The Patriots haven’t had a true game-altering wide receiver in years. Not since Julian Edelman was weaving through coverage and Tom Brady was still under center has New England fielded a pass catcher who demanded defensive game plans be altered on Mondays. The years since have been defined less by dominance and more by placeholders. Short-term solutions, mid-round swings, and a rotating cast of young receivers have cycled through Foxborough, but few have managed to meet the moment. By the end of the 2024 season, the trend reached a breaking point. Not one Patriots receiver cracked 700 yards, and for all the preseason optimism surrounding a revamped room, the production lagged well behind expectation.

DeMario Douglas showed flashes but couldn’t stay healthy. Kendrick Bourne remained steady but unspectacular. Kayshon Boutte struggled to carve out a role. And perhaps most glaringly, Ja’Lynn Polk, the rookie receiver New England traded up to draft, passing on Georgia standout Ladd McConkey in the process, closed his debut campaign with just 87 receiving yards.

That’s the ecosystem Stefon Diggs walked into this spring. After stints in Minnesota, Buffalo, and a brief but productive run in Houston, Diggs is more than just another veteran signing. He’s the kind of player New England has lacked for a decade. And if his early social media footprint in New England is any indication, the adjustment period is as much mental as physical.

On Friday, Diggs made a cryptic trade-related post on his Instagram stories. There he wrote, “Friendly reminder that trading your potential for comfort and calling it happiness is a really bad deal.” Now, it’s difficult to predict what Diggs wanted to relay with that message. Maybe it’s related to his new chapter in Foxboro. Diggs comes into New England with a chip on his shoulder. This will be Diggs’ third team in three years, having spent the past few with the Bills and the Texans. Once Stefon’s Vikings chapter was over, he made 4 consecutive Pro Bowls in Buffalo.

In each of his 4 seasons, Diggs’ production was always over 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards. His smooth coordination with Josh Allen was a thing of beauty for the Bills and a nightmare for opposition defenses. However, once his Bills chapter came to a sudden end in 2024, Diggs was at it again in Houston. Pairing up with CJ Stroud, Diggs logged 47 receptions for 496 receiving yards in just 8 weeks. But a sudden ACL tear against the Colts ended Diggs’ 2024 campaign prematurely.

Texans chose not to renew his restructured one-year, $22.5M contract. And after a lengthy offseason when none were showing strong interest in Diggs because of his ACL concerns, the Patriots picked him up. Gave him a three-year, $63.5M incentive-heavy contract, hoping he would produce the same spark with Drake Maye like he did with Allen and Stroud. With questions looming over his ACL recovery, Diggs has constantly offered positive updates. His workout videos on social media prove that he is hungrier than ever to reclaim his Pro Bowl status.

While Diggs tries to fire up the Patriots’ receiver room, it seems they are kind of interested in bringing another wide-out before the new season.

Boston Radio host floats the idea of a possible Mike Vrabel reunion

Obviously, the Patriots have already added Stefon Diggs as their presumed WR1 in New England. But it seems they aren’t finished adding to their receiver room. Boston Radio host Nick “Fitzy” Stevens spoke about a possible blockbuster trade brewing between the Eagles and the Patriots. “I got a call earlier today that the Philadelphia Eagles really, really, really want Abdul Carter and that they would consider, rather, are planning to call your New England Patriots on draft,” Stevens implied. And by making that call, he feels the Pats will send AJ Brown the other way to bring Carter to Foxboro.

“If Carter falls to No.4, to see if Mike Vrabel would like a reunion with AJ Brown and possibly more draft selections and compensation to come,” Stevens claimed. Brown spent his first three seasons in the NFL under Vrabel, playing for the Titans. To be honest, he was an okayish player in Tennessee. Had over 1,000 receiving yards in two of his 3 seasons. So, it’s not like Brown was a world-beater under his former coach. Actually, it was after he was traded from the Titans to the Eagles when Brown discovered greater heights.

He was nearly tallying 1,500 yards in two of his first 3 seasons. And there’s also his three-year, $96M contract he signed last summer. So, Eagles trading Brown this early into his contract doesn’t justify this rumor. And they would obviously have to give up a draft war chest if they want to move from No. 32 to No. 4. That’s why only time will tell whether Stevens’ claim comes true or not. For now, it will be Diggs leading the Patriots’ receiver room in 2025.