The Patriots are in a fortunate position, not having to make many major roster decisions this offseason, as they already have their quarterback and a handful of superstar players in critical positions. That doesn't mean, however, that tough moves won't need to be made, one of which might involve wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Although he was the only clear WR1 they signed last year, and he put together the first 1,000+ yard season by a receiver in New England since Julian Edelman in 2019, there are doubts about the team keeping him around for another year due to his contract and his ongoing legal issues.
On top of that, Mike Vrabel has made it clear he wants to build a young roster through free agency and the draft, and Diggs doesn't fit either of those traits. But there is room to keep him around for Drake Maye, since they thrived as a duo in their first season together, and continuity will be important for the quarterback's career.
The problem is that the higher-ups in New England don't seem so sure about keeping Diggs around, and GM Eliot Wolf made that clear when talking to reporters on Monday at the NFL Combine.
Stefon Diggs' future with the Patriots appears to be on rockier ground than we thought
Despite speaking about several specific players throughout his conversations with reporters, Wolf shut down any talk of Diggs' future in Foxboro when asked, suggesting things aren't as solid as many might have thought after the season ended.
“I’m not going to get into any specific players today. You know, there are certain conversations that we’re having, and we’ll see what happens with everything.”
While his comments are far from definitive, it's notable that he wouldn't speak on Diggs' future. Yet he told the media he expects other players to return, like Harold Landry III, and that their focus is on re-signing some of their biggest-name free agents.
So the fact that he wouldn't go into more detail about how the team feels about Diggs heading into the offseason stood out, especially given all the talk about his pending court case. That might be what gets him traded, and given the severity of the accusations, it wouldn't be an outlandish decision.
If that's the route they decide to go, regardless of what happens with his court case, the Patriots need to make sure they have a solid plan at wide receiver to put Maye in a good position next year. Diggs was productive and was the spark the team needed in many moments throughout the season, so losing that would be significant for the quarterback.
On top of that, Diggs has been a very vocal leader in the locker room, and that can't be easily replaced either. So that will need to be something to consider, too.
But at this moment, all of this is speculative, and we won't really know how the Patriots feel about Diggs' future, or any player's future, until free agency begins and they start making moves. Yet it seems clear that nothing is off the table this year.