3 Patriots Who Won't Survive the Season in New England

2. Kayshon Boutte, wide receiver

The New England Patriots have a much better situation at wide receiver now than they did heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Patriots got rid of some dead weight by cutting and moving on from veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster, who ended up being a massive free-agent bust after signing last offseason. He, of course, landed on his feet with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite the changes and additions made at the wide receiver position, I'm not sure that position group is quite a finished work just yet for the Patriots. Of course, the team is awaiting the return of veteran Kendrick Bourne, who the organization obviously values a ton since they gave him a 3-year, $19.5 million contract this offseason despite the fact that he is recovering from an injury.

The Patriots knew Bourne wasn't going to be available at the start of the year, yet they gave him a multi-year contract anyway.

Someone is going to have to go whenever Bourne is back in the mix, and right now, my money would be on former sixth-round pick and LSU star Kayshon Boutte. Boutte may or may not be behind the likes of Tyquan Thornton on the Patriots' depth chart, but he might be the most likely guy on the roster to clear waivers and make it back to the practice squad.

At least, until we start seeing what happens in the real games coming up here. Boutte has certainly flashed some strong hands and upside for the Patriots, which is why he was kept on the initial 53-man roster over other receivers. The Patriots could decide just to keep seven receivers whenever Bourne is ready, but if they have to make a cut, I could see them making this move later this year.