The New England Patriots will look a lot different next season.
Mike Vrabel has brought his philosophy to the Patriots front office. Eliot Wolf has done a nice job of beefing up the New England defense. Vrabel loves to win in the trenches, which extends to both sides of the football. The offensive line has been a mess in Foxboro for too long. Vrabel, presumably, will look to change that.
New England beefing up its O-line and D-line is a smart strategy, but they can't lose sight of the skill positions. Drake Maye looks the part of a franchise cornerstone at quarterback; he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, stepping into a desperately mediocre offense and consistently elevating the patchwork roster around him.
Next up is giving Maye real support. More time in the pocket would be a nice start, but the 21-year-old also needs dependable wideouts to throw to. New England's WR room ranks among the very worst in football. DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, and Kayshon Boutte are all serviceable pass-catchers, and it's too early to give up hope on Ja'Lynn Polk. But, at the end of the day, none of them are game-breaking, No. 1 wideouts. The Patriots need an explosive playmaker to open up the field and give Maye a go-to target under pressure.
It seems like New England may have found one on the cheap — and he comes with a side of clean, old-fashioned revenge against a division foe.
Patriots host Stefon Diggs for workout in effort to improve WR room around Drake Maye
New England met with veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs this week, per Chad Graff of The Athletic.
Veteran WR Stefon Diggs is in Foxboro to meet with the #Patriots, per @ChadGraff.
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) March 20, 2025
Diggs, who suffered a torn ACL, is recovering at a rapid pace and would instantly improve the wide receiver room.pic.twitter.com/Ukd34ACiIa
Diggs, 31, appeared in eight games for the Houston Texans last season before a torn ACL ended his campaign. He reeled in 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards per reception. It was not a seamless transition into Houston's talent-laden offense, but Diggs looked the part of an impact wideout before the injury.
Now he's on the fast track to recovery and clearly on New England's radar. More than a talented pass-catcher with years of valuable experience, Diggs would give the Patriots something else — a chance to exact revenge on their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
Diggs' departure from Buffalo in 2024 was unceremonious. That was always a volatile relationship, with Diggs prone to emotional displays of disappointment when the Bills underperformed. He was also extremely productive, however, earning four straight Pro Bowl appearances as Josh Allen's undisputed favorite target.
It's a two-way street: Diggs probably wants to remind the Bills of what they're missing, and the Pats want to gain ground in the AFC East. New England won't knock Buffalo off its pedestal next season, but even making it close — putting the Pats in the Wild Card mix — would be a huge accomplishment for this new coaching staff. Diggs would help a lot: Assuming he's even 80 percent of what he was before the injury, Diggs supplies a physicality and route-running precision the Pats' WR room presently lacks.
Watching Diggs line up against the Buffalo defense twice per season would be odd, especially for the Bills fandom. Unfortunately for Bills Mafia, Diggs is a natural fit in Foxboro. New England needs a steady, proven weapon to ease the constant pressure on Maye. Diggs can make the tough catches and dominate on routes closer to the line of scrimmage, whether he is the Patriots' main wideout or simply part of a large puzzle.