Who Should I Start? Jermaine Burton or Kayshon Boutte

Thursday, January 30, 2:42 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton was selected with the No. 80 overall pick (third round) in the 2024 NFL Draft after a strong final season at Alabama. However, the 23-year-old played sparingly in his rookie season and caught just four passes for 107 yards on 14 targets in 14 games. At the Senior Bowl this year, Bengals director of player personnel spoke on Burton's status with the organization. "He's done nothing, and he's going to have to start doing something quickly. We knew we were taking a risk. We felt comfortable that we could help him through some of the challenges he's had in the past, and we're going to continue to try to help him," Tobin said. "But this is professional football, and you have to take accountability, and you have to be accountable to your teammates, your coaches, and the team that you're playing for, and he has to figure that out." Burton notably did not travel with the team for a must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers late in the 2024 campaign and seems to be falling out of favor with the coaching staff and front office quickly. The speedster could be at risk of being released or traded before the next regular season.

Wednesday, April 23, 1:09 PM

With new head coach Mike Vrabel at the helm, the New England Patriots are open to trading players from the previous coaching staff, sources tell FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz, and one name to watch is wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. The former LSU wideout will turn 23 in May and had 43 catches for 589 yards and three touchdowns on 68 targets over 15 games (13 starts) in his second year in the NFL. The Patriots selected the 22-year-old pass-catcher in the sixth round (187th overall) in the 2023 NFL draft. Boutte only had two catches on seven targets for 19 yards in his rookie campaign in five games played in New England, and although receiver is a position of need for the organization despite the fact that added Stefon Diggs this offseason, it sounds like Boutte is expendable. Even if Boutte isn't traded, expect the Patriots to address their receiver depth in this week's NFL draft.