Patriots Should Avoid This Enticing Free Agent WR

The New England Patriots should avoid one wide receiver in NFL free agency.

Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) scores against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have a major need at the wide receiver position heading into the NFL offseason. Every single day, there is a new story about who the team could target or what they should do.

One of those potential targets that has been mentioned for the Patriots is impending free agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Diggs is coming off of a torn ACL that he suffered in his first season with the Houston Texans. He has been an elite wideout in recent years and would be an enticing option for New England depending on his price tag.

That being said, the Patriots should avoid the temptation to sign him and go a different direction.

There are a few reasons for New England to avoid signing Diggs. He is 31 years old for one, but he is also coming off of the torn ACL. Even before the injury, he wasn't having a top-tier season for the Texans.

In the eight games that he played with Houston, Diggs caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers aren't horrible, but they certainly aren't elite.

With the injury and another year of age under him, there should be very serious doubt that he could be the kind of target that the Patriots want to add for Drake Maye.

If Diggs is willing to sign a one-year deal at a cheap price, New England should still consider that. But, if he's going for a multi-year contract with sizable money attached, the Patriots should pass.

Obviously, the ideal scenario would be New England landing Tee Higgins. That option does not appear to be incredibly likely at this point in time. They should still pursue him in free agency.

Other options could include a trade or even a player like Chris Godwin in free agency.

While the idea of adding Diggs could be intriguing to the Patriots, there are many other routes to improvement that they should pursue instead.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Patriots Should Steer Clear of Cowboys Pro Bowler
• Seahawks Floated as Trade Team for Patriots QB
• Patriots Linked to Potential Trade for Cowboys Superstar
• Patriots Get Disheartening News About Top Free Agency Target
• Patriots Legend Bill Belichick Slams NFL Insider