Patriots Player Departure Patriots are sending WR Kayshon Boutte to the Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a draft pick

[mgteich]

I don't know if he didn't trust Pop per se but I think it had more to do with Drake having a preference for the big play- which comes from in part the trust he had in Boutte to make them.

Douglas is a good #4/#5 WR.

 

[Uptown]

 

[Ross12]

So essentially, they really like Reed and this was basically a player swap. It'll ultimately come down to what Boutte does this year vs. what Reed does for the next 3 years.

 

[Rob0729]

My point was that you are exaggerating a perception of him being a head case when no one thought about or identified him as such. Only now that he’s traded. What your reason is for mentioning that appears to me as you piling it on to justify a decisions.

That the Patriots basically didn’t want to pay him or thought they had better players is the reason, right or wrong. Remains to be seen.

Agree to disagree, indeed.

You quit in training camp your rookie season and have to be talked down. That is a head case. I'm sorry it is. You get the opportunity of a lifetime and you go to the GM and walk away?

But I am done.

 

[Rob0729]

So essentially, they really like Reed and this was basically a player swap. It'll ultimately come down to what Boutte does this year vs. what Reed does for the next 3 years.

Well, there is a chance that the Texans give Boutte an extension. I tend to doubt it because Boutte sees himself as a starter and I don't think the Texans will see that past this year with Higgins coming back with two years left on his deal.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Creed is a champion. Like his father, Apollo. Reed, on the other hand, is not a champion, unlike perhaps incoming safety Reed Blankenship, or the First Reed (see what I did there,) Ed Reed, peace be upon him. WTF is it with "Reed" and that position?

Tell me one more time how we're not living in a simulation...

Anyway, if Reed is this secret superstar, it's a genius move. If, as is more likely, he just completes a desperate strategy to mask a deficiency, we're underestimating the eventual need for WR depth (every effin' year) because the need feels so urgent right now, and because (once again) Boutte feels to them like nothing special.

Oh well. Crowded WR room. We'll all live.

Who the hell said he was a superstar? It could well be that Reed was a prospect they liked in the 25' draft and the Patriots decided taking a player now that they could develop as a big nickel safety made more sense than a 5th round pick in the draft. One thing is certain however, and is that 99% of those crapping in this deal have never seen him play, and are talking out of their asses, as usual.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Douglas is a good #4/#5 WR.

Agree.

 

[Kdo5]

You quit in training camp your rookie season and have to be talked down. That is a head case. I'm sorry it is. You get the opportunity of a lifetime and you go to the GM and walk away?

But I am done.

20 something y/o is emotional and passionate about his ability and reacts accordingly amidst an appalling operation. Many players have big egos even when they aren’t proven especially at that position.

KB thought he deserved playing time, he did deserve playing time. Perhaps phrased it in an unproductive manner but you can forgive a rookie aged kid IMO.

You’re done though and I guess I am too. I appreciate your posts, regardless.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Who the hell said he was a superstar? It could well be that Reed was a prospect they liked in the 25' draft and the Patriots decided taking a player now that they could develop as a big nickel safety made more sense than a 5th round pick in the draft. One thing is certain however, and is that 99% of those crapping in this deal have never seen him play, and are talking out of their asses, as usual.

The point wasn't to go after you, it was to think through what they were thinking.

I'd love it if the idea is that he can bring something more than a JAG.

It's lovely to be playing that guessing game.

It's also true that a player who's shown he can survive at the NFL level is a better bet than a random 5th rounder, so that's a decent point. We do overvalue draft picks vs. people who've actually proven themselves.

(Like Boutte too, ironically)

 

[jimnance]

If Boutte was going to walk regardless this offseason, and Reed becomes this and the 1-2-3 at receiver performs as expected, this can work out fine.

That's a lot of big shaky ifs

 

[50-yard-line]

Personally, I hate this trade - personally. Boutte became a binkie for me. I like the kid and hope he excels. My expectation is that he'll have a long career moving chains and making some circus catches for TDs. He's a highlight reel kind of kid, and should be at least a good number 3 in this league.

But no, he's nowhere as good as AJ Brown and I'll be shocked if he ever nears that level. There's a reason so many, including me, were salivating for Brown in the first round coming out of college.

And no, Boutte's not better than Doubs as a possession WR. I suspect the reason Boutte didn't get more targets even last year when Maye clearly had a vibe with him was because Boutte doesn't get separation. Doubs does, because Doubs runs sharper routes, by a lot, at least from what I've seen.

Is it a good football trade for the Patriots? I don't know. I like Reed - liked him at Pitt - but we'll see on his development. Boutte could have helped this year, likely, but he wasn't going to get the targets to make him happy, barring injury to Brown or Doubs, or maybe even both. And unless something totally unexpected happened, like a major leap from the guy, there's just no way the Pats could pay him next year. You don't pay your Number 3 WR $15m+, and even if Boutte had surpassed Doubs on the depth chart, well, their number 3 would be getting that if they both remained.

I think they like Douglas a lot more than many here (including me) do - but everyone is saying he came back to camp much improved, and they didn't play him in the two games, so I guess the staff agrees. And Hollins adds a lot more than just his catches. They'll be no distractions with this crew of receivers (unless Brown does something stupid).

As for Williams...I have no book on him at this point. I'm not sure he's going to get much action this year, by the way. People are talking about him breaking out, etc., but the depth chart at this point, to my eyes, is: Brown/Doubs/Douglas/Hollins with Chism and Williams roleplaying. There's a reason DeVito was throwing to Williams and not Pop.

