Patriots have a 7-WR problem

1 hour ago 2

The New England Patriots have a good problem.

They have too many good wide receivers.

At the moment, there are seven guys that seem like they should make the final roster:

A.J. Brown
Romeo Doubs
Kayshon Boutte
Mack Hollins
DeMario Douglas
Kyle Williams
Efton Chism III

Teams generally don't keep seven wideouts on the 53-man roster, though. Something might have to give.

"Teams usually keep five or six receivers on the initial 53-man roster, although seven isn't totally out of the question," ESPN's Mike Reiss wrote in a new article on Sunday. "An unexpected injury could always thin the ranks before the 2026 season opens Sept. 9 in Seattle, and a possible Boutte trade has been rumored."

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The problem, if it's even fair to call it that, comes because the Patriots chose to double down on high-end WR acquisitions this offseason.

Yes, they cut Stefon Diggs, but then they signed Doubs in free agency from the Packers. And even with Doubs aboard, they then traded for Brown from the Eagles.

The Boutte trade rumors will likely persist even if there isn't a lot of depth to them, because the numbers just don't quite add up here.

Drake Maye probably wouldn't complain about having so many good options, but at some point, overall roster balance has to matter, too.

It'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out in New England.