Kayshon Boutte could have been an obvious candidate to lose touches in the New England Patriots’ adjusted receiving corps.
Early in training camp, he keeps giving them reasons to reconsider that idea.
Boutte produced two more standout catches from Drake Maye during Tuesday’s first practice in full pads in Foxborough.
A clip from X showed a play in which Maye found Boutte over the middle and the receiver went to the ground to secure the catch.
A later clip showed Maye finding Boutte deep down the field for a touchdown.
Those plays continued one of the most consistent early trends of Patriots camp.
The LSU product is still making plays for Maye, and every one makes a potential trade harder to justify.
Boutte Keeps Stacking Plays With Maye
Boutte arrived at camp with his place in the offense uncertain after the Patriots acquired A.J. Brown and signed Romeo Doubs.
That uncertainty hasn’t shown up on the practice field.
On the opening day of camp, Boutte got behind the secondary and made a diving grab on a roughly 40-yard throw from Maye.
Patriots.com called it the “play of the day” and noted that Boutte also received work from the slot as the coaching staff explored different ways to use him.
The next day brought another difficult catch.
Boutte adjusted near the right sideline and went to the ground in traffic, with Patriots.com noting that he had produced “two days and two standout catches.”
Tuesday added two more examples as noted earlier.
Camp catches only go so far before preseason games begin. They can reveal where timing and trust already exist, though, and Maye keeps looking for Boutte when the ball is traveling downfield.
Boutte finished last season with 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per catch. Ten of those receptions gained at least 20 yards, per the Patriots’ official statistics.
That production came with Maye already hitting him in high-value areas of the field.
The same connection is showing up again in camp despite a receiver room that looks nonidentical.
Patriots’ Trade Calculation Is Getting More Complicated
The real question around Boutte is how much room New England has for him after adding Brown and Doubs while Boutte enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Trade speculation has followed him through the offseason.
NFL.com reported in June that Boutte had been the subject of trade rumors after missing voluntary work, although the receiver said he wanted to remain in New England.
Boston.com also reported in May that Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believed Boutte could be available for a fifth- or sixth-round pick.
That type of return becomes harder to embrace when he keeps showing why Maye looks his way often.
Mike Vrabel addressed the trade chatter Monday and praised how Boutte has handled it. The Patriots coach said Boutte “was a large part of our success” last season and added that the outside noise has not affected his performance.
A day later, Boutte answered with more evidence.
The Patriots made major moves to give Maye more options, and Brown and Doubs should command significant roles.
Depth still matters over a 17-game season, and Boutte offers something New England already knows translates to Sunday victories: an exceptional connection with Maye and chunk-play ability.
Keeping Boutte would mean carrying an asset into a contract year with no guarantee he remains beyond 2026.
For now, the catches keep piling up. And Boutte is making the Patriots’ easiest offseason trade candidate look increasingly difficult to move.
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