NFL teams are gearing up for the legal tampering period set to begin on March 9, followed by the start of the new league year on March 11. Some teams are parting ways with players to get under the salary cap or to position themselves for big moves in the market.
One of the teams that made a significant move was the New England Patriots, a major rival of the Buffalo Bills.
Patriots Are Expected to Move on From Stefon Diggs
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Patriots are expected to release four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs at the beginning of the new league year.
Diggs signed a three-year, $63 million contract with New England last offseason and performed well, recording 1,013 yards and four touchdowns over the course of 17 games.
However, Diggs will turn 33 in the middle of next season, and the Patriots could free up $20 million in cap space if they decide to cut him with a June 1 designation.
Although Diggs only spent one season with the Patriots, he played a significant role in helping them reach the Super Bowl and in elevating Drake Maye to one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
With Diggs now set to become a free agent, there’s a possibility he might join a team with Super Bowl aspirations, and perhaps the Bills will be on his radar.
Diggs Played For the Bills From 2020 to 2023
In 2020, the Bills made a significant trade for Diggs, largely to provide their developing quarterback, Josh Allen, with a reliable No. 1 wide receiver. Diggs was coming off a solid five-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings, but he was looking for a change of scenery to reignite his career.
Allen was gearing up for his third season in the NFL. He had already led the Bills to the playoffs in 2019, but it wasn’t until Diggs arrived that he finally had the key playmaker needed to elevate the offense to the next level.
Diggs played in 66 games for the Bills over four seasons, racking up 445 receptions for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns, making the playoffs each year.
However, the Bills could never reach the Super Bowl with Diggs, and Buffalo traded him to the Houston Texans in the spring of 2024.
Diggs suffered a knee injury during his only season with the Texans and then entered free agency, where he was available for some time before the Patriots swooped in to pick him up.
The Bills might be a potential landing spot for Diggs this offseason, but they should only consider this option if they can’t secure a top wide receiver in the open market or through a trade.
Diggs may not be the top wide receiver he was during his time in Buffalo three years ago, but he does have a connection with Allen. There’s a chance he could bounce back, rejuvenate his career, and hopefully lead the Bills to the Super Bowl — something he couldn’t achieve in his first stint with the team.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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