3 Patriots who should be cut after preseason Week 1

Patriots Week 1 preseason cut candidate No. 1: Kayshon Boutte, WR

Another offensive Pats player? You bet.

Admittedly, it may be a little too early to call time of death on this young buck. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, a sixth-round pick this past April, has hardly had enough time to get his feet wet.

The LSU product recorded two catches on two targets for 7 yards against Houston. We’re less concerned about his production than we are about how long he was out there on the field. His direct competition, fellow rookie Demario Douglas got the starter treatment on Thursday night, playing just a few snaps between offense and special teams. Boutte took many more snaps than Douglas, usually a bad sign for his perceived position on the depth chart.

Assuming the Pats roster five wideouts into 2023, there’s only space for Boutte or Douglas, not both.

Boutte had an acrobatic one-handed grab during training camp practice and needed to continue to impress for the Pats to justify keeping six wide receivers. We’d give Boutte a few more chances to prove his value in the coming weeks, but after Week 1 of preseason, it seems clear he’s taking a backseat to Douglas. There’s always the practice squad…