major piece of news in the receiver room, that wasn't all. The Patriots also signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal to pair with the former Ole Miss Rebel. While that's fueled hype around the receiving corps, it's also led to additional trade speculation.
Considering Kayshon Boutte played over 90% of his snaps on the outside last season, and both Brown and Doubs are outside receivers, he seems to be among the top candidates to be traded ahead of the season. It's been reported that the Patriots would happily accept a fifth-round pick, but there hasn't been all that robust a market for the former LSU Tiger.
Mack Hollins is older than Boutte and wouldn't return any more than a conditional seventh-round pick in a trade, while Kyle Williams only just finished his rookie year. Boutte is clearly the odd man out on the outside, but there could be a second wideout who has a new home in 2026.
DeMario Douglas will need a strong camp to remain with the Patriots in 2026
Boutte wasn't the only wide receiver the Patriots selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. 23 picks after he was selected at No. 187, the Patriots added Liberty's Pop Douglas. A speedy slot option, Douglas had an immediate impact, totaling 49 catches for 561 yards in 14 games during his rookie season.
He led the team in receiving yards and was second on the team in catches.
After a sophomore season that didn't see him drastically improve, he was buried in the depth chart ahead of last season. He finished with the fifth-most receiving yards (447) and seventh-most catches (31). Both were career lows.
Now, ahead of a contract year, the Patriots have a plethora of receivers ahead of Douglas. Brown, Doubs, Hollins, and Williams all seem likely to be targeted ahead of Douglas, while Hunter Henry will also attract his fair share of targets.
Efton Chism might rise to the occasion if Douglas leaves the door open
Douglas has the advantage of playing in the slot, while the other names mentioned are primarily outside receivers. Nonetheless, Efton Chism is a major threat. Chism didn't play in the third preseason matchup last August after a pair of dominant preseason games beforehand.
While the former Eastern Washington receiver didn't see much action during the regular season, 103 of his 127 offensive snaps (81.1%) came from Week 17 to the Divisional Round. In that span, he totaled four catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, as well as a pass attempt. Josh McDaniels wants to get him involved.
Douglas will need to play some excellent football to put himself in a position to make the team. As things stand, he's at best the fifth receiver on the roster. If Boutte were to be traded, he'd move up to fourth. For a team with a player like Chism waiting in the wings, they may opt for a younger option with more time on his contract instead of Douglas.
Given his easily replaceable role, the odds of the Patriots fetching anything for him in a trade seem slim. They could perhaps receive a conditional seventh-round selection or a depth player, but holding out hope seems foolish.
If Douglas is unable to put together a strong offseason, there's a real possibility he'll be released before their Week 1 matchup against Seattle.
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