But we'll see.

Really hoping or a Daquan Jones signing this week. Can't get bullied like they were last game!

 

[WhatJustHappened]

These are the players they took between Woodson and when Reed was drafted:
- Joshua Farmer
- Bradyn Swinson
- Andres Borregales

So they would've had to take a second safety, Reed, instead of one of these players. I think these players at these positions were probably higher on their priority list than another safety, even if they might've liked Reed more (hypothetically).

Hopefully Swinson can even find the field this year.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Reed's rookie season was a lot better than Boutte's rookie season. Boutte looks like the better player because he's been in the league 3 times longer. Reed may also be a decent role player/starting caliber player this year/next year.

And they were willing to give this stud away for a chump 4th/5th WR...

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Wolfie got bent over the table with his pants around his ankles.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

A slot receiver like Pop should’ve seen way more targets. I think Drake is an elite QB who finds the open man and the guys he trusts. Pop was like 5th or 6th on that list.

That could change this season but that’s what I saw last season during his MVP run.

Pop kept running past his spot from what I saw.

 

[Ross12]

Hopefully Swinson can even find the field this year.

Not saying Swinson was a home run by any stretch of the imagination at this point, but considering they had already drafted Woodson at that time and in light of existing team needs, it made more sense to take a swing on Swinson than to draft a second safety.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Hopefully Swinson can even get directions to the field, and Reed can help.
That's how I feel about it at this point.

 

[mgteich]

So essentially, they really like Reed and this was basically a player swap. It'll ultimately come down to what Boutte does this year vs. what Reed does for the next 3 years.

No.

It comes down to how much Boutte would have contributed to the patriots this year vs. what Reed doesfor the next 3 years, plus a couple of million in cap money,

 

[TheRainMaker]

The bullseye is on Doubs' back. The only FA WR that has ever had a massive jump in production and became a All Pro type WR with McDaniels as OC in NE was Welker.

Stallworth was supposed to be the FA prize and Welker was just a complimentary piece. He took a backseat to both Moss and Welker. He was viewed as a disappointment and the Pats declined his option in 2008.

LaFell and Reche Caldwell had a decent jump in the stat column, but Caldwell was pretty ineffective and was targeted by default. LaFell had his dropsies and was released in 2016.

The rest all stayed the same such as Amendola, Cooks, Hogan, Lloyd, Agholor and Bourne.

 

[Wozzy]

Everybody would like more money. He'll have more money with his next contract. So sure.

Finally, common ground and common sense.

Either way, I don't think the trade surprised anybody.



See I didn't see his, Wolf's, or Vrabes' press conference on it. I saw it reported in the sports media but not sourced... sort of "sources say" stuff. Again, I'm not shocked and I doubt Boutte is. I'm still not 100% sure who wanted the divorce, but what's important at this point is we don't have to somehow pay him alimony

You think it’s fake news when the Patriots traded for Brown, signed Doubs with money Boutte thinks was his that he wanted out?

Is that really hard to believe?

More like, might have thought he could work in with the existing group. Doubs and Brown have been there a while. The point isn't that he'd be a no. 1 or 2 WR., but that he'd be a no. 3 receiver. this year, for no. 3 money. And WRs get hurt.

He wouldn’t be #3. That was the problem… and regardless of position…. he still wanted a new contract and didn’t want to play without one.

Look, someone was going to be gone. I thought we'd lose either Chism or Williams. Looks like there's faith that we have a path forward inside and outside. Or maybe we only want to keep 5.

The receivers coming up behind Boutte were better, younger, cheaper.

Ok. Tell me what other starting receiver was traded for a guy with this thin a resume and a 7 not in the upcoming draft. but in the next year's draft. The point isn't WAHHHHH KEEP MY BINKIE, it's more like "how low can you go."

There’s a bunch of guys starting who shouldn’t be.

They were going to cut somebody. I didn't have the conversations with Pats management or see their press release on who.

They traded Boutte for an old kicking tee and a pack of sweat socks, it was never in doubt who.

Not to get testy, but you have trouble with statements like "If anything, he is more proven after three years of good performance."

No, I just don’t think 500+ yards receiving is anything to write home about.

It's not so much just that I type a lot. It's also that you don't have patience for reading.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

A victim of the new age, I'm afraid. A better attribution would be that I naturally enjoy the language that appears to pose such an impediment to you.

It’s not an impediment, it’s too wordy.

It's absolutely legit to call into question the trade value the team received in exchange for Boutte -- Or Boutte's contract., if you like.

Sure… but many here had silly expectations.

We got bupkes, based on the knowns. I am assuming that our side sees some value in Reed. That value is an unknown to me. It does not show up in his resume to date. It might show up in our team's evaluation of him.

Both teams traded a player that, if they couldn’t trade him, they were going to cut him. The Pats did pretty well.

But your argument seems to be that we did fine even if Reed sucks.

Vetting degrees of well depending on how good Reed is, they still got a 7th.

Did I miss it, or did you make an argument asserting his value in the trade?

I made up a theoretical scenario to explain why the trade value was lower than you expected.

Or was the argument that the value part was the 7th rounder in 2028?

Value was getting something at all. A highly valued player has a bigger market.

Do you think Reed's good but we don't know it?

Don’t know.

Do you think that a 7th round pick in 2028 is good compensation?

Player and pick are good compensation.

Or do you think we accepted very low value perceiving ourselves to be over a barrel?

I think some Patriot fans severely overrated Boutte.