The New England Patriots just dealt wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a future seventh-round draft pick this week, and let me tell you, CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo wasn’t messing around when he graded this deal an “A” for Houston. DeArdo said the Texans “easily won” this trade, and it’s looking much worse for New England.
Boutte’s Wild Ride: From Leading TD Scorer to Healthy Scratch
Can you believe this? Boutte led ALL Patriots wide receivers in touchdowns last year! He snagged a career-high six TDs in 2025, pulling in 33 passes for 551 yards. His 16.7 yards per reception? That ranked him fourth in the entire NFL. This guy even dropped three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in their divisional-round victory against the Texans, the very team he’s now heading to. What a stat, right? He was on the field on the way to Super Bowl LX, not too shabby!
So why the trade? Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters after their final preseason game that Boutte was on track to be a healthy scratch on game days. Vrabel said, “That was the one place where we do have some depth.” He added that Boutte “probably would have been inactive, unfortunately. That’s just kind of the way it was with him not playing special teams.” Vrabel did thank Boutte, noting his maturity and growth, and how he shared his personal struggle. He respected Boutte for that, which is good to hear, but still, a healthy scratch for a guy who led your WRs in TDs? Wild.
The Depth Chart Shuffle and What’s Next
It’s clear Boutte faced an uphill battle for targets in New England. The Patriots’ depth chart had him behind trade-acquisition A.J. Brown and free-agency addition Romeo Doubs. Even “Pop Douglas” (DeMario Douglas) got the same amount of targets as Boutte last year, albeit in three more games, and Douglas is listed as a starter. The big takeaway here for New England is that Kyle Williams, a former third-round pick, is now set to play a legitimate role in their offense this year. Williams caught 10 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns last season. Boutte’s departure definitely opens up snaps there.
This trade screams a missed opportunity for the Patriots. Giving up a player with Boutte’s production for what seems like a minimal return, especially with the Texans losing Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL, feels like a misstep. Houston just snagged a proven pass-catcher for cheap when they desperately needed one. What a move for them.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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