FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots have finally found a trade partner for wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, sending him to the Houston Texans, a league source confirmed Monday.
In return, the Patriots will receive safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round draft pick.
After the Patriots beefed up their receiver room, signing Romeo Doubs and trading for A.J. Brown, trade rumors swirled around Boutte. Given New England’s depth at the position, and the fact that Boutte was entering the final year of his rookie contract, it seemed plausible that the two would part ways ahead of the start of the season.
The 24-year-old Boutte said all the right things throughout training camp, that he wants to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him, that he doesn’t focus on the outside chatter. But he also seemed open to playing elsewhere, saying that he needs to do what’s best for him.
By moving on from Boutte, the Patriots may have solved their logjam at receiver. The room, as of now, looks to be Brown, Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, and Efton Chism. If Boutte had stayed, Chism likely would have been the odd man out. The cutdown deadline for 53-man rosters is set for Sunday.
The 23-year-old Reed can provide depth to New England’s secondary. The Texans drafted him in the sixth round out of Penn State in 2025. Last season, he appeared in seven games, playing 73 snaps on defense and 113 on special teams.
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