Vrabel’s ‘See It For Yourself’ Philosophy Has Paid Dividends with Patriots WR Boutte

That’s exactly what he did, and it was evident during the preseason that Boutte’s place on the team was becoming more and more clear.

“It feels like they want him to succeed,” said NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry during an appearance last summer on Zolak and Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub.  “I mean, he’s consistently done a good job. He’s not making wow-you kinds of plays on a regular basis out here, but I think he’s doing everything right, the little things. I think he’s matured as a player, and my understanding is, he’s matured as a person.”

“It’s hard to believe that, guys, he’s actually a little bit younger than both Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk, even though he’s got a full extra year in the league than those guys. I think they think there’s more upside there with him than there is with somebody like Kendrick Bourne, who, to me, if you didn’t know his name was Kendrick Bourne, based on what he’s done out here at camp, Zo, I don’t think anybody would have him on a 53-man roster projection right now.”

By the time the dust settled, it was Bourne who was out, as was Ja’Lynn Polk.  Bourne was granted his release at the end of camp after nothing panned out in terms of a trade, while Polk suffered an injury setback, and the team opted to simply move on.   They sent the former second-round selection to New Orleans in exchange for future draft picks, clearing the room for the guys who could help them this season.

Boutte ended up being among that last group standing, and the decision definitely paid dividends.  He went out in 2025 and finished with close to the same number of yards (551) on 10 fewer catches with a team-best 16.7 YPC for players with 20 or more receptions.

So far this postseason, his success has continued.  He’s the team’s leading receiver with 141 yards, including 3 catches for 75-yards on Sunday during their win over Houston.

Vrabel talked about Boutte again on Monday, with the coach just incredibly proud of the path he’s taken this year, and he’s been happy to see the way his story has turned out.

“I think that just Kayshon’s growth as a person and as a teammate, really, just seeing him open up since I’ve been here. He’s really trusted Todd Downing and the rest of the receivers,” said Vrabel during his weekly appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show.  “That’s a really good group just from the standpoint that everybody helps, everybody contributes.”

“You saw it again last night,” he added.  “I do feel I like his competitiveness. That showed up last week. It showed up last night, and I’m happy for him.”

Later that day, Vrabel also said that Boutte’s versatility and his ability to learn have also played a big role in his success.  He added that when he first arrived, he didn’t have any preconceived notions of who Boutte was as a person, and after everything he’s seen, Boutte is “exactly” the type of player he wants in their locker room.

“Probably just his versatility,” he said when asked where he’s seen Boutte develop this year.  “I think he’s an easy learner, could play a bunch of different spots if we asked him to. But also, I wasn’t around Kayshon before this year, so I don’t have anything to go off of. I just know that he’s very unselfish, that he makes the most of his opportunities, seems to be and has been a highly competitive player.  Doesn’t say a whole lot, does his work, has always been accountable, and is where he needs to be when he needs to be there.”

“You notice his actions. You don’t necessarily hear him. That’s just his personality. But you could certainly see that his identity when he plays is exactly what we want.”

Boutte has already been big this postseason, with Sunday night being another example.  He hauled in one of the biggest catches of the night, snagging a 32-yard one-handed touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter that put New England up by two scores at 28-16 with 12:58 left in the game.

That turned out to be the play of the game, and after Vrabel talked last week about the fact it would come down to someone making a big play, it ended up being Boutte who did just that.

“We talk all week about staying aggressive. I think you could say that was one of the plays that we did decide to take a shot,” said Boutte during an interview with the media on Monday.  “Early in that drive, we tried to back shoulder. We got the pass interference call, so we went right back at it. Shout out to Drake on the throw. Shout out for him being confident.  The O-Line blocking, just making a play.”

“We knew, like Vrabe’s talked about, it’s all going to come down to somebody making a play. And I think at that point in the game, it was 21-16, and we needed a play.”

For a player who seemed to have so many questions before this season, based on rumors, his actions all year have definitely proven otherwise.

In the meantime, it’s been an incredible run for Boutte, who has definitely been a big key to the Patriots’ success through two postseason games. While he’s gotten a lot of recognition after Sunday’s performance, he knows the job isn’t finished.  He’s instead still focused on the task at hand, which will hopefully see the team get another win this Sunday out in Denver.

“Yeah, it’s hard to get back to everybody,” said Boutte when asked about all the text messages he’s received since Sunday.  “But I think just try not to get too high, too low. We still got another game this week, focused on Denver. Then hopefully we advance to the Super Bowl, and then we’re there.”