The New England Patriots rolled the dice on a trouble-making veteran coming off a major injury. Stefon Diggs had a decent first year in Foxborough, but he went missing in action when it mattered the most, leaving him with an uncertain future as the offseason begins.
The disappearing act and scandals off the field, along with his age, make him a tough sell as a part of the franchise's future. According to Patriots insider Chad Graff of The Athletic, there's a legitimate chance the Patriots will pivot from Diggs this offseason.
"The Patriots want to get better at wide receiver while Drake Maye is still on his affordable rookie contract, and cutting their most productive player at the position doesn’t seem like a natural way to do that. That said, $26.5 million is a hefty cap hit for a receiver who will turn 33 next season," Graff wrote. "Given that contract, one league source expects the Patriots to cut Diggs unless they’re able to dramatically lower his cap hit with a reworked contract."
Patriots Should Start Considering Potential Stefon Diggs Replacements
It's clear that the ball is in Diggs' court. If he's open to taking a paycut/restructure, it seems the Patriots are more than willing to run things back. However, if he doesn't, there's a good chance that someone else will be New England's WR1 come September.
Graff adds that the Patriots could pivot toward guys like Mike Evans and Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency. Of course, Alec Pierce would be a dream target, but the Indianapolis Colts are more than likely to place the franchise tag on him.
Diggs' signing was always a gamble, and the Patriots structured his contract in a way that would allow them to move on if things didn't work out. He played all 17 games and had 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns, which are decent numbers but not worth that much money. They need a true alpha, and he averaged a pedestrian 59.6 receiving yards per game.
There aren't many clear avenues to get better at wide receiver in this particular offseason. There are several WR2 and WR3-caliber options without many true primary pass-catchers. Guys like Marquise Brown, Keenan Allen, and Christian Kirk wouldn't move the needle enough in New England.
Having said that, money shouldn't be an issue for de facto general manager Eliot Wolf if he wants to go big-game hunting.
According to OverTheCap, the Patriots have $42.69 million in available cap space, and they'd have even more money by cutting ties with Diggs. They have other positions to fill and issues to address, but they should still have more than enough cash to spare if they want to target a legitimate WR1, either through free agency or trade.
Maybe the Pats can make a run at the likes of Jauan Jennings or Romeo Doubs, who carry projected market values of $22.6 million and $12 million, respectively, according to Spotrac.
Whatever the case, it's starting to look like Diggs is going to be one-and-done in Foxborough.