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FOXBOROUGH - Kayshon Boutte said he’s trying to avoid getting “lost in the sauce.”
That was his catch-all expression for trade rumors, having to play behind A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, and being in a contract year wanting to post big numbers to score a lucrative contract.
Amid all the sauce, Boutte is trying to remain focused and put his best foot forward in Patriots training camp.
Thus far, it’s mission accomplished. His chemistry with Drake Maye has been on full display since the start of camp. He is clearly Maye’s favorite long-ball receiver. He constantly delivers when Maye airs it out.
Because of their special connection, it makes sense for the Patriots to keep Boutte, and not surrender him for little in exchange.
It behooves them to forget the logjam at receiver and make it work.
Boutte wants to stay, but also knows it might not be in his best interest to remain in New England, especially if his role is diminished with Brown and Doubs now in the fold and his chance to put up better numbers falls by the wayside.
He’s in the final year of his rookie deal. Understandably, he’s looking for that payday.
He’d be in position to get that with Maye throwing him the football, but he might not get much of a chance this season playing behind Brown and Doubs.
So Boutte is caught in a Catch-22.
In some ways, so are the Patriots.
They want Maye to have the best weapons around him. They can’t assume Brown and Doubs will click with Maye like Boutte does. They also know Boutte would serve as an insurance policy should Brown get hurt.
With him in a contract year, however, and a logjam at receiver, a trade comes into play.
There have been rumors flying around much of the offseason.
According to a source, Boutte, seeing the direction the receiver room was headed, requested a trade as far back as April. But the Patriots haven’t been able to get the best bang for their buck.
One report suggested the most the Patriots could get in return was a fifth or sixth-round pick.
That’s not good enough. It would be crazy to just give him away. If they’re going to deal him, the Patriots should be blown away by the return.
So for now, Boutte remains, and could stick around quite awhile longer. Or, some team, desperate for receiver help, will eventually make the Patriots an offer they can’t refuse.
Boutte knows the drill. He’s just trying to make the best of a difficult situation.
“I think my attitude, I mean, we all hear a lot of the stuff that’s going on,” Boutte said following Thursday’s first padded training camp practice. “My main focus is just I’m here. I’m here today, if I’m somewhere else next week, or the week after, that’s kind of what it is. That’s part of the business. I’m taking every day, day-by-day, not thinking about what’s next.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel makes no secret of the fact he likes Boutte. At the same time, he understands the dynamics at play.
“He’s very professional, ready to go, knows what to do and takes advantage of his opportunities,” Vrabel said Thursday. “It’s been great to see him show up and be productive early in camp, just as he was last year. I have a lot of respect for him, and I’ve told him that. I’m excited he’s gotten off to a good start.”
Asked about his depth in the receiver room, and the team’s willingness to move one of the players if needed, Vrabel was pragmatic.
His answer, however, didn’t close the door on making a move.
“Well, I love having depth, but I would say that we’re always going to try to look to improve, whether that’s by adding draft capital, obtaining a player or keeping the guys we have,” Vrabel said.
“We want to try to provide competition throughout the roster at each position. I think that’s something that’s critical. I think that’s what good teams do every year, year in and year out, that they’re making the roster as competitive as possible.”
The Patriots aren’t likely to keep seven receivers. With a group that now features Brown, Doubs, Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism, someone is going to draw the short straw.
Most assumed it would be Boutte. But with the way he started camp, that’s no longer a given.
Would Boutte be okay staying?
“Regardless of where I’m at, I still gotta prove (how good I am) … every year I’ve been proving it,“ he said. ”I feel like everybody says a lot of stuff and it backfires. Kind of the story of my life."
It’s a story that bears watching in the coming weeks and months.
Thursday marked the first day Boutte didn’t register a catch during competitive periods. He had basically been the star the first four days of camp.
With Christian Gonzalez marking him Thursday in the red zone, catches were harder to come by.
Still, it’s hard to ignore his rapport with Maye and big-play ability.
“Confidence comes from making plays,” Boutte said. “You make plays. You just gotta keep on making them.”
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