Patriots EVP Eliot Wolf has ‘no concern’ about trading Kayshon Boutte to AFC contender Houston | Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates

After months of a trade request from Boutte’s camp, it had become clear the club would likely move on from the wideout, who was entering the final year of his contract. As Boutte’s play continued to impress during camp, however, there was pushback over whether a club battling to get back to the Super Bowl should part with a player of his caliber, despite the additions of Brown and Doubs.

The return for Boutte was underwhelming, with the Patriots receiving backup safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. Clearly the market wasn’t there.

Wolf also rejected the critique that the Pats helped fill a WR void on a club they could face come January.

“No, there was no concern about that, and I don’t think there was any concern for them to send us a safety that we think can play,” he said of trading with an AFC contender in Houston.

Wolf harped on the addition of Reed, noting that he was a player the club had targeted before the 2025 NFL Draft. During his rookie campaign, Reed played very sparingly on defense during the regular season, taking 73 total snaps on D (55 in one game). In the seven games he participated, most of his reps came on special teams. That changed in the playoffs, when Reed played north of 80% of the defensive snaps in each of Houston’s two postseason tilts.

“Jaylen was a guy that we identified in the draft process as someone that we might pick, and he ended up going before we could take him,” Wolf said. “We followed his career last year with Houston and thought it was pretty remarkable that, as a rookie who hadn’t played much during the regular season, they trusted him enough to play the majority of the playoff games.

“We just continued to follow him, and when we determined that he might be available, he was someone that we wanted to acquire.”

Reed will initially step in as a box/slot safety behind starters Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson, helping improve the wanting depth on the defensive side of the ball.