I'm not naive. I know that NFL players party in ways that even a young me would not. Of course, a young me wasn't making more money than 98% of the population, even the guys lower on the league's salary food chain. But for the Patriots' most notable free agent signing - big name, big production, high-profile position - to be doing whatever it was on that boat in Miami after not being around for most of the offseason, well, I don't know why you would think this story is a nothing burger.
Stefon Diggs has been filming his life for months, creating a documentary about his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in October. Did he know that he was being recorded on that boat for his now-viral video? I'd say smiling directly into the camera was a dead giveaway. But even if you won't give me that - and I know there are a few of you who won't because, let's face it, you'd prefer the whole thing go away - Mike Vrabel's irritation with the situation, not the questions being asked, is a hint that the team isn't viewing it as a nothing. Now, Vrabel will have to consider the entire locker room in whatever decision he makes because they're all watching. Whether there's an internal punishment (which might be hard under the terms of the CBA) or if they say the hell with this and choose to pursue the signing bonus and release the wide receiver. The odds of the latter are not high, especially when there is no way to identify the substance and no police involvement.
But as I mentioned on 'Early Edition' on Wednesday, how Diggs explains what was going on in that video will heavily influence Vrabel's decision. Does he tell the truth? Or does he try to b.s. his way around it? You can't fool someone who was a player himself and has seen it all. A big part of these relationships is developing trust. Thus far, Diggs hasn't been around much, and now the head coach has to answer questions he'd prefer not to. Not a great start.
Talking to people in Buffalo and having spent many weeks of my life there covering that football team, they — and I — are not surprised by the scene on that boat. Diggs fancies himself as more than just a football player. He's into fashion, he's into fame. He loves all that comes with it. Well, almost all of it. He carries himself as if he's above it all and will tell you he's an open book right up until you ask him a difficult question. Then he shuts that book quickly.
Previously, I wrote about Diggs' social media actions that cast shade on Josh Allen during their time together with the Bills. He knew what he was doing and was aware that it would elicit a reaction. But when asked questions about it, he wouldn't answer. That, my friends, is not accountability. Far from it.
The Pats knew of Diggs' past when they made this commitment. Why? Have you seen their wide receiver room? The team is hoping they can milk out the last, best football from Diggs' 31-year-old body while managing the personality. The Bills reached the point of no return with him after the '23-24 season, and the Texans showed no real interest in bringing back the player a year later, despite all the 'positive' reports about him in the aftermath. However, Houston's pass-catching group needed him (at least pre-draft), and yet they decided to address the position in the draft and let Diggs walk.
Of course, the Pats needed him more, and shelled out $18.5 million in guaranteed money. Still, he's already agitated the powers that be with his spotty attendance, even though this is the voluntary portion of the workouts and now his boat escapades. It may not result in any drastic measures, but Diggs has already given Vrabel and Company enough reasons to be leery about this relationship moving forward. How he handles it from now on will influence how the Pats operate. Clear the air and move forward. Don't, and this marriage will be over before it ever gets a chance to find solid ground.
"CHEW ON BARK"
There's always been something incredibly appealing to me about the unvarnished truth. No prefaces or qualifications. Just straight-up honesty, no holds barred. Seems Terry Bradshaw subscribes to that theory.
The former Pittsburgh Steeler great is not a fan of the team's pursuit of Aaron Rodgers and had no problem telling an Arkansas radio station earlier this week.
"That's a joke. That, to me, is just a joke," said Bradshaw. "What are you going to do? Bring him in for one year, are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there."
The Steelers allowed the top two QBs on their roster from a year ago, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, to leave via free agency despite owner Art Rooney II's desire to keep at least one of them. Thus began their painstakingly slow process of courting the 40-year-old Rodgers, who just completed an unsuccessful two-year turn with the Jets. The two sides met in March, but as of now, the self-centered signal-caller remains unsigned, and, as he told the 'Pat McAfee Show,' he is "open to everything and not specifically attached to anything."
In the meantime, Pittsburgh is in the middle of OTAs and leaning on Mason Rudolph. Consider him a placeholder because if Rodgers doesn't eventually put pen to paper and sign in the Steel City, the team could move on to another veteran option, such as Atlanta's Kirk Cousins.
“That’s nothing new to me,” said Rudolph. “There’s been constant noise. That is the nature of the NFL. So I have been used to that for a long time now. (I’m going to) do nothing but be the best I can be and help our team get better this spring.”
For Rudolph, this is a return to where he started. He was Pittsburgh's third-round pick in 2018, and there were hopes he would eventually take over for Ben Roethlisberger. He got that chance after Big Ben blew out his elbow, but despite some flashes, he never was able to secure the job, at one point being unseated by the legendary Duck Hodges. Rudolph spent last year in Tennessee, starting five games and winning one - a victory over the Patriots.
ROARING AHEAD
Aidan Hutchinson was putting up monster numbers for the Detroit Lions through the first five weeks of last season. He led the league in sacks (7.5), QB pressures (40), and pass-rush win rate (35.4%). Then came a shocking end to his year.
It happened during a collision with teammate Alim McNeill. The contact didn't look any different from what you see at least a handful of times every game, but Hutchinson didn't get up, having broken both his tibia and fibula. He underwent immediate surgery, and despite teasing a possible Super Bowl return, he never got that chance (the Lions lost in the Divisional round to the Commanders).
"In those moments, you try to look at all the silver linings that you can in order to make it make sense a little bit, and still, at the end of the day, you're still questioning, 'why?'" said Hutchinson. "That's why you dive into faith, and that's kind of what I did, and it was a very challenging time for a few months.
