The Patriots met with Stefon Diggs on Wednesday, per The Athletic’s Chad Graff, in hopes of reaching a free agent deal.

It’s not the kind of move that’d transform a franchise after his ACL tear on the Texans, but as CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell explains, New England may be willing to roll the dice on Diggs to help further Drake Maye’s development.

“Diggs was one of the NFL’s best wide receivers in the 2020s, but he’s now 31 years old and coming off an ACL tear he suffered in Week 8 of the 2024 season with the Houston Texans.

Another piece of sour news for Diggs is that his receiving yards per game and yards per catch have steadily declined lately.

Plus, he is currently in the middle of a 19-game drought without 100 yards receiving, the longest stretch of his career,” Podell wrote.

“However, none of that may matter for a Patriots squad desperate to surround quarterback Drake Maye, the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, with pass-catching talent.

New England’s 2024 wide receiving core combined to total 1,723 yards receiving, the fewest of any team’s wide receiver position group last season. Tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Demario Douglas co-led the Patriots in catches (66) while Hunter led the team in yards receiving (674).”

The Patriots showed life with Maye under center, so finding a reliable target to help him build confidence during the 2025 season is a smart play from Eliot Wolf – especially since first-year head coach Mike Vrabel has been a winner more than he’s been a loser in the NFL and isn’t far removed from consecutive double-digit-win seasons.