Stefon Diggs Signs in New England: How the Patriots have Improved this Offseason

Stefon Diggs signed with the New England Patriots on Tuesday. The numbers might look a little shocking: three years and $69 million for a guy who will turn 32 in November and is coming off a torn ACL.

With just $26 million guaranteed, this is more likely just a one-year deal with two team options at the end in case Diggs comes back and shows that he can still go like a WR1. If he can't, the Pats will probably be able to cut him with just a modest dead cap hit, making it painless aside from the big 2025 salary (which the team can afford).

This move is part of a makeover that began last year in New England and probably still needs another few years to fester before showing a true turnaround. With their quarterback seemingly in place in Drake Maye, the Patriots have one of the biggest questions answered and now just need to build up the team around their young QB.

In that scope, the Diggs move makes sense. The most likely outcome is that he's more of a middling receiver than a star, and the team either releases him after this season or renegotiates at a smaller number with some extra guarantees. If he hits big, though, they can bring him back at around the same number next year and hold the same power after 2026.

New England has made moves to improve their roster since the end of last season. Rather than just focusing on the Diggs move, which is going to depend a lot on his health status, let's look at the bigger scope of their offseason and where they have improved and still can get better.

Offensive Upgrades

There's not a lot here so far. Along with Diggs, the team signed receiver Mack Hollins near the start of free agency. Hollins is a fine complementary player and should find a spot on this roster.

After releasing starting center David Andrews, the team quickly pivoted by signing Garrett Bradbury, who had been released by Minnesota. It's at least a lateral move: New England was 31st in pass blocking and 32nd in run blocking, according to ESPN, so any move is likely to improve their outlook.

They also signed Morgan Moses to take over at right tackle, a strong but aging player who probably still has something left in the tank. The rest of the offense looks a lot like last year's group, though, and that's not a good thing.

The most help might come from the fourth overall pick. The Pats will likely have their choice of the left tackles at that spot, and in a class with a few really good prospects, it's going to be hard to pass on the position.

If Travis Hunter were to fall to No. 4, they would probably think long and hard about grabbing the two-way prospect. He could help at both positions but might be best at receiver with the current roster. No matter where they go, the Patriots have the chance to grab a blue-chip player with the fourth pick.

Defensive Changes

This is where the real strides have been made so far this offseason. It's easy to expect the Patriots to use a few high draft picks on offense because the defensive unit has been upgraded at all three levels.

Harold Landry III was a star at his best with Tennessee, accumulating 31.5 sacks over the past three seasons. Underlying numbers weren't as kind, though, and peg Landry as a descending player. Some of the more analytical minds feel the Landry addition was a poor signing.

A better move was bringing in defensive tackle Milton Williams from Philadelphia. It looked like Carolina was about to sign the young player, but he flipped to the Patriots, bringing a much-needed upgrade. New England wasn't as bad on the defensive line last year: 23rd in pass rushing and 16th in run stop. They still need impact players who can get after the quarterback and make plays in the backfield, and Williams can do that (five sacks last season then two more in the Super Bowl win).

Linebacker Robert Spillane came over from Las Vegas on a sizeable deal (three years, $33 million) and will take over in the middle. He's a fine player, with 173 total tackles over the past two seasons, though they may have overpaid a bit at a devalued position.

Cornerback Carlton Davis III was the big addition in the secondary, signing a three-year, $60 million contract. He won't turn 29 until the end of December, so the Patriots are likely to get three good years out of Davis as long as he stays healthy; this was a good pickup with plenty of available cap space.

Overall, the defense should be noticeably improved. Multiple rookies could still step in and make an impact. It's not a major need, but if top prospect Abdul Carter fell to the fourth pick, New England would have a hard time turning down the chance to add him. The Pats are in an enviable (or unenviable, depending on your perspective) position of being able to upgrade at a lot of spots.

How Much Have They Improved?

This team was 4-13, and their point differential (-128) was fifth worst in the league. They have unquestionably improved their talent from last season. It's just not enough to make any real difference on the outcome of the 2025 season.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see them improve to something like 7-10 or 8-9 and laud the difference made by new coach Mike Vrabel and the slew of new players, including whoever they bring in early in the draft.

It's a different world to jump from four to seven wins than it is from seven to 10, though. This team needs at least one more year of importing talent and getting development from their own players, including Maye, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and whoever comes in at No. 4.

This is a better team, and Diggs will help if he can come in healthy and perform early in the season. I'm not expecting big things from the receiver, though, and see him more as an OK WR2 type until he proves differently.

Look for New England to be a team on the rise, but they will have to do a lot more before breaking through to a contending tier.