The list of free agent wide receivers for the 2026 offseason wasn't as loaded as Patriots fans were hoping for, since it is one of the biggest positions of need for the roster. There seemed to be a legitimate chance the team would acquire one of the top names available, like Alec Pierce, but they missed out on almost every single one.
It led them to sign Romeo Doubs, who had established a name for himself over the last four years with the Packers, and he looked like the Patriots' replacement for Stefon Diggs, who they shockingly released ahead of free agency.
There were initial mixed reactions about Doubs' signing, mostly because he wasn't exactly the needle-moving player fans were hoping for. However, he does bring youth and explosiveness to the receiving corps, while giving Drake Maye another solid option to work with.
Not everyone feels that way, though, even after a few weeks to digest his arrival. In fact, one NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic that he's not the biggest fan of Doubs and isn't sure the Patriots really elevated their wide receiver talent by adding him.
NFL execs are not high on the Patriots adding Romeo Doubs to their offense
Sando shared the anonymous executive's comment from last week, along with another one sharing he feels Doubs is "really talented," but he's "a little inconsistent."
“I was not high on Doubs. They did not improve on the field from (Stefon) Diggs. Maybe they did off the field from a headache standpoint. It seems just a matter of waiting until June 1 passes for Philly to trade A.J. Brown, who in my opinion is a declining player each of the last three seasons.”
It's not exactly shocking to hear this about Doubs, given that he never had the opportunity to be a top-tier wide receiver during his years in Green Bay, so what he can do in a more elevated role is a bit more uncertain.
However, based on what we have seen from him, there's no reason to believe he won't be a good fit or can't be exactly what Maye needs on game day, especially since he just put together the best season of his career in 2025 by recording 55 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns.
The fair assumption is that he will continue to build upon that next year with Maye and Josh McDaniels.
There's a reason Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf felt it was worth pursuing Doubs and offering him a four-year contract. They haven't been wrong yet in their assessments of free agents, so there's no reason to believe they will be here, either.
Even if Doubs is only a younger replacement for Diggs, is that something to be upset over when the veteran logged 1,000+ receiving yards for the first time in New England since Julian Edelman in 2019?
The answer is obviously no. Doubs has all the tools and traits to be a superstar in Foxboro, even if some execs are a bit skeptical about what he will ultimately become.