The Las Vegas Raiders have been in the speculation mill regarding veteran free agent Stefon Diggs. Nonetheless, one former player for the Silver and Black wants no part of the player despite being a productive player.
Last season for the New England Patriots, Diggs played 450 pass snaps, earning him an 87.5 overall PFF grade. The 32-year-old hauled in 85 receptions on 100 targets for 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Moreover, he averaged 11.9 yards per reception on the season and generated 363 yards after the catch.
Diggs showed that he can still be a productive player despite his age and he can work with a young QB. However, former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy doesn’t want Las Vegas to pursue the veteran because of the distractions he would bring to this rebuild.
“Because you have such a young, impressionable team in the locker room, the last thing you need to bring in is a distraction,” Lincoln said on the May 26 edition of the “Raiders Squad Show.” “I’m not talking about Stefon Diggs on the field. I’m talking about everything involving Diggs off the field. Can you imagine the Vegas sideshow that is already there?”
Several key Raiders offensive players in this rebuild are Fernando Mendoza, Ashton Jeanty, and Brock Bowers. As a result, it makes sense why Kennedy would like to see the team avoid any negative impressions or influence that a veteran might have on their young core.
Stefon Diggs Would Bring Unwanted Baggage
Kennedy noted that, with Diggs in what appears to be an on-and-off relationship with musical artist Cardi B and the legal situation he was just in, the Raiders don’t need that right now.
“The Vegas sideshow that’s coming in when somebody says, ‘Hey, Cardi B, are you coming to see a Vegas game?‘ You don’t need that,“ Kennedy added. “You don’t need that at this time. That’s all I think of when I hear the name Stefon Diggs.
“It’s everything that’s been affiliated with off the field, from the assault charges and the court cases to the arrest and the Cardi B thing. All of that. Why would you bring that in? That’s the same thing as bringing in another Antonio Brown. You don’t need all those distractions.”
If the Raiders had a veteran dressing room that’s ready to win now, maybe Diggs would be a fit. However, with this young team, putting this player in that dressing room might not be ideal.
On the Field Stefon Diggs Makes Sense for the Raiders
Several outlets and analysts are seeing the Raiders as a fit for Diggs, given that the Silver and Black have a lot of unknown at the wideout position. One of those who sees Las Vegas and Diggs as a match is Bill Barnwell of ESPN.
“The Raiders are a strong fit for Stefon Diggs,” Barnwell said on the May 22 edition of “NFL Live.” “Consider the offense Clint Kuback ran last season in Seattle, which featured heavy boot action and a lot of crossers across the middle of the field. He also ranked second in ESPN’s receiver score metric, which measures how well a player gets open, catches the ball, and creates yards after the catch.
“Diggs played limited snaps last season, appearing in only about half of the team’s offensive plays. If he is used in a situational role, Las Vegas could operate as a heavy 12-personnel team. He would not need to play every snap, but could be highly effective in passing situations and key moments, similar to his role with Drake Maye last season. In that usage, Diggs could be a valuable weapon for Mendoza in his first season with the Raiders.”
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