Much has been said and written about the Patriots' acquisition of Stefon Diggs. They quote this coach and that front office exec. Hell, I've done it, too. But no one on the Pats beat actually covered Diggs — well, almost no one.
As the Pats cratered in my previous life, the NFL Network redeployed me. I was in Cincinnati covering the Bengals as they rose to prominence or in Pittsburgh to cover that perennial playoff team. I spent time with Kansas City, most memorably as an embedded reporter, during their Super Bowl victory over the Eagles a few years ago. But from the Covid season on, my primary responsibility was chronicling the Bills. I spent so much time in Buffalo that the staff at the Courtyard in Amherst knew me by name and made sure that extra large black coffee was ready to go at 6 AM every day, 5:45 AM during the 10 days I had boots on the ground for the Damar Hamlin story.
Anyway, that's a long preamble to get to my thoughts on Diggs. Signing him was the right thing to do, even if there is no doubt it comes with risk. He is 31 years old and tore his ACL on October 27th. Yes, Schefter put it out there that he is on track to be ready for week one, and I'm sure one, maybe both sides, gave him that intel. That's an aggressive timetable, but it's been done. Of course, the player is rarely the same in year one as before the injury. Generally, it is 13 or 14 months before there's a true return to form, and it takes until the following season to regain the full explosiveness (assuming it comes back). But Diggs doesn't miss workouts and is determined to return to pre-injury form. This is where his competitiveness, which has gotten him in trouble in previous stops, should work in his favor.
The Diggs I covered in Buffalo was loved by just about everyone in the locker room. He took the younger receivers, particularly Gabe Davis, under his wing and never passed on an opportunity to gas those guys up. He often referred to Davis as #1A, and in conversations I had with Davis over the years, that meant something to the kid.
Diggs, Davis, and the rest of the wideouts surprised their position coach at the time, Chad Hall, with a brand-new truck. It was an awesome gesture spearheaded by Davis, but the group appreciated what Hall did for them and pooled their funds to make it happen. That doesn't happen every day in this league.
The Diggs who came to Western New York was labeled a malcontent from his time in Minnesota, but no one saw that during his first few seasons with the Bills. Diggs was incredibly engaging, charming, and thoughtful. He told anyone who would listen about his love for Josh Allen, for then-OC Brian Daboll, for Bills Mafia. This marriage between player, team, and fan base made all the sense in the world. Diggs had been embraced and fed often. His partnership with Allen became as dangerous as any in the league, and Diggs was one of the most heavily targeted pass catchers in football.
But something changed there, and by the tail end of the 2022-23 season, Diggs' pouting and emotional outbursts had begun to wear on the team. That famously was there for the world - and yours truly - to see in a home playoff loss to Cincinnati. Diggs aired out his quarterback and QB coach, Joe Brady, on the sideline to the point where both tuned him out. Diggs then stormed out of the locker room before the team had even gathered post-game and had to be chased down by teammate Duke Johnson. The players I talked to in the locker room that night, and again on locker cleanout day, spoke of Diggs' desire to win as a way to explain it away. Still, for Allen, head coach Sean McDermott, and the front office, the relationship - which had begun to show signs of decay - was no longer the same.
That bled into the next season when Diggs was a no-show at mandatory mini-camp, and McDermott admitted he was "very concerned." When Diggs did show up, he talked in circles but didn't have a point or explanation. Later that year, his brother, Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, took to social media multiple times criticizing the Bills and saying Stefon needed to get out of there. When approached to speak on his brother's actions, the wideout took offense and never stood up for his organization. Diggs claimed he liked to keep things "in-house," yet his social media behavior, including the infamous "You sure?" in response to some random post saying a franchise QB doesn't have to have a top-tier wide receiver, tells a different story. That was viewed internally as another passive-aggressive shot at Allen.
By the midway point of the 2023-24 season, Diggs was no longer the focal point of the Bills' offense, which didn't play well for him. GM Brandon Beane sent him to Houston despite a large chunk of money and time remaining on his contract. That deal wasn't about the salary cap. That was about removing Diggs from the equation.
"Was it easy?" asked Beane when he first spoke of the trade. "No. But if you make the best decision for the Bills going forward, that's all you can do, and trust that."
In his absence, Allen took a team that was supposed to take a step back and instead won another division title, and the quarterback won his first MVP.
Meanwhile, Diggs was on his best behavior with the Texans. He was named captain and accepted a secondary role to Nico Collins, all while giving CJ Stroud an excellent second option before the injury. Texans staffers, as I quoted and I'm sure you read elsewhere, lauded his professionalism. Considering the Pats' ties to Nick Caserio and WR coach Ben McDaniels (Josh's brother), you know they did their homework.
The gamble in Foxborough is that Mike Vrabel, Josh McDaniels, and Drake Maye can satiate Diggs' desire for the ball and get him to channel his competitiveness and passion properly. He's long been one of the game's better route runners and plays without fear. But after spending much of this off-season claiming they were trying to sign good football players and ones with good football character, this is a step outside of that comfort zone. Necessary, especially after coming up short on Chris Godwin and bowing out of the D.K. Metcalf sweepstakes, but one that does come with a bit more risk than others would lead you to believe.
G-MEN HAVE THREE QBS BUT STILL NEED THE 'ONE'
Signing Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson does little to quell the Giants' desire for a franchise quarterback. Even after these moves, they continue to be linked to Shedeur Sanders, who may not be for everyone but very well could be for Brian Daboll.
