Which position groups do the New England Patriots need to overhaul in 2025? Wide receiver might be at the top of the list.
The Patriots have arguably the worst receiver room in the NFL. Their most productive wideout, DeMario Douglas, ranks 64th in the NFL with 587 receiving yards, while fellow 2023 sixth-round pick Kayshon Boutte is their only other receiver with more than 300 yards on the season (472). Veteran Kendrick Bourne is averaging 26.6 yards per game; K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton were released midseason; and the rookie duo of Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker has 12 catches for 87 yards combined (all coming from Polk).
Suffice it to say, changes should be made, whether that's pursuing a high-profile wideout like Tee Higgins in free agency or landing a top receiver prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
So, if new blood comes in, which of the current receivers could be on the way out?
Patriots Insider Phil Perry offered his take on who stays and who goes in New England's receiver room on Wednesday's episode of Arbella Early Edition, starting with a look at two players who should be on the team in 2025.
"I think you're bringing back Pop Douglas," Perry said. "He's still on that rookie contract. He's still a relatively productive player in a room that completely lacks production.
"I think you probably bring back Kayshon Boutte. I think you like, for the most part, what he's brought to the table. It's not perfect, and I think you're always going to be managing him in some way, shape, or form. But as a fourth receiver, not bad to have."
As for whose jobs could be in jeopardy?
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"I'm not sure Javon Baker is long for this roster," Perry said. "He's a fourth-round pick. You'd like to see him stick around; he is showing you nothing as a rookie. Ja'Lynn Polk, to me, based on the way this year has gone, has to be sort of a roster bubble guy for next year.
"I also would look at Kendrick Bourne. I know people love Kendrick Bourne; I love Kendrick Bourne's personality and I think he's in some ways really good for that locker room. But he has an issue with being in the right place at the right time and doing so consistently.
"He's still under contract, but you could get out of it. You can actually save yourself some cap dollars. I wouldn't be surprised if that ended up being what happens next year."
Parting ways with both Polk and Baker in 2025 would be a massive admission of guilt by Eliot Wolf and the Patriots' front office after using second- and fourth-round picks, respectively, on the young wideouts. But if New England brings in new talent and neither player shows significant development during training camp and the preseason, the Patriots may be forced to cut their losses.
Bourne might be easier to cut ties with; he just signed a three-year, $19 million contract extension this past offseason but has a potential out in 2025 and would save the Patriots $6.5 million in cap space if he's released or traded after June 1.
If the Patriots part with an established veteran in Bourne or a recent draft pick in Polk or Baker, that would mean they've added significant receiver talent from outside the organization, which would be welcome after the team's glaring lack of production in 2024.
