There is no doubt that the New England Patriots are still looking to add at the wide receiver position this offseason. It’s just a matter of whether or not that’s going to be A.J. Brown or A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs.
Fans would love to imagine a world where the Patriots can pull off both the Brown trade and a signing of Diggs. Add in Romeo Doubs, and the Patriots would quickly have one of the best receiver rooms in the entire NFL. However, NFL insider Albert Breer recently threw some water on that fire, explaining why he doesn’t think a Patriots and Diggs reunion is in the cards.
“Pessimism, I do think an A.J. Brown trade will happen. I also don’t think, for a variety of reasons, you’ll see Diggs and A.J. Brown together in New England,” Breer said. “Now, I believe the Patriots love Diggs, and Diggs would love to return.”
That’s Brown in and Diggs landing somewhere else, which is becoming a consensus thought among those who have some insight on the situation. Of course, that doesn’t mean Diggs doesn’t have any interest in him from around the league.
“But any realistic talk about his return, to me, hinges on whether the Brown trade happens. Assuming Brown does become a Patriot, I think Diggs will probably be somewhere in that one-year, $10 million range. The Chiefs could make sense. The Commanders might, too, since Diggs is from D.C. The Falcons and Rams would also be interesting landing spots,” Breer finished.
The New England Patriots Would Have a Major Obstacle to Adding A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs
GettyStefon Diggs with the New England Patriots
While having A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs would be great, there’s a major problem for the New England Patriots that’s keeping them from giving it a longer look. That’s the financial side of the coin.
Looking on the surface, the Patriots have some money to spend. With about $36 million in salary cap space, New England has about the fifth most space in the NFL. The problem is that that’s before they add A.J. Brown. He’ll cost around $23 million against the cap.
On top of that, the Patriots still have to sign multiple draft picks. Again, that’s money that hasn’t gone against the cap just yet.
As Breer estimated, Diggs is going to cost in the range of $10 million. At that point, he’ll be too expensive for the Patriots to add, given their current salary cap situation. So, the move is to trade for Brown and let Diggs find his home somewhere else.
Kyle Williams Sparked Stefon Diggs Rumors
GettyKyle Williams and Stefon Diggs with the New England Patriots
After the Patriots moved on from Stefon Diggs, another receiver, Kyle Williams, decided to change his number to No. 8. That decision marked some finality for the Diggs era.
Then, Williams changed his number back to No. 18. In turn, he sparked rumors that the Patriots needed to keep the number open for Diggs.
Of course, all that has amounted to is a bunch of rumors. Nothing has come of it since then, and if Breer is right, nothing will come of it. Williams will have just changed his number back, making it a footnote on the offseason.
Albert Breer Shares Insight into a Potential Reunion for Stefon Diggs, Patriots