New England Patriots defensive back Jalen Mills did not hold back when he called out a video tweet by NFL Rookie Watch that came with a caption saying Pats offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien went off on rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte with an NSFW tirade.
“Why post this? Why is this even relevant?” Mills asked. “You would think we should work on building up these young players rather than tear them down before they even start their careers.”
Boutte, who was taken by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft as the class' 87th overall selection, is not expected to be a top option downfield right away for New England. However, it's not an unusual expectation, especially for a player drafted in the later rounds. There will always be struggles for rookies in the NFL, where the competition is many times more talented than in college. Coaches can be harder too on first-year players.
At the same time, it's understandable for a veteran like Mills to come to the defense of Boutte, who could use more encouragement instead of having the experience of getting made fun of on social media by trolls and haters.
Article Continues BelowAt the end of the day, players will be judged based on production and how they handle themselves on and off the field — and even behind the scenes.
Before turning pro, Boutte played three years in college for the LSU Tigers, racking up 1,782 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 131 receptions.
The Patriots currently have DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and JuJu Smith-Schuster in front of Boutte in the wide receiver pecking order in New England.