When the Patriots announced they were moving on from wide receiver Stefon Diggs, most analysts and fans believed that meant Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf had a clear plan for how to improve the receiving corps in free agency.
All signs have pointed to that, with rumors still linking them to a trade for AJ Brown, and the longstanding belief they were ready to go all-in on Alec Pierce, only for him to re-sign with the Colts the moment the legal tampering period opened.
So that shifted the focus to other top names set to test the market starting on Monday, including Pro Bowler Mike Evans, who looked poised to leave Tampa Bay for the first time in his career.
That was made official when NFL insiders revealed he was signing a 3-year deal with the 49ers, and apparently, the Patriots were never in on signing Tom Brady's former weapon.
The #Patriots were never in on Mike Evans, per sources. https://t.co/TBtOJfiec7
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) March 9, 2026
Given the names that remain available in free agency, there aren't many needle-movers that the Patriots should seriously pursue.
It leaves the best and most likely option to pull off a trade, but it's difficult to know whether the current regime will be willing to do what it takes to get that done, leaving many questions about what their plan is moving forward.
Prioritizing upgrading the receiving corps might need to be the Patriots No. 1 task
Moving on from Diggs after just one season was not wholly unexpected, but it seemed like a move that would only be made if the coaching staff had a plan ready to execute once free agency began.
So far, that hasn't been the case, and as more signings happen, the less chance the Patriots have to get the caliber of player their offense desperately needs, especially now that Diggs will be playing elsewhere in 2026.
It's something Vrabel and Wolf cannot avoid upgrading before the draft, as they clearly didn't feel too comfortable with their 2025 selection of Kyle Williams to do a whole lot last year. So the assumption is that AJ Brown is still a contender, or maybe others like Brian Thomas Jr. or Quentin Johnston, who have been mentioned as a possible trade candidate in recent weeks.
No matter who it is, the Patriots need to do something and probably fast, or their offense is going to be in rougher shape than they were a year ago.