FOXBOROUGH – Kayshon Boutte heard the rumors but didn’t let it distract him.
Before the 2025 NFL Draft in April, ESPN’s Adam Schefter included Boutte in a list of players “on rookie contracts who could be deemed expendable.” The Patriots ended up drafting receiver Kyle Williams in the third round, but Boutte remained on the roster.
On Wednesday, Boutte said he saw the rumors but never took it seriously.
“I heard about it, but I tried not to really put too much time into that,” Boutte said. “You know, there’s just a lot of people just sitting behind phones and just typing. It’s got nothing to really do with me.”
After a slow rookie season, in which he caught two passes for 19 yards, Boutte showed he could be a productive NFL receiver in 2024. Last year, he finished with 43 catches for 589 yards and three touchdowns. He finished third on the Patriots in receiving and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns.
At age 23, Boutte’s still one of the youngest players on the Patriots roster. However, this offseason is all about the numbers.
The Patriots currently have 12 receivers on their roster. During Wednesday’s practice, Boutte spent the entire session with Maye’s offense along with Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, and Williams. That’s a good sign, but it should be noted that Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins weren’t practicing, and Ja’Lynn Polk was limited.
“We’ve got a lot of guys. There’s 12 of us. At the end of the day, there will probably be six of us if we be honest,” Boutte said. “Every day is another opportunity to get better and be great. We all know we’re in competition, but it’s up to us at the end of the day.”
Prior to practice, Mike Vrabel said Boutte’s been “working hard” this spring.
“I think that he’s gotten in better shape as we started to go on to the OTAs, and I think that’s really started to help him as we stack plays together,” Vrabel said. “In the game, you don’t just take a play on and just come off and then go back and forth. Hopefully, you can string together four or five plays as we work down the football field. So, I think that he’s working to do that. I like his attitude. I enjoy his willingness to continue to improve and maybe do some things a little differently.”
