Five years have passed since the New England Patriots have had a receiver produce a 1,000-yard season. Julian Edelman was the last Pats player to broach the barrier and the last even to average 60 yards per game.
The lack of production led New England to ink Stefon Diggs to a three-year pact this week, hoping that, coming off of an injury, the veteran wideout can kick things back into gear and lead a Patriots receiver room that lacked an alpha.
Before his cut-short 2024 campaign, Diggs had generated six consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus yards. He's averaged 60-plus yards every year since his 2015 rookie campaign in Minnesota.
Even last year in Houston, when he wasn't the offense's focal point and saw his season end after eight games, Diggs was still on pace for 1,054 yards and averaged 62 yards per tilt. Tight end Hunter Henry led the Patriots with 42 yards per game in 2024.
Edelman, the last standout receiver in New England, likes the Diggs fit with his former club. The three-time Super Bowl champion said on a recent episode of his "Dudes on Dudes" podcast with Rob Gronkowski that he likes the idea that Diggs still wants to stick it to Buffalo after they shipped him out of town last season.
"I like Stefon Diggs in New England, that situation because Stefon Diggs is still pissed off at the Bills," Edelman said. "So, there's going to be hunger, and there's going to be urgency, and there's going to be a fire under his a-- in the meeting room when he's in New England at practice, which they could use, they could use a little fire under their a-- in that receiver room."
Edelman dismissed concerns about Diggs' reputation for grating on quarterbacks, noting that no one ever suggested the wideout didn't put in the work.
"No one ever second-guesses how hard he works and the amount of work that he puts into his craft," he said. "So, if you're getting a motivated Stefon Diggs, that could be really beneficial to the young football players in that young football room that they call the receiver room in New England."
Diggs can be a boon for young quarterback Drake Maye as someone who, even at 31, can win one-on-ones, beat DBs off the line, and make himself available, particularly on third downs. Last year, Maye didn't have a target he could trust would get open repeatedly on key downs. If Diggs is healthy, the QB has that type of player now.
For Edelman, the other benefit is the professionalism that Diggs can bring to a young wideout room.
"They have a lot of young football players there," he said. "It'd be really good for these younger guys to be able to see how a professional works daily. How a professional prepares daily. How a professional takes care of his body. And if Stefon Diggs is doing that, you gotta bring him in. Because they need a little veteran leadership in that room."
As they have doen all offseason, the Patriots tossed money to fix the situation -- three years, $69 million with $26 million guaranteed in this case. It could be a solid deal if Diggs proves to be the leader in the wideout room that New England has sorely missed the past handful of seasons.
