The New England Patriots acquired the elite “X” boundary receiver they desperately needed in A.J. Brown. But while Brown will serve as quarterback Drake Maye’s exciting new go-to option, he may not be the Patriots’ biggest X-factor entering the 2026 season.
The Patriots suddenly find themselves loaded at wide receiver, to the point where one of their top free agent signings, former Green Bay Packer Romeo Doubs, has been flying well under the radar. From Brown’s blossoming connection with Maye to Kayshon Boutte’s hot start to training camp amid trade rumors, no one’s really talking about Doubs and the potential impact he could have on the offense.
Brown may be the headliner, but Doubs is the glue. The Patriots are counting on his experience and route-running skills, as aside from second-year pro Kyle Williams, they don’t have a ton of speed or versatility in their wide receiver room. Guys like Williams, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Efton Chism are all mostly set in their roles. Doubs represents the true wild card who could feasibly line up anywhere and create mismatches, especially with Brown commanding added attention on the outside.
Doubs’ offseason has been quiet enough to be mildly concerning. But he recently gave Patriots fans a quote they needed to hear — and has been backing his words up with his growing connection with Maye on the practice field.
"Obviously it's a grind and everything,” Doubs said. “I think the process has been really good. I love where I am. I love where our team is. I love the intensity of camp practices, things of that nature. Things are going really good.
"I'm really comfortable,” he added. “Just picking the OC's brain, Drake's brain, just being around the other guys in this room who have been in this offense.”
Romeo Doubs could be the piece that makes the Patriots' passing game work
Despite missing a couple of practices due to an excused personal reason, Doubs has been stacking positive practices of late.
His biggest leap came on Aug. 1, when Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal noted Maye finding him on some Josh McDaniels staples, including a deep in-cut and a route down the seam. He made another nice catch that day on a crossing route.
Doubs returned from a two-day absence for the Patriots’ intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 7 and caught a touchdown pass from Maye.
“I think Romeo has done a great job coming in here and learning the offense,” Maye said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He hasn’t been in an offense like this that has some decision-making [for receivers]. I think he’s getting better and better as he’s gotten through OTAs and even in camp. He’s making some great plays for us. He’s kind of shifty and has a little wiggle to him that I didn’t really expect throwing to him in camp.”
It hasn’t been all roses for Doubs. He lost a fumble during that same Aug. 1 practice, though Bedard still listed him among his “ups” for the day. Doubs also hasn’t seen as many first-team reps in the slot as originally expected, as Douglas has been too good to take off the field.
But the Patriots don’t need Doubs to be all the way there two-plus weeks into camp. They just need him to be ascending. That he finally seems to be on that track can’t be overstated.
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