Who Should I Start? Kayshon Boutte or Troy Franklin

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.

Thursday, June 12, 9:28 PM

Denver Broncos second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin has had a good offseason, has looked more explosive and added about five pounds, according to head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos took the Oregon product in the fourth round (102nd overall) in last year's draft to pair him with college teammate and quarterback Bo Nix. The slim pass-catcher's chemistry with Nix didn't really translate in Year 1 in the NFL, as he finished with 28 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns on 53 targets over 16 regular-season games (six starts). The No. 2 role behind Courtland Sutton is up for grabs in Denver, with Franklin competing with Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele and rookie Pat Bryant for a bigger role in 2025. The addition of pass-catching tight end Evan Engram won't help. Franklin is worth keeping an eye on in training camp, but for now, he's outside of RotoBaller's top-100 fantasy receivers.