{"id":84160,"date":"2025-08-28T01:38:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T01:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=84160"},"modified":"2025-08-28T01:38:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T01:38:17","slug":"why-are-the-patriots-keeping-8-receivers-this-roster-decision-is-turning-heads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=84160","title":{"rendered":"Why Are the Patriots Keeping 8 Receivers? This Roster Decision Is Turning Heads"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Keeping 8 receivers highlights one of biggest Patriots roster surprises<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Patriots<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>
New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) celebrates with teammates after his touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo\/Michael Dwyer)AP<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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The Patriots can almost field an entire offense with their receiver room alone.<\/p>\n

It was a bit of a surprise that\u00a0the Patriots 53-man roster\u00a0sports eight receivers.<\/p>\n

Making the team, for now, are: DeMario Douglas, Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism III, Javon Baker and Kendrick Bourne.<\/p>\n

Six seemed like a safe number with an outside chance for seven.<\/p>\n

Keeping eight rarely, if ever, happens.<\/p>\n

Going back as far as 2003, the largest receiver rooms for the Patriots had seven. They had that number in 2008, 2014 and 2019.<\/p>\n

Last year, they kept six.<\/p>\n

Eight doesn\u2019t compute with the norm.<\/p>\n

The obvious keepers were Diggs, Douglas, Boutte, Hollins, and Williams.<\/p>\n

Chism was so good during training camp and the preseason, he had to be kept. That\u2019s six.<\/p>\n

As a receiver, Baker flashed at times, but didn\u2019t fare well in games. He conceivably got a spot on the 53 largely due to his contributions on special teams.<\/p>\n

Bourne, meanwhile, was relegated to second team reps before getting rolled up on during practice, injuring his foot\/ankle. He\u2019s been on the sidelines since the first week in August.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t put on IR, and still managed to gain a spot.<\/p>\n

Will the Patriots keep all eight?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hard to believe they will. The situation appears to be fluid. Patriots might have more wheeling and dealing via trades in the days to come.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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