"You want to be a part of the winning that was going on, and as much as I was part of the team, when you're not really there, you don't really feel like you're a part of it. When I kind of was able to get back on my feet again, that's why I was trying to be as involved as I could."
Will the injury impact Hutchinson going forward? He has been fully cleared for all activities and has participated in Detroit's OTAs.
"I'm gonna be hesitant to speak out on any projections and things like that I have with Hutch, but I have full faith in the player because I know who he is outside of ability," said first-year DC Kelvin Sheppard (he replaces Jets HC Aaron Glenn). "I know who he is, and I know if anybody wants things for Hutch, it's him. So he's going to make sure he's back at the bar that he's set for himself."
“I would say there’s motivation, not from it getting taken away, but me putting that on tape,” added Hutchinson. “I had a lot of growth in those first five games to where I feel like you evolved as a player, and things were clicking at a high level. … I think a lot of people believe that that is kind of like my ceiling. But I still believe that I’m gonna continue to push for those greater heights. I’m 24, I’m still a young dude. I don’t think that’s the peak.”
Detroit hit hard times last season, losing 10 of the 22 players listed on its preseason two-deep to season-ending injuries. Despite Glenn's best efforts, the erosion of talent was too much to overcome late in the year. It certainly played a massive role in the postseason collapse against the Commanders. Getting Hutchinson back to full strength and playing at pre-injury levels would go a long way toward helping the Lions not only return to the playoffs but also deliver once there.
TO MENTOR OR NOT TO MENTOR...
When the Cleveland Browns settled on Joe Flacco as their veteran quarterback - his second run with Kevin Stefanski - they had to know what they were getting. And if they somehow missed the signs, Flacco spelled it out this week.
You see, the 40-year-old has a wealth of knowledge that could be shared with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. But Flacco is competing for playing time, and while he'll share, made it clear that he doesn't necessarily see being a mentor as part of his job description.
"It's a good question to bait somebody into answering, and no matter how they answer it, it kind of makes the guy that's answering it look bad," he said. "If I say, 'I don't want to be a mentor,' I look bad. If I say, 'I do want to be a mentor,' then I look like an idiot that doesn't care about being good and playing football. So it's one of those questions that no matter what I say, you guys can write what you want to write about it.
"And there's a lot of questions like that. That's why you end up having to try to avoid them. I tend to try to be honest, and I've said, 'I'm not a mentor. I play football.' And in a quarterback room, there's a lot of times -- already, there's been already a ton of times -- where there's learning experiences. And I have a lot of experience, and I can talk on things, and hopefully they listen. But it's not necessarily my job to make sure they listen to me. Hopefully, you have a really good relationship with the guys that are in the room, and you naturally want to do that."
That may not be a popular answer from Flacco, but it's the truth. The greatest QB of this, and maybe any generation, Tom Brady, was notorious for not sharing all his secrets. I remember Robert Griffin III anxiously awaiting Brady after a joint practice session in Richmond, Virginia, back in 2014, hoping to pick Brady's brain. Brady politely declined, saying, "Not until my career is done."
That held true for the guys he shared the QB room with in New England. It was those players' job to ask questions, to watch, and to learn. Brady wasn't going to go out of his way to help, say, Jimmy Garoppolo, who was drafted to displace him. It was up to Jimmy to observe and then try to apply that knowledge during his opportunities. Had Belichick gotten his way, Brady would have eventually been pushed aside for the kid, so why speed up that process? Flacco isn't Brady - far from it - but he's under no real obligation to Gabriel, Sanders, or anyone else, especially not now when the starting job is up for grabs.
THE PLACE QBS GO TO DIE
Caleb Williams would have preferred his first media session during OTAs to be about the new offense he's learning and the relationships he's building with the coaching staff and teammates. Instead, after excerpts of Seth Wickersham's latest book hit the internet, the Bears' QB felt compelled to begin with a four-minute opening statement on why Chicago was — and is — the right place for him.
“This whole storm that happened, it wasn’t something that we wanted to happen at this point,” said Williams. “We’re focused on the present, we’re focused on the now.”
His father, Carl, was quoted by Wickersham as saying Chicago was the place "quarterbacks go to die" and that he and Caleb's inner circle initially explored ways to keep the former USC star away from the Bears, especially after an enlightening meeting with the Vikings and their QB whisper, head coach Kevin O'Connell. However, Williams says everything changed when he met face-to-face with the Chicago brass.
“After I came on my visit here, it was a … deliberate and determined answer that I wanted to come here,” he said. “I wanted to come here and be the guy and be a part and be a reason why the Chicago Bears turn this thing around. That last thing that was said in all of that, I think is the most important thing, is that I wanted to be here.”
The Bears have somehow never had a 4,000-yard passer, and Williams fell short in a tumultuous year that saw his offensive coordinator and then head coach get fired during the season. In another excerpt of the book, Carl Williams was quoted as saying that no one taught or helped his son study tape.
“That was a funny one that came out,” Caleb said. “It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to watch film. It was more or less the sense of …. learning ways to watch film and be more efficient, learning ways to pick up things better. So that was a funny one that came out, that in context, in how that was trying to be portrayed, didn’t get portrayed that way.”
Williams added that while he appreciates his father and his wisdom and guidance, he's "shut him down quite a bit." He can also shut down the narrative that he's not cut out to be the face of the franchise, especially given the opportunity to work with the offensive-minded Ben Johnson.
