Let’s rewind to Week 8 of last season—Texans vs. Colts. Stefon Diggs had just hit a massive career milestone, crossing 10K receiving yards, and was all set to keep stacking up numbers. But football had other plans. One bad step, no defender in sight, and boom—knee gone. Turns out, it was a torn ACL. The result? Diggs had to miss out on the remainder of the season. Talk about a brutal plot twist.

Fast forward and the 31-year-old wideout reportedly had his first known visit with the New England Patriots. And if you’re thinking that Mike Vrabel and Co. are eager to sign him—give yourselves a second guess. Let’s cut to the chase: on Thursday, Sr. NFL Reporter, Albert Breer reported that “The Patriots have free-agent WR Stefon Diggs in for a visit in Foxboro today, as per sources.” The kicker?

Well, Diggs will have a physical test with the Patriots—which is certainly a big thing for the wideout considering he’s coming from an ACL injury. “He (Diggs) had dinner with staffers last night, and has meetings and will take a physical today—which is big, b/c he’s coming back off a torn ACL,” Breer further reported.

Now, let’s be real—it would be no surprise if Vrabel and the Patriots sign Diggs. I mean, the Pats have already bolstered their defense, but their offense still looks like a rock band without a drummer. They already had the second-year WR’s Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk, with Kendrick Bourne adding experience. But honestly, they’re still lacking that difference maker.

Sure, they’ve secured Mack Hollins for a couple of seasons, but if we believe Mike Vrabel’s statement, the Pats are not yet satisfied with their current wide receiver corp. “We’ll continue to target. Mack Hollins will be in here tomorrow,” Vrabel said last week. “He’s a wide receiver. But we’ll continue to look at the wide receiver position as it relates to free agency, explore every option with other teams, and potentially then we’ll get to the point where we’re looking at the draft. There’s just a lot of time, and I know that everybody is like, it’s over in free agency. It’s never over.”

Well, there you have it. Vrabel needs a WR, and Diggs is out there waiting for a new home. Feels like the perfect match, doesn’t it? The four-time Pro Bowler is grinding in the NFL for the last decade. After cementing his name as a solid receiver with the Vikings and the Bills, Diggs was traded to the Texans.

Prior to his ACL injury, the guy registered 47 catches for 496 yards while scoring four touchdowns in eight games. And now? He’s exploring the free agency market in hopes of finding a new home. Can New England sign him? Probably. The team’s sitting at the top when it comes to salary cap space with $81.6 million, as per Over The Cap.

To make things even interesting, the Pats are in dire need of a No. 1 pass catcher, which they’ve been completely lacking ever since Julian Edelman hung up his cleats. Take the last season, for instance. Not a single player recorded more than 674 yards or 66 receptions in the 2024 season. Brutal. Their rookies (Polk and Baker) were supposed to shine like a Sirius star—but ended up flickering out like a dying candle in a basement.

As for Bourne…well, the guy just added one more season in his career, having recorded just 305 yards in 12 games. So yeah, with a hefty purse and a desperate need, Mike Vrabel and Patriots could sign Stefon Diggs. But for the time being, according to The Athletic‘s Chad Graff, “The Patriots and Diggs have not yet agreed to a contract, but if the visit goes well for the two sides, one could come soon.”

As of now, if this offseason has taught us anything, then it’s pretty much certain that the teams are investing massively in their wide receivers. Just ask Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

Josh Allen’ Bills added a former third-round offensive weapon

If there was an award for a quarterback to unlock a wide receiver’s potential, then Josh Allen would have surely clinched every single award. The reason? Well, ever since the first-time MVP entered the pros, the guy’s been out there giving the wideouts a breakout career. Take Stefon Diggs, for instance. The veteran WR played just four seasons with the Bills and recorded four highest single-season receiving totals of his decade long career.

Fast forward and with Diggs gone, the Bills were looking for a potential WR1. Turns out, they’ve agreed to a three-year contract worth $29 million ($15 million guaranteed) with the former third-round pick, Joshua Palmer. Stick with us, because that’s where things got pretty interesting. See, Palmer was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers with 77th overall pick back in the 2021 NFL draft.

However, in his four-season-long career, the guy’s still waiting for that breakout season. Across his four seasons with the Chargers, the WR never produced more than 769 receiving yards in a single season. Long story short, that ended up in many accusing the Bills for overpaying a wide receiver who is basically yet to have a “watch me, now” season. BUT!

The NFL Films expert Greg Cosell believes that the Bills just snagged a gem of a pass catcher, which can shine if when paired with Josh Allen. Because, of course, Allen has made his name for unlocking many wideouts’ potential. “Maybe he just needed a change of scenery. I don’t know the answer. I’m not gonna sit here and say he’s gonna catch 90 balls for 1,400 yards. Who knows? But this guy has traits,” Cosell said.

All in all, the departure of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis from the Bills locker room, who literally accounted 70% of the team’s receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2023, left a void in the team’s O-line. While some are accusing the Bills of overpaying their newly signee WR, others are believing the guy’s got traits. Guess we have to wait for a few months before finding out how Joshua Palmer would perform for the Bills.