Once upon a time, I said the Kayshon Boutte trade would be a win-win-win. The New England Patriots would be able to save some money by not signing him to a new deal in the offseason, and it would open the door for guys like Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas to level up. The Houston Texans get a fantastic receiver to pair with Nico Collins, which is incredibly important given their injuries (Jayden Higgins and Tank Dell). And Boutte gets an expanded role and a chance to earn himself a big contract.
A month into the season, and I couldn't have been more wrong.
Patriots may be regretting the Kayshon Boutte trade
The Patriots took a big risk by trading Boutte in the offseason. I understand why they did it (especially since there were reports he had requested a trade back in April), but the LSU alum quickly became one of Drake Maye's favorite targets. Moving on him and Stefon Diggs in the same offseason was a risky play by New England. Continuity is incredibly important for a young quarterback, and we're already seeing it work against him.
Maye was great in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills, but that doesn't take away just how bad he was to begin the season. Through the first three weeks, he threw for just 585 yards, one touchdown, and six interceptions. He didn't look confident, and outside of Mack Hollins (who might miss some time due to a calf injury), it didn't seem like there was anybody on the field he actually trusted to throw the ball to.
And why was that? Because A.J. Brown got injured within the first hour of the season. Romeo Doubs has been wildly inconsistent to begin his Patriots tenure. And guys like Williams and Douglas (who were probably the two biggest beneficiaries of the Boutte trade) have mostly disappeared.
The Patriots are definitely missing Boutte right now. Maye loved throwing to him. He was good at stretching the field. And he would be taking so much pressure off of the rest of the offense. It looks like New England might be turning things around, but maybe things wouldn't have been so bad in the first place had the 24-year-old still been on the team.
Kayshon Boutte trade hasn't been a dream for Houston either
Trading for Boutte was meant to be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Texans (all they gave up was a 2028 seventh-round pick and Jaylen Reed), but they aren't really reaping any type of rewards right now.
Over four weeks, Boutte has nine receptions on 13 targets for 115 yards and no touchdowns. And that’s with Nico Collins missing two games. He hasn't stepped up when they needed him to; he's not doing much damage, even with Collins demanding so much attention from opposing defenses; and the Texans are expected to get Dell back at some point this season, which could push Boutte down the depth chart.
Houston is also 0-4, and while Boutte is far from the team's biggest problem (maybe it's the 79 rushing yards per game -- which is third-worst in the NFL), he hasn't been much of a needle-mover.
There is still a ton of football left, but very early on, this trade is looking like a lose-lose-lose.
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