The New England Patriots made shockwaves across the NFL on Tuesday night, signing four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract to give Drake Maye a No. 1 target.
While that may feel like an overpay for a 31-year-old coming off an ACL tear, it speaks to how badly the front office wanted to fix the position group. Despite spending four draft picks over the last two years on wideouts, the offense was in desperate need of a proven pass-catcher.
Fans and Maye should be pleased given how much cap space the Patriots had, though it does officially put 2024 second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk on thin ice following a disastrous rookie campaign.
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Patriots WR Ja'Lynn Polk Put on Notice by Stefon Diggs Signing
Not much with New England's offense went right, though Polk's issues were a major talking point throughout the campaign. He caught just 12 of 33 targets for 87 yards and two TDs, dropping four passes as Maye had just a 52.5 passer rating when targeting him.
The former Washington Huskies star was often put in bad positions, leading the NFL in contested target rate at a whopping 35%. Now that defenses will have to focus on stopping Diggs, Polk should find more room to operate and hopefully, a year of seasoning will improve Maye's accuracy.
That said, if Polk continues to struggle, it'll put a magnifying glass on him. Fans have already compared him to failed former first-rounder N'Keal Harry, and Polk is in danger of being labeled a bust less than two years into your career. When a team drafts you at No. 37 overall, there's an expectation that you'll have more production and there are no more excuses now.
Fellow second-year wideout Javon Baker needs to step up as well, and it's likely that New England will look to add more talent in the room during next month's draft. Regardless, Diggs' arrival signals an intention to compete and transform the on-field product in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first year.
Here's hoping that Diggs can help unlock Polk's potential and serve as a veteran example. If not, Polk's time with the organization could already be nearing its end.