New England Patriots
Boutte is handling the rumors in a professional way, Vrabel said.
FOXBOROUGH – Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addressed trade rumors involving Kayshon Boutte on Monday morning.
Vrabel said he appreciates how Boutte has handled the situation. Boutte told reporters last month that he hopes he’ll be able to stay with the Patriots.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Kayshon,” said Vrabel. “We went through this last offseason. He had a great offseason and a good training camp and that played out during the season.”
Vrabel added, “He was a large part of our success and his communication this offseason with [wide receivers coach] Todd [Downing] and myself has been … he’s a pro. He understands what his job is and he’s gotten off to a good start.”
Through two training camp practices, Boutte has stood out amongst the receivers. He hauled in a 40-plus yard sliding catch from Drake Maye on the first day of training camp. He made a contested back-shoulder catch during Day 2 on Sunday.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for him and the way he’s handled these different situations and conversations outside of here and the noise,” said Vrabel. “That doesn’t affect his performance on the field.”
Boutte missed OTA’s but showed up for mandatory minicamp.
New England shook up its receiver room during the offseason, cutting Stefon Diggs, trading for A.J. Brown, and signing Romeo Doubs during free-agency.
With New England also returning several receivers from last season, the competition this summer will be key as far as determining roster spots and roles.
Teams typically carry around five or six receivers on the 53-man roster.
In addition to Brown and Doubs, the Patriots have Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III with them in camp.
Boutte played roughly 55 percent of New England’s offensive snaps last season, the second-most among the team’s receivers behind Hollins.
Boutte showed his skills as a deep threat last season, totaling 551 yards on 33 catches for an average of 16.7 yards per catch. He caught six touchdowns.
With Brown already having a reputation as an elite deep threat, and several other teammates competing for snaps and touches, there has been speculation that the Patriots could move Boutte this summer.
Boutte is handling the rumors in a professional way, Vrabel said.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
