Kayshon Boutte Has Deserved Reaction To Making Patriots Roster

Few believed Kayshon Boutte would stick with the Patriots. We certainly doubted the sixth-round pick's ability to make it through a summer in New England and land a roster spot.

Boutte once was a top receiver prospect but his LSU career ended with disappointing performance and concerns about coachability and work ethic. The rookie then dealt with injuries throughout spring practices and, when he was on the field, mostly was invisible.

But training camp was a different story. After a slow start, Boutte improved every day -- impressing Bill Belichick along the way -- and eventually earned a spot on the Patriots' 53-man roster. Boutte deserves a ton of credit -- and he knows it.

"It feels great," Boutte told MassLive's Mark Daniels on Tuesday when asked about making the roster. "I feel like everybody doubted me. "Things you see online and everything like that. I tried not to focus on it and get better as a player. I feel like throughout my time, I feel like (I improved)."

Boutte, who's soft-spoken, added: "I mean, it's a good feeling. You know, coming in day in and day out -- knowing that you're fighting for a spot. I feel great."

Boutte is a great story. There's no denying that.

However, expectations should be tempered. The explosion he showed early in his LSU career still hasn't returned, regardless of what the Ryan Clarks of the world want to say. Boutte lacks high-end speed and burst, and at this point looks like little more than a possession receiver.

Could he regain his prior form after a year with NFL strength and conditioning coaches? Perhaps. But for now, his athleticism doesn't stand out.

That said, Boutte might get an opportunity to make an immediate impact. With Tyquan Thornton landing on injured reserve, Boutte immediately slots in as the fifth receiver on a receiver depth chart that's loaded with question marks and injury history.

The Patriots will begin their season Sept. 10 at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.