Should we worry about or regret Kayshon Boutte getting cut?

[Love The Drake]

If the Pats were going to do that why not do it with Slater?

True Slater isn’t going anywhere.

 

[DaBruinz]

I doubt that every team has missed on as many WR picks as the Pats, so I guess I'm one of those who refuses to acknowledge it.

This idea of yours has been destroyed time and time again when it's come up. It's been shown that the Pats spend the least amount of top end picks on WRs. It's also been shown that the Vaunted Steelers spend a LOT more top picks and picks overall and have just as many misses.

 

[1960Pats]

Brand new assistant coaches get paid nothing, and peer leadership from actual players is essential to team cohesion. Team captains are not just honorary positions and cannot be replaced by more coaching.

And yet, Bill's philosophy has been to cut players too early rather than too late, especially lately. He apparently didn't like those players' peer leadership as much as Slater's.

 

[DaBruinz]

They have one in Douglas, who will play behind Smith-Schuster in the slot and has Edelman+ potential IMO. Boutte is a posesion receiver, but Bourne is better. Tough cut hopefully he can make it to the PS.

Smith Shuster isn't a slot receiver. He's a combo receiver. He'll line up everywhere. Boutte is more than a "possession" receiver. Boutte is NOT making the PS.

 

[n6249c]

They have one in Douglas, who will play behind Smith-Schuster in the slot and has Edelman+ potential IMO. Boutte is a posesion receiver, but Bourne is better. Tough cut hopefully he can make it to the PS.

He won’t get cut. This whole thread is based on some media idiot’s hot take clickbait.

 

[50-yard-line]

Bam Childress, Brian Tyms, Zach Sudfeld, Jeremy Ebert, Chris Harper, Devin Lucien, AJ Derby, Austin Carr, Jacob Hollister, Isaiah Zuber…. preseason studs all.

How many went on to NFL greatness after the Pats cut them?

They know what they have or don’t have. We’ll see how much he plays in game three with the bubble guys.

Not a guy you mentioned was anywhere near the top of Boutte's profile in college. Not close. Absent the ankle injury - just playing as he played his freshman year, we would have had people here screaming for him instead of Gonzo in round 1.

The reason Boutte was a 6th rounder is very different than the reasons for the guys you mention.

 

[VJCPatriot]

As I see the roster projections from some of the better folks in the media, I think it's unlikely that Boutte will make the roster. No way BB is going to carry 6 WRs plus Slater on the roster. As a 2nd round pick, Thorton is a lock and his speed is still valuable to clear underneath routes (or at least I hope it is).

As fans of this team, most of us are starved for the opportunity to see a rookie WR receiver develop into a stud and why so many are pulling for DD AND Boutte.

Realistically thinking though, should we really worry if he gets cut and makes it onto another squad? We should be able to draft another receiver with similar upside in upcoming drafts, but I think the anxiety comes from how poorly we've drafted at the WR position in the past.

The only reason we'd regret cutting Boutte is if he becomes a star and we decided to keep Thornton over Boutte and Thornton becomes a bust. Sure that could happen. But the cuts haven't happened yet, have they? In fact there's one website that predicts Boutte making the roster.

WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
In: JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte
Out: Tre Nixon, Raleigh Webb, Thyrick Pitts

Patriots 53-Man Roster Projection: One Week Out From Cutdown Day

We're now just a week away from cutdown day in the NFL. Which New England Patriots players will make the 53-man roster?

nesn.com

 

[Water Boy]

I disagree with the idea that BB won't carry 6 WR AND Slater. He's done so in the past.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but do you have examples from the past when he's done this? I think the special teams abilities of the WR corps has to come into play as well. Boutte is way down the depth chart as a returner.

 

[Water Boy]

I can see the Pats going with 5 CB and 5S with Bryant the odd man out. Yes, I think there are Zone coverage teams that would trade for Bryant given the chance since he's adequate as a Slot Corner or Safety AND he plays Special Teams.

I'd rather see us keep Boutte over Bryant, but FWIW, Andrew Callaghan thinks Bryant is a lock for the reasons you cite above.

 

[Hyped]

I like what I’ve seen from Boutte but Giardi quoted a couple scouts yesterday that still don’t think he has the athleticism to be an nfl contributor. It’s hard to tell, obviously his testing numbers were poor, he looked good on that touchdown though. I agree that he is still in danger of getting cut.

Thoughts:

01.) Giardi was quoting an unnamed scout.....

02.) Sure, he doesn't look "explosive"...but in football there are two different speeds...there's explosive...and there's football speed with the pads on and in traffic. Some slow guys just separate (Anquan Boldin is a great example)...some fast guys just don't separate.

 

[Toofy]

Thoughts:

01.) Giardi was quoting an unnamed scout.....

