The Houston Texans have traded for wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. The Texans sent safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots in the deal. The Ringer was the first to report.
Boutte is entering the final year of his rookie deal and coming off his best season. He hauled in 33 catches for 551 yards and six touchdowns. He added another nine catches, 168 yards, and a touchdown in the playoffs. His 16.7 yards per reception were fourth among regularly playing wideouts last year. Boutte lined up outside for the Patriots in an offensive system similar to the one the Texans currently run.
Boutte has had plenty of success against the Texans. He played Houston in the regular season in 2024 and this past postseason. In those games, he combined for six catches, 134 yards, and two touchdowns. He’s had a lot of success against fellow LSU product Derek Stingley Jr. That’s not something many players can claim.
The price of the trade isn’t high. Reed was a fine depth piece and is young, but he wasn’t starting this season. Reed Blankenship was added in free agency to start at safety. Kamari Ramsey’s emergence in camp has helped with safety depth. Veteran safety M.J. Stewart should return from an injury at some point. Reed’s departure isn’t costly.
The season-ending injury to Jayden Higgins put the Texans in a tough spot. They were going to lean on Higgins as the main player opposite Nico Collins. His injury created a void that was difficult to fill. Tank Dell is nowhere near ready to help. Jaylin Noel got a slow start to training camp with a couple of injuries. Noel also is more of an inside presence. Xavier Hutchinson and Justin Watson haven’t shown tremendous potential as options to replace Higgins.
The Texans added a couple of veterans over the weekend, but the likelihood of Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard helping was low. Both have struggled to impact their teams in recent years.
Hutchinson had been the recipient of most of the reps vacated by Higgins. Boutte will cut into that, but Hutchinson is a better blocker. The Texans value that skill from their receivers.
It also re-ignites the debate about keeping six or seven wideouts. It feels like a team deep enough elsewhere that keeping seven wide receivers could be difficult. Lewis Bond and Jared Wayne are back in a fight for a roster spot.
Boutte was one of the few players that could make an immediate difference. His addition at this price is an easy decision for the Texans. It regains some of the explosiveness they lost. The price wasn’t too steep. An excellent move to beef up an area of need.
