The framework of the rumored A.J. Brown trade between Philadelphia and New England has been in place for weeks. The Eagles send their three-time Pro Bowl receiver to the Patriots after June 1, take back draft capital, and figure out the rest. The “rest” is where things have gotten interesting, and one name keeps moving up the conversation.
Kayshon Boutte makes sense as a piece in the A.J. Brown trade package, NFL analyst Anthony DiBona wrote in a social media post Saturday.
He pointed to the connection between new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion and the receiver group dynamics Mannion ran in Green Bay, where the Packers leaned on multiple wideouts with different skill sets rather than a single alpha target.
Why the receiver fit in Philadelphia works on paper
The Eagles’ receiver room is already crowded. DeVonta Smith locks down the WR1 spot with Brown gone, and rookie Makai Lemon, taken with the No. 20 overall pick, slots in behind him. The depth chart from there reads as Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, and a mix of younger pieces like Elijah Moore, Darius Cooper, and Johnny Wilson.
New England Patriots, Kayshon Boutte
Oct 26, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) reacts to the win against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Boutte’s skill profile fits cleanly into that mix. DiBona argued the 24-year-old is on a similar level to Wicks and Hollywood Brown, and clearly ahead of the back-end options. Last season with the Patriots, Boutte caught 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. His career numbers sit at 78 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kayshon Boutte included in a potential A.J. Brown deal.
I know people question how he would fit in with the Eagles but the Packers were very deep at WR with several different skillsets.
If that’s the vision that Sean Mannion wants to bring to… https://t.co/43ZDYFhR2X
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaNFL) May 17, 2026
Contract value-wise, he enters the final year of his four-year, $4.02 million rookie contract, which makes him cost-controlled for 2026 and a potential compensatory pick candidate down the line if he leaves in free agency. He could also be flipped at the trade deadline if the Eagles decide they have enough.
That cost-control angle is one league sources have downplayed publicly. Multiple reports have suggested Philadelphia views Boutte as more of a throw-in than a target, and Eagles fans have made it clear they would prefer a 2028 first-round pick over a 2027 second-round pick paired with Boutte.
NFL Insider Drops Bombshell on Patriots' AJ Brown Plans
NFL Insider Drops Bombshell on Patriots’ AJ Brown Plans (Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
The Brown trade is expected to involve a future first, likely in 2028. Whether Boutte gets folded in or stays in New England probably depends on what the Patriots view their wide receiver depth chart looking like once they have Brown, Romeo Doubs, and the rest in place. The clock starts ticking on June 1.