After a pair of four-win campaigns, there’s a sense of urgency for the New England Patriots to take a step in the right direction in 2025.
Even with some high-ticket off-season acquisitions, such as Carlton Davis and Milton Williams, the roster still lacks NFL-caliber talent, primarily due to years of botched drafts and a reluctance to spend on premier free agents.
The offensive depth is particularly glaring, with an offensive line relying on two rookies and a pass-catching corps still lacking an elite option.
The addition of 31-year-old Stefon Diggs, coming off a torn ACL, felt like a desperate effort to inject some upside into the depleted room, but could the four-time Pro Bowler be used as trade bait to land a familiar face?
During a recent episode of the “Pats Interference” podcast, New England insider Tom Curran suggested the team should consider swapping Diggs for former Patriot Jakobi Meyers.
“Absolutely, Jakobi Meyers is better than Stefon Diggs at this point in terms of what he’s putting on the field,” Curran said. “Diggs is not a downfield threat, and neