"Besides looking to find their next anchors on the offensive line this offseason, the New England Patriots were on a mission to give Drake Maye his first legitimate WR1 of his NFL career, a player that has evaded the team since Julian Edelman retired four years ago. The Mike Vrabel regime accomplished that by signing Stefon Diggs later than expected, and it wasn't initially met with much praise from analysts or fans,"
"Although there were plenty of doubts surrounding Diggs' fit with the Patriots' offense, he has proven to be the very powerhouse they desperately needed and is on pace for another 1,000+ receiving yard season, the first for the team since Edelman. That could have been the case with a player like Aiyuk, whose 2024 season also ended prematurely due to an ACL injury."
New England prioritized adding an offensive line anchor and a true WR1 to support rookie quarterback Drake Maye after Julian Edelman's retirement. The Mike Vrabel regime signed Stefon Diggs despite his recent ACL recovery, and Diggs has quickly become a dominant target, pacing toward a 1,000+ yard season and providing the first 1,000-yard receiving threat for the team since Edelman. Other pursued options included Brandon Aiyuk, Cooper Kupp, and Calvin Ridley. Aiyuk suffered an ACL tear and has missed 21 games since his extension. Kupp left the Rams for the Seahawks and posted one of his worst statistical seasons. Missing other big-name receivers has proven advantageous given injuries and underperformance.
Read at Musket Fire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]