Patriots on the Brink of a Massive Free Agency Splash: New England Meeting with Big-Time Free Agent Tonight
The New England Patriots have already had an active offseason. They’ve hired a new head coach in Mike Vrabel, and they made a splash in free agency with multiple big defensive signings.
The Patriots have brought in Milton Williams, Carlton Davis and Robert Spillane on the defensive side of the ball, but the team is reportedly set to meet with a major offensive name on Wednesday night.
According to The Athletic’s Chad Graff, the Patriots are meeting with wide receiver Stefon Diggs in Foxboro.
The Patriots are familiar with Diggs, who was a Pro Bowler for several years with the Buffalo Bills before spending last season with the Houston Texans.
Wide receiver is a key area of need for New England, and Diggs would be a clear No. 1 option for Drake Maye as the young quarterback enters year two.
Diggs was limited to eight games last season after tearing his ACL in October, but he has been one of the best receivers in the NFL when healthy.
The 31-year-old had six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons – including all four years he was in Buffalo – before suffering the injury last year. Diggs led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2020 with the Bills, catching 127 passes for 1,535 yards that season.
Diggs probably wouldn’t be available for Week 1, but the Patriots had one of the league’s worst receiving corps last season and could use the help at any point in the season.
New England’s leading receiver in 2024 was tight end Hunter Henry, who ended the year with 674 yards. The Patriots haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019, and the now-retired Edelman is responsible for three of the team’s four 1,000-yard receiving seasons since 2012.
We’ll see if New England brings Diggs in for the new season, as they look to surround their promising second-year quarterback Drake Maye with more talent.
