Who Should I Start? Romeo Doubs or Bucky Irving

Monday, August 24, 11:25 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs already had the No. 2 job, and Monday's Kayshon Boutte trade clears out another player who could have taken outside snaps and downfield targets. New England agreed to send Boutte to Houston for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. Doubs is coming off 55 catches for 724 yards and six touchdowns with Green Bay, and his first Patriots camp has picked up after a slower start. He has made several contested and red-zone catches lately, while A.J. Brown, Doubs and DeMario Douglas have been the regular first-team trio around Drake Maye. Boutte was mostly working behind that group, but he still had 551 yards and six touchdowns last season and gave Maye another proven vertical option. That competition is gone now. Brown remains the clear No. 1 and Douglas should get plenty of slot work, so Doubs is not suddenly headed for massive volume. His place in the offense does look even safer, though. RotoBaller has him at WR53 and 122nd overall in PPR, and the trade gives his late-round flex case another small bump.