Patriots training camp battles: End of the road for Smith-Schuster, Thornton?

Editor's Note: With training camp kicking off next week, Patriots Insider Phil Perry is highlighting key position battles to watch on the practice fields outside Gillette Stadium. Monday's battle focused on cornerbacks. Next up: wide receivers.

It's been an issue for the offense in New England for multiple years now, and it seems as though it's not going away in 2024. The Patriots still don't have an identifiable game-changer at the receiver position. 

But they aren't completely devoid of talent there. They have loaded the receiver room with rosterable, NFL-caliber pass-catchers.

Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas have shown they can be impactful with their recent performances. K.J. Osborn was signed this offseason after three productive seasons with the Vikings. Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker -- second- and fourth-round picks, respectively -- are likely to land on the 53-man roster as well. 

If all of those players are healthy, that could be the active-roster group when the Patriots close camp. 

But if Bourne needs time to continue to heal from the ACL injury that ended his season in 2023... or if there's another ailment that inhibits one of the other perceived "locks" to make the team... or if the Patriots simply prefer to keep more depth at that position, preventing a player they like from hitting waivers at the end of camp... They could end up keeping another player or two here.

Who has the best shot at rounding out the receiver-room depth chart for new position coach Tyler Hughes? Who has the most to gain with a strong camp, starting next week?

Let's comb through some names.

The favorite

The hierarchy at receiver beyond the five mentioned above is far from clear-cut at the moment. But from this vantage point, Kayshon Boutte is worth mentioning here. 

Boutte recently had underage gambling and computer fraud charges against him dropped, per ESPN, which should help him remain available to the team moving forward. He also happened to be one of the team's most impressive wideouts during minicamp. He reeled in two contested-catch touchdowns from Drake Maye during the two-day mandatory session. 

Boutte had maturity questions follow him into the NFL from his days at LSU. He also dealt with injury in his final collegiate season and did not impress with his athletic testing at the combine in 2023, which contributed to him getting drafted as a sixth-round flier. But he has flashed high-end talent before, leading the Tigers in receiving as a freshman with 735 yards in 10 games. 

If Boutte can build on what was at times an eye-opening spring, he'll have a chance to give the Patriots another option at the bottom of the depth chart come the fall.

The 'remember me?' option

JuJu Smith-Schuster has to be considered here. He said back in the spring that he felt much healthier than he did headed into the 2023 campaign, but there were times during recent Patriots practices when the 6-foot-1, 215-pound veteran looked limited by lower-body discomfort. 

What the 28-year old has going for him in this discussion is that he provides the Patriots with a physical presence at the position. There were times last season when he was blocking linebackers and strong safeties on run plays. He's unafraid to find contact, and he has the frame to hold up when asked to execute some of those early-down responsibilities.

If the Patriots want another big-bodied middle-of-the-field option as one of their depth pieces at this position, Smith-Schuster would likely have a leg up on Boutte (5-foot-11, 197 pounds), Reagor (5-11, 197) or Tyquan Thornton (6-2, 185). 

While the Patriots -- owners of the most cap space in football at the moment, per Over the Cap -- could afford to release Smith-Schuster, they would be eating a significant amount of dead money by making that move. His $7 million base salary is guaranteed for 2024.

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The dark horse

Though Thornton's speed is a rare trait, he hasn't been on the field consistently enough since being selected in the second round in 2022 to warrant solidified-roster-lock status. (He missed one of two mandatory minicamp practices in June.) Perhaps his speed will make him worthy of keeping in 2024 as the team looks to threaten opposing defenses deep down the field.

But there's another specific skill that the Patriots might want to invest in with one of their last receiver spots: Reagor's kick-return ability.

Would they value that narrow role over what Thornton's speed could offer? Or Smith-Schuster's size? Or Boutte's potential? 

These are questions worth asking, particularly with the NFL's new kickoff rules potentially allowing for more explosive-play opportunities. Reagor returned seven kicks last season for 221 yards (an average of 31.6 yards per return), which included one 98-yard return for a score. In 2021, he returned 12 kicks and 36 punts for the Eagles. In 2022, he returned 27 punts for the Vikings.

There's a chance that all return opportunities now go to Marcus Jones -- who's expected to be healthy and available after missing most of 2023 injured -- which may open up the door for Smith-Schuster, Boutte or Thornton to make the team over Reagor.

But if the Patriots like Reagor's potential with the new kickoff rules in place, perhaps he's the under-the-radar receiver who'll be kept as part of the active roster at the end of camp.