Commanders Dodged a $68 Million Bullet When Romeo Doubs Chose New England

When the Washington Commanders struck out on signing Romeo Doubs in free agency, it felt like a massive missed opportunity for a team desperate for wide receiver help. Instead, the front office pivoted to bringing former Maryland star Stefon Diggs back to the DMV. Following Doubs' disastrous, drop-filled Week 1 debut after signing a four-year, $68 million deal with the New England Patriots, Washington's brass is already looking incredibly smart for saving its money and landing a proven veteran to pair with Terry McLaurin.

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) does a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Washington Commanders were tasked with a lengthy offseason to-do list coming off of last year's 5-12 campaign, but their free agency approach badly needed an adjustment after last summer's debacle. They still needed veterans to fill out position groups of need- just no more of the big names who were too old or weathered to meaningfully uplift their top-heavy offense and limited defense.

One of their most glaring holes, an impactful playmaker to slot next to Terry McLaurin near the top of the wide receiver depth chart, took the longest to fill. And though they eventually did last month, bringing Stefon Diggs back home, that wouldn't be the first time a recent New England Patriots decision influenced the Commanders' offseason plans.

Long before Washington sealed the deal in recruiting the former Maryland star back to the DMV, they struck out on a number of younger wideout options. One of those whiffs included former Green Bay Packer Romeo Doubs, who passed on the Commanders' reportedly aggressive offer in lieu of a link-up with the reigning AFC Champions.

Romeo Doubs entertained tangible interest from the #Commanders and it was very close in the end, but he chooses NE. https://t.co/L7M47hf9m2

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 10, 2026

Projecting the Commanders' Pivot

The Patriots seemed to have done well for themselves by trading for a true Diggs replacement in A.J. Brown, though neither he nor Doubs provided much of anything positive in New England's brutal 13-10 season-opening defeat at the hands of their Super Bowl-winning foils in the Seattle Seahawks.

Brown exited the outing in the first half with a high-ankle sprain, while Doubs failed to convert on a single one of his three Drake Maye targets.

Romeo Doubs disasterclasspic.twitter.com/sWHOeda0vK

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 10, 2026

Odds suggest that he'll survive the embarrassing hiccup en route to another season finishing between 600-750 yards, but the Commanders have to be feeling pretty good about their considerably cheaper investment at the hands of the Patriots' choice to part ways with Diggs.

Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) warm up prior to the game against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He, too, will get to scale his role down a touch in fitting in alongside McLaurin, but he certainly seems poised to be used more than Doubs was on primetime- an especially curious trend to monitor after Brown went down. Doubs was primarily used as a blocker before attracting the occasional first-down attempt, with the taller Mack Hollins eventually surging into Maye's favorite receiving option amidst his ultimately failed hunt for a game-winning drive.

Diggs, meanwhile, isn't under nearly as much pressure to put a downfield offense on his back, even if he just crossed the 1,000+ yard threshold once again during his lone season in New England. He's yet to fortify anything resembling McLaurin's connection with Jayden Daniels, and Washington's versatile receiving depth should ensure that he isn't overtaxed as he inches closer to his mid-30s.

Stefon Diggs has been impressed with Jayden Daniels arm talent. Diggs told me the chemistry is still a work in progress because the QB-WR duo is striving for perfection. pic.twitter.com/RTdOhMj1W0

— Marshall Kramsky (@marshallkramsky) September 9, 2026

He's playing with house money entering an imposing trip to visit the Philadelphia Eagles, and anything he's able to provide from that overqualified secondary role could soon give the Commanders cause to celebrate saving a little bit of dough of their own.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow the Burgundy & Gold on Facebook and the Commanders on SI on X for the latest news. You can also subscribe to our Facebook Messenger News Channel, which is the fastest and easiest way to actually see our articles while on any Meta product.