02.) Sure, he doesn't look "explosive"...but in football there are two different speeds...there's explosive...and there's football speed with the pads on and in traffic. Some slow guys just separate (Anquan Boldin is a great example)...some fast guys just don't separate.

Exactly... Dorsett to quote one...

 

[Real fan 02]

I think they should find a way to keep Boutte, but at this time last year (or the year prior), I thought they should keep Nixon. And then they put him on the practice squad and he didn't really do anything. So I trust the coaches to make the right decision on whether he's done enough to make it or not.

I agree, with so many things that can happen during an NFL season personally I think it's best to have to many WRs than too little. I think Boutte is definitely a practice squad player. The practice squad is actually a good thing as players can get called up on any given week so they have to always be ready.

 

[Kasmir]

And yet, Bill's philosophy has been to cut players too early rather than too late, especially lately. He apparently didn't like those players' peer leadership as much as Slater's.

Yes, but Bill cuts vets with expensive salaries but brings in vets at bargain salaries.

 

[farn]

We should be ZERO worried about losing Boutte. If he isn’t able to crack this WR lineup, what’s he worth ? While I might not be as down on this O as some other posters, the WR crew for the 2023 is likely in the bottom 7 of the entire league. If BB feels Boutte cannot crack that, then there is nothing to lose sleep over.

 

[rkarp1]

We should be ZERO worried about losing Boutte. If he isn’t able to crack this WR lineup, what’s he worth ? While I might not be as down on this O as some other posters, the WR crew for the 2023 is likely in the bottom 7 of the entire league. If BB feels Boutte cannot crack that, then there is nothing to lose sleep over.

you might be right or wrong on where he sits on the WR depth chart currently.
but what about a year in the system, with Bourne, Parker and maybe Henry not on the team? and Thornton perhaps not working out? Boutte may have a lot more value at that point. if possible, don't let him get away

 

[cupofjoe1962]

I do not see Belichick picking Thornton over Boutte.

Boutte played at a much higher level in college & has already showed he knows how to find the endzone

Thornton is a guy with blazing speed, poor footwork & lack of strength who struggles to get open.

I have seen a million speedsters do nothing in the NFL, Phillip Dorsett, John Ross, Kevin White, Darrius Heywood-Bey just to name a few

Belichick is not the type of guy to keep a player based on where they are drafted after year one.

He usually goes with who he thinks will help the team most & I don’t see that being Thornton who had yet to demonstrate Tony Simmons type of production

 

[rkarp1]

I do not see Belichick picking Thornton over Boutte.

Boutte played at a much higher level in college & has already showed he knows how to find the endzone

Thornton is a guy with blazing speed, poor footwork & lack of strength who struggles to get open.

I have seen a million speedsters do nothing in the NFL, Phillip Dorsett, John Ross, Kevin White, Darrius Heywood-Bey just to name a few

Belichick is not the type of guy to keep a player based on where they are drafted after year one.

He usually goes with who he thinks will help the team most & I don’t see that being Thornton who had yet to demonstrate Tony Simmons type of production

ooooof. using the SImmons card is really a shot at Thornton, but you could be right.
similar catch % between the two
Simmons with 6 career td's over 3 seasons with sporadic playing time

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Simmons did show up big in that crucial ultra cold Tits playoff game.

 

[203Pat]

Is there some report out there Boutte won't make the team? At this point I think we end up with:

Smith-Schuster
Parker
Bourne
Douglas
Bouttte
Thornton to IR

Finally have some young guys with some promise at receiver and it would be insane to cut one.

 

[mgteich]

I disagree with the idea that BB won't carry 6 WR AND Slater. He's done so in the past.
There will likely be some finagling at the cutdowns much like they've done before with Ferentz and Murray and others. Where they cut players whom they believe no one will grab. Make moves the next day to place players on the In-Season IR and then re-sign players they cut to refill the spaces. Hell, they did it one year with FOLK and people spazzed out that we didn't have a kicker.

Yes, we can keep anyone off waivers. As you say, we can waive players who are a lock lnowing that no one wants them, and then sign that player within the week, after playing a plyer of two on in-season IR for 4-6 weeks.

The 53 man roster at cutdown will change a lot in the next week or two after the cutdown

So, sure, we can carry 6 or even 7 (Cunningham).
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The REAL question is the players on the 53 on Game 1 and Game 2. So, sure, we could have Boutte on the 53, and put Thornton on in-season IR. Boutte could even be our inactive #5 WR for 4-6 weeks.

We NEED four WR's for the team. With Douglas being a PR, all would be active each week. The OPEN question is which developmental WR's to have on the 53, unlikely to ever play, or to play only with a couple of injuries.
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MY BOTTOM LINE
I'm OK with using a roster spot for a developmental player or two for the full season. Boutte is indeed a potential starter.