Perhaps that's the plan Daboll and GM Joe Schoen sold to owner John Mara in their successful plea to remain employed, but unlikely.
The G-Men took unsuccessful runs at Matthew Stafford (they were reportedly willing to pay him more than the Rams and surrender the second-round pick to get it done) and Aaron Rodgers, who seems to be treating New York like they are afterthoughts on his list, that looks something like this:
1. Minnesota
2. Pittsburgh
3. Retire
4. Montreal Alouettes
5. NY Giants
Now, they've got this hodgepodge. Talk about the potential for a craptastic QB competition. Winston, Wilson, and Tommy DeVito. It is not quite as bad as the Aidan O'Connell/Gardner Minshew slog last summer, but it almost certainly is as uninspired, albeit cheap (just $15 mil or so committed to that trio).
Sanders, however, would change that in part because he's so polarizing.
Sanders reportedly came across poorly during interviews with at least a couple of teams at the Scouting Combine, which led his father, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, to sound off in a recent interview.
“The lies, that’s gonna be that,” he said. “But we’re great with adversity. We’ve always been through adversity. We’ve always been challenged with adversity and the nay-saying and the doubting. He is built for that. He’s the most qualified young man that plays that position that’s built for that, and to be in front of the lights and to continuously shine.
“We like to call that stuff out, though. “I know who it is. You’re going to make me call him out. You know what team he’s at, all right? You gotta understand it. Don’t make me pull behind the curtains and step in that thing.”
That conversation with Deion took place at the Big 12 pro day, and, as you would expect, it played to mixed reviews. Bluster like that has contributed to some of the negative light Shedeur finds himself bathed in. Yet, when asked about being his father's son, Shedeur didn't blink.
“I like the pressure that comes with everything,” he said. “I say pressure is also a privilege. So if you don’t have pressure on you, then I don’t know what you’re doing. So that’s why I’m thankful, and I’m truly blessed that I am in a position, the situation that I’m in, because I wouldn’t want it no other way.”
Knowing how intense playing in the New York/New Jersey market is, embracing the weight that comes with being the marquee name on the billboard is critical. Say what you will about Sanders, but he understands and thrives in that aspect, which may equip him to do the off-field part in NY. As for the on-field stuff, it depends on who you ask, but if Daboll can see it in Sanders, it might be his best, last hope to remain as the HC of the NYG.
NOBODY RIDES FOR FREE
Interesting comment from J.J. McCarthy earlier this week.
McCarthy was on Kay Adams' show, and she asked when he found out he would be the Vikings starter for the upcoming season.
"They haven’t told me, and I’m happy they didn’t because I try to earn it every single day,” he said. “I never want that to be given to me. It’s such a privilege and an opportunity to give me that chance; I’m just gonna make the most of it every single day.”
McCarthy was Minnesota's first-round pick and was off to a fast start in training camp before needing knee surgery that cost him the entirety of his rookie season. The former University of Michigan star needed another cleanup procedure midway through the fall. Between that and the kind of season Sam Darnold and the team had - they were 14-3 - the Vikings tried to kick the McCarthy can down the road.
They worked on bringing Darnold back. When it became clear that the two sides couldn't find a happy medium monetarily, management pivoted to Daniel Jones —who they signed late last year—to compete with McCarthy for the top job. But Jones chose Indianapolis, leaving Minny still in the veteran QB market and McCarthy atop the depth chart, whether they told him that or not.
Of course, the aforementioned Rodgers lurks. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah met with the media and confirmed the two sides have talked and will remain in touch, even if nothing appears imminent.
“I think we got to a place where everybody was transparent,” Adofo-Mensah said. “But right now, we feel good about where we’re going. That’s really how it ended. It’s ultimately up to him. It’s hard to talk about a player who is not under contract for our team, and who isn’t a member of this team. It’s ultimately up to him, what he decides to do with his future
"But that’s where we left it. I know Kevin (O'Connell) and him have a great relationship still. They’ll keep talking. But right now, we’re focused on the two players (Brett Rypien is the other QB under contract) who are in our room right now and my personnel process going forward.”
Adofo-Mensah is certainly keeping that door open, and perhaps the Vikings need to see McCarthy on the field this spring before they feel entirely comfortable giving the keys of a very good football team to a kid who has never started a game in the league. Even then, considering how many restrictions there are, I'm not sure that will paint a clear enough picture, but with all the QB chairs being filled, perhaps the calculus is Rodgers will still be there and ready if needed.
KICK AND STICK
A year after introducing the dynamic kickoff on a trial basis, the NFL competition committee is not only recommending that the play remain but that touchbacks now move to the 35-yard line (from the 30). Where have I heard this before? Hint: I wrote about it about a handful of times.
The league saw a spike in overall returns, from a low of 21.8% in 2023 (before the change) to 32.8% this past season. 59 of those returns went for 40 yards or more, and seven ended in touchdowns.
In addition, the league is pushing data that said the new setup reduced concussions on kickoffs by 43%. I say 'pushing' because I am skeptical of their data, and over the years, the players' association has also pushed back on some of the league's numbers. I think concussions might increase with the ball being put in play more. Still, the NFL is so concerned with player safety (he typed, shaking his head the entire time, especially knowing 18-game regular seasons are coming sooner rather than later).
