The Patriots have a wide receiver problem. A good one, but a problem nonetheless.
After signing Romeo Doubs in free agency and trading for A.J. Brown, New England is now navigating a crowded wide receiver room. Eleven (!) pass catchers are now competing for spots in the huddle alongside quarterback Drake Maye—among them being veteran Kayshon Boutte, who arguably has had the team’s best start to training camp to date.
Boutte, who’s entering his fourth NFL season after being selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 draft, developed into Maye’s favorite deep-ball target throughout the team’s run to Super Bowl LX last year. The pair has continued to show off their chemistry this summer. Despite the uncertainty in the room, the 24-year-old gave reporters a quick “yeah” when asked on Thursday if he still wants to be with the team in 2026.
“I think my main focus is just that I’m here today,” Boutte also said. “My feet are here today. If I’m somewhere else next week, the week after, that’s kind of what it is. That’s part of the business. But I’m taking every day, day by day, not thinking about what’s next.”
Boutte was then asked if he thinks he’s on the trade block, which he said would be a question for coach Mike Vrabel. The coach just so happened to answer a question about the Patriots’ depth at wide receiver earlier in the day.
“I love having depth, but I would say that we're always going to try to look to improve,” Vrabel explained. “Whether that's by adding draft capital, obtaining a player or keeping the guys we have. We want to try to provide competition throughout the roster at each position.”
On the topic, MassLive’s Karen Guregian reported on Friday that Boutte, “seeing the direction the receiver room was headed,” requested a trade out of New England back in the spring. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer also wrote in May that he believed Boutte could be had, “for a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick right now.”
Now, after a strong start to camp, Boutte’s trade value is likely only increasing. Here are three teams that could use his services.
Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers WR depth chart
| WR | WR | WR |
|---|---|---|
| Quentin Johnston | Tre’ Harris | Ladd McConkey |
| KeAndre Smith-Lambert | Brenen Thompson | Derius Davis |
| Dalevon Campbell | JaQuae Jackson | Luke Grimm |
| Mante’ Morrow | Sincere Brown | Devonte Ross |
The Chargers are still chasing the first playoff win of quarterback Justin Herbert's career as they enter the third year of the Jim Harbaugh era, and will do so with a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel.
Unfortunately, they’ll also do so with a less-than-ideal wide receiver room. Outside of Ladd McConkey—who’s led Los Angeles in receiving yards in each of his first two NFL seasons—the Chargers’ depth chart leaves much to be desired. Quentin Johnston has yet to live up to the standards of a first-round pick, Tre’ Harris caught just 30 receptions and one touchdown as a rookie in 2025 and fourth-round pick Brenen Thompson (while speedy) is an unproven rookie.
Boutte would be an instant upgrade as an outside-the-numbers wide receiver in Los Angeles, giving Herbert a player who can stretch the field and help attack the deep portion of the field.
Washington Commanders
Commanders WR depth chart
| WR | WR | WR |
|---|---|---|
| Terry McLaurin | Treylon Burks | Luke McCaffrey |
| Jaylin Lane | Van Jefferson | Antonio Williams |
| Dyami Brown | Chris Hilton Jr. | Jacoby Jones |
| Jaden Bradley | Nick Nash | River Cracraft |
The Commanders have a true alpha wide receiver on their roster in Terry McLaurin. Outside of him, however, it’s pretty bleak. It’s perhaps why free agent Stefon Diggs has suggested that he could be a fit in Washington.
Like the aforementioned Chargers, the Commanders’ receiver room features a former first-round bust (Treylon Burks) and a promising—but still unproven—rookie (Antonio Williams), alongside veterans Luke McCaffrey, Van Jefferson and Dyami Brown.
Washington needs to do everything possible to surround Jayden Daniels with more talent as he enters his third season, and while McLaurin recently praised Williams as a smooth and twitchy route-runner, the rookie’s potential shouldn’t stop the team from at least making a call on Boutte.
Carolina Panthers
Panthers WR depth chart
| WR | WR | WR |
|---|---|---|
| Tet McMillan | Xavier Legette | Jalen Coker |
| John Metchie III | David Moore | Jimmy Horn Jr. |
| Brycen Tremayne | Ja’seem Reed | Ainias Smith |
| Casey Washington | Malick Meiga | Gabriel Benyard |
You’ll notice that Panthers third-round pick Chris Brazzell II isn’t included in the above depth chart, as according to The Athletic’s Joe Person, Brazzell is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery on the torn LCL he suffered during training camp.
As such, Carolina’s pass-catching corps around Bryce Young is top-heavy. Yes, Tet McMillan is coming off a 70-catch, 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown season that saw him win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but Xavier Legette has yet to live up to the hype and Jalen Coker—while a solid supplemental piece—is not viewed as a true every-down option.
Boutte would bring a more proven presence to a Panthers offense—led by coordinator Brad Idzik, who helped coach a pass-heavy Buccaneers offense before taking the Carolina job—that could use another reliable target for Bryce Young in 2026.
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