As the Patriots currently stand, there are a number of questions that surround a few players and whether they will be present for training camp or on the roster for the 2026 season. Among the most notable names is wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who has been the subject of trade rumors for most of the offseason.
Those whispers only got louder once the team acquired A.J. Brown from the Eagles, seemingly pushing Boutte down the depth chart and possibly out the door.
He wasn't present for offseason practices, aside from showing up for mandatory minicamp, as he was away from the facility early on, and with training camp right around the corner, there are questions about his immediate and long-term future.
It was clear that Josh McDaniels wanted to prove he could still be an asset to the offense, and that's why Boutte was on the field a lot with Brown for some of the late spring practices. However, it hasn't removed him from the trade conversation, and there are a number of teams now considered prime partners to get a deal done.
And while it would make sense for the Patriots to move Boutte now if they don't plan to keep him around beyond the 2026 season, they shouldn't trade him to one team that Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested, unless they want to make their path back to the top of the AFC a lot more difficult.
If the Patriots want to trade Kayshon Boutte, they have a list of teams to avoid talking with
Because Boutte is still considered a top trade candidate ahead of the upcoming season, it is inevitable that he will continue to be part of ongoing speculation as training camp nears.
That's why Knox listed him as one of the top trade contenders after minicamp and believes the Raiders and Chiefs are two teams that would make a lot of sense to continue his career.
And although it would be fine for the Patriots to move Boutte if they don't think he will be an integral part of their 2026 offense, they should by no means trade him to a team like the Chiefs, who they not only face in Week 15, but they will inevitably be directly competing with them to reign supreme in the AFC.
Making their path even more difficult wouldn't make much sense, and, if anything, they should trade Boutte to the NFC instead, hoping not to face him much over the next few years. It's likely that if they make him available, several teams will be calling about a trade, so that it won't be limited to only Knox's suggestions.
That would be the best-case scenario, rather than the Chiefs being the only team to express interest.
The problem is that if they intend to move him before the start of the season, they probably won't care who is willing to send them draft capital in return. If they want to get the most bang for their buck, they'll take what they can get, and if the Chiefs are the highest bidder, it's hard to imagine they'd pass.
It'll all come down to how badly they want to move him, though, and in the eyes of most fans, there's not a lot of reason to strip Drake Maye of another reliable receiver at this stage in his career, especially one that was as good as he was last season.
Unfortunately, that's not how the NFL works, and if Eliot Wolf believes Boutte is the most trade-worthy right now and he doesn't want to extend him next offseason, they'll move him as soon as possible, no matter how that might impact the offense.
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