Patriots wide receiver reportedly ‘could be deemed expendable’ at draft

If the New England Patriots plan on making a draft day trade involving one of their own players, a prime candidate has emerged to be shipped out.

According to a new league-wide report detailing various draft intel, ESPN's Adam Schefter named Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte on a list of players that "could be deemed expendable" for a trade during draft weekend. That may be surprising on the surface, since Boutte emerged as a weapon that quarterback Drake Maye relied on to make plays down the field in 2024 (39 catches, 542 yards, three touchdowns over the final 12 games).

Schefter noted that Boutte is part of a list of players that are specifically on their rookie contracts. Boutte is under team control for the next two seasons, at base salaries of $1.03 million and $1.145 million in 2025 and 2026 (via Spotrac).

The short money, combined with Boutte's improved production last season, may combine to make him the team's most valuable trade chip -- among players they don't necessarily intend to keep, anyway. This could indicate that Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels have plans for DeMario Douglas (66-621-3 stat line in 2024), who is also in the third year of his four-year rookie deal, and Boutte is not considered part of their future.

It's unlikely Boutte would fetch too much in a trade, and whether it would involve a package for the Patriots to move up or down in the draft order, or acquire more picks. But it's intriguing to know that a player currently on the roster could be on the table for Vrabel to move.

The Patriots pick fourth in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night, with LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell among the most popular picks among reporters and prognosticators.