Mike Vrabel's decision to rehire Josh McDaniels as the Patriots' offensive coordinator was met with various reactions, most of which were excitement over the team's potential for an improved offense this upcoming season. Although the longtime playcaller had another failed tenure as a head coach, this time with the Raiders, the offense hadn't been the same since he departed in 2022. So his return to work with Drake Maye drew a lot of optimism from Patriots fans.
There has also been considerable chatter surrounding the potential of the rest of the offense under McDaniels' watchful eye, especially players like Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry, who thrived in his scheme during the 2021 season.
Expectations are high for them this fall, even for DeMario Douglas, as he will assume the slot receiver role that McDaniels helped make famous, and that excitement is now reaching new heights with Stefon Diggs, as well.
What makes Diggs' addition to the offense much more intriguing is his unexpected familiarity with McDaniels' playbook. Although he's never played for the coach before, his experience with Brian Daboll has given him a head start on what he will do as part of the Patriots, making the Bills' nightmare of him returning to the division even worse.
Stefon Diggs might already be a reliable weapon for Drake Maye before even suiting up with the Patriots
Because of his experience working with Daboll during his time with the Bills, who spent multiple years with the Patriots as a wide receivers and tight ends coach, Diggs has already experienced a Patriots-like offense. He was asked about that after minicamp last week, as many were curious about just how similar a McDaniels offense is to Daboll's.
“100%. A lot of similarities. The intricacies of it is definitely a little different. They might call something different or have a different name. I always say these are the same routes I’ve been running.”
Considering that he's expected to immediately take on the role of the WR1 and how crucial his presence will be for Maye's progress, it's beyond significant that Diggs already appears confident and comfortable in the new offense.
It's essential given that he hasn't been able to be a full participant in practice yet, as he continues to rehab from an ACL injury suffered last season. That's not stopping him from being well on track to be ready for training camp next month, which he said he's looking forward to, and will do all that he can before then to be as prepared as possible.
“I’m as engaged as I can be. I can’t run a route, but I can take mental reps. I can have those conversations on what I’m thinking about. If I’ve got a question about a route, if I don’t know the play, I want to hear it. You know, just hearing it as much as I can, I think it would be good for me and spending a lot of time here.
That’s why I look forward to training camp. You know, training camp is when you put the pedal to the metal. But I’m going to do a lot, a lot of homework prior to getting there.”
It's the best-case scenario for a team that took a big risk in signing a 31-year-old coming off a major injury, especially since he will be a central part of what the Patriots offense runs this season. It's a terrible situation for a team like the Bills, who are not happy to see Diggs back in the AFC East; his familiarity with the offense already poses a disaster for their defense.
It's a cheat code the Patriots need for their offense moving forward, as they have undergone several changes this offseason in hopes of putting Maye in the best position possible to succeed. Not only that, but it benefits Diggs, too, since he can't physically practice at full speed just yet.
That will become a significant factor when he returns to Foxboro for training camp and should make it much easier for him to adjust to his new team. Hopefully, his transition will be seamless, and we will see him running into the endzone with ease in no time.