Patriots Earn Perfect Grade for Stefon Diggs Signing

The New England Patriots are earning high marks for their addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) acknowledges fans after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots were in grave danger of failing to land a top-tier wide receiver this offseason, but they have finally bagged one.

The Patriots signed Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract on Tuesday night, providing Drake Maye with a legitimate No. 1 option heading into 2025.

Of course, Diggs carries plenty of risk, as he tore his ACL midway through 2024, but he seems to be making incredible progress and could be ready early next season.

Pat Lane of Pats Pulpit absolutely loves the move for New England and gave the team an A-plus grade for the acquisition.

"The Patriots finally get their Pro Bowl receiver, and they pay handsomely to do so," Lane wrote. "A three-year deal for up to $69 million is a lot, but it’s also only $26 million guaranteed, so the Patriots have some protection as well. Even if Diggs isn’t ready to go Week 1, he is going to bring the floor of the receiving corps way up."

The guaranteed money is the big thing: less than 40 percent of the money in the deal is a sure bet, so the Pats have done a fine job protecting themselves here.

That being said, one can still make the argument that $26 million is a lot for a 31-year-old coming off of such a major injury, especially considering that most were projecting Diggs to land something like a one-year, $15 million pact.

But the fact that the Patriots went that high with their offer is an indication that Diggs was receiving plenty of interest from other clubs.

In eight games with the Houston Texans in 2024, the University of Maryland product logged 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns. He had previously made four straight Pro Bowl appearances while posting five consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.

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