Patriots Rejected Trade Interest in $8.4 Million Ex-Buffalo Bills WR Before A.J. Brown Injury: Report

The New England Patriots had another opportunity to refashion their congested wide receiver room before the season.

This time, they declined, luckily doing so without knowing A.J. Brown 's injury was coming in the future.

Sports Illustrated 's Albert Breer revealed on 98.5 The Sports Hub that an NFL team showed interest in Mack Hollins several weeks before the Patriots ultimately traded Kayshon Boutte .

"Four or five weeks ago," an unnamed team contacted Breer about whether New England would consider moving Hollins, Breer explained on Sept. 10.

Breer brought up Boutte as a possible alternative. The interested team indicated it would rather have Hollins, according to Breer, who then checked on Hollins' availability with the Patriots.

The revelation adds more context to the Patriots' late-summer decision-making at receiver. They eventually sent Boutte to the Houston Texans , but Hollins remained in Foxborough — and one game into the season, that choice already is of import.

Patriots Chose Hollins Over Another Potential Trade

Boutte's departure became official Aug. 24, when New England dealt him to Houston for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick.

The Patriots had created a numbers crunch by adding A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs during the offseason. Boutte, meanwhile, had been the subject of trade speculation well before training camp.

Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf later pointed to the variety within the receiver room when explaining the move.

"We feel really good about our receiver group," Wolf said, via NFL.com , adding that New England valued receivers who could fill different positions, block and contribute on special teams.

Head coach Mike Vrabel offered an even clearer explanation after the trade.

He said Boutte likely would have been inactive without injuries elsewhere on the roster because he didn't contribute on special teams.

New England ended up keeping Hollins, Brown, Doubs, DeMario Douglas , Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III on its initial 53-man roster. The Patriots' roster analysis described the position as loaded after the offseason overhaul.

Breer's latest information suggests Hollins was viewed differently around the league, too. At least one club preferred the veteran to Boutte when presented with both possibilities.

Hollins' Value Becomes Clear After A.J. Brown Injury

Keeping Hollins could become particularly important after one week.

The 32-year-old led New England with four catches for 51 yards during its 13-10 season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks .

Hollins is coming off a productive first season in New England in which he caught 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. He started 13 contests and became a steady piece of the offense during the Patriots' run to Super Bowl LX.

Brown exited the opener with an ankle injury, and NFL Network reported he is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain. Vrabel said Thursday that Brown will undergo additional testing and acknowledged his availability going forward is uncertain, via the Patriots , but the most recent update notes a high ankle sprain with an 4-week timeline "at least."

That leaves Hollins as an increasingly vital target for Drake Maye as New England sorts through Brown's status.

So, the Patriots' refusal now looks consequential, which gives more context to why Boutte, instead of Hollins, became the receiver they moved.

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