Patriots targeted Reed before Boutte deal, Wolf reveals

Patriots EVP of player personnel Eliot Wolf said New England identified safety Jaylen Reed as a potential acquisition and had followed him since the draft, even as the team traded Kayshon Boutte to the Texans. Wolf indicated Reed was a player the Patriots wanted to add after evaluating his playoff performance with Houston, and he stressed there’s no concern about trading Boutte to a potential playoff rival—the full impact will be assessed after the season.