The New England Patriots finally got their WR1 in former Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans receiver, Stefon Diggs, signing to a 3 year, $69 deal on Tuesday.
Whilst many agree that the price was perhaps steep for a 31 year old coming off an ACL tear, Diggs will undoubtedly be an asset to his former AFC East rivals, if he is able to recapture his pre-injury form in Houston, where he was on track for another 1000 yard + season.
Speaking to Chris Long on the Green Light podcast, Vrabel made it clear why he thought the team needed to splash out to sign the 2 x All-Pro wideout.
“Just trying to make sure we’re supporting Drake and supporting the football team,” Vrabel said to Chris Long. “This is a highly-competitive, confident receiver that’s produced throughout his career. In multiple ways. Play style, he’s got a play strength to him that you see, that he can play physical. You know, route craft. Good at the catch point, been good in the red zone.”
“There’s a play style to him that I’ve always appreciated and that we want to continue to enhance and make sure that he’s doing things to help us. His conversation, his demeanor, his attitude, and his presence have been great through our conversations and hopefully we can continue to add good players.”
Vrabel Confident In Addition Of Diggs To Patriots Team
Beyond his perhaps inflated contract number, concerns had been voiced about Diggs’ character, with his “diva” like persona in the NFL preceding him.
However, the majority of people who have worked with the former Bill not only like, but love him, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Indeed, the “competitive” nature of Diggs was viewed by Breer’s sources both as a big plus, but also at times a minus when he would let that part of his personality dominate his emotions.
Will Diggs Be A Good Addition To The Patriots?
Some in the media believe that the benefits of having a veteran receiver like Diggs could be undermined by his volatile personality, which in turn could end up being a net detriment to the young, rebuilding team.
Going into his second year, it was critical that the Patriots found an elite weapon for franchise quarterback, Drake Maye, who demonstrated genuine promise in year one, despite having one of the worst rookie QB offensive setups around him seen in recent memory.
Had the team been picking earlier in the draft, and thus had total control over their projected draft selection, they may have been more reluctant to add Diggs, as the possibility of adding dual CB/WR, Travis Hunter, would have been in their control.
However, at #4, there is a realistic chance that he will be gone, and that they will have to settle for the draft’s top offensive tackle, either Missouri’s Armand Membou or LSU’s Will Campbell.
With no guarantees, and Diggs’ recovery apparently going better than expected, Diggs may well become the sort of target that could quickly accelerate Maye’s development and make the Patriots a competitive team once more.
