In the NFL, the offseason is when the upcoming season is built. If you have a good quarterback and you build around him and provide a solid defense, the season can look rosy. If you don't have a quarterback, no matter what you do, it probably won't matter much. The Patriots' Mike Vrabel is an experienced Head Coach and personnel evaluator; he knows those realities as well as anyone.
Vrabel has his quarterback in Drake Maye. He's also brilliantly rebuilt a lackluster roster from top to bottom and placed it in a position to make a playoff run. This is how professional NFL executives operate, and Vrabel is one of the best.
One factor adding to the possibilities of any NFL team is how the previous roster's players approach the offseason individually. If they punt on the offseason, come into camp out of shape, or stay stagnant, with a coach like Vrabel, they'll be on the outside looking in. One young player who's done all the right things is third-year wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
Kayshon Boutte used the offseason wisely to increase his chances of making the Patriots' 2025 roster
Kayshon Boutte is a third-year Patriots receiver who started his career slowly but had a breakout 2024 season. He caught 43 passes for 589 yards and three touchdowns. They're not earth-shattering stats, but on the 2024 Patriots receivers unit, they were second-best after Pop Douglas.
Nothing is a given when a new head coach arrives, and Boutte was clearly on the roster bubble. Regardless, he reacted exactly as he should have and approached the offseason as a challenge to improve. By all accounts, he has done just that and is now earning accolades from his position coach.
Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal quoted the Patriots' wide receivers' coach, Todd Downing, regarding third-year receiver Kayshon Boutte's great offseason approach.
Patriots WR coach Todd Downing on Kayshon Boutte, "He's another player that in the offseason he was kind of figuring a couple things out about this offense. He decided to make a commitment to doing things the right way and the way that we know to be the winning formula, and I…
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) August 12, 2025
Mike Vrabel has to be impressed with Kayshon Boutte
Boutte was on the roster bubble when summer camp began. Vrabel had fortified the wide receiver room with solid additions. They included former Pro-Bowler Stefon Diggs, big-play receiver Mack Hollins, and electric rookie third-round pick Kyle Williams. Adding to the competition is a pass-catching machine, undrafted free agent Efton Chism III, who's impressed from the get-go.
Also in the mix were disappointing 2024 draft picks Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Boutte rose to the challenge, took the offseason seriously, and made it count. When your positional coach says you've made "a commitment", you're on the right track.
Offseasons can be make-or-break times for any NFL player. Those who do the right things can move positively towards shoring up a final roster spot, even with a new head coach. Boutte has done just that. He's now looking less like a roster bubble guy than a roster lock.
Kayshon Boutte deserves a lot of credit. He's built on his breakout season and redoubled his efforts to be an even more productive Patriot. That's never a bad thing. He's impressed in the camps and developed a nice rapport with quarterback Drake Maye. Expect him to make the team. He's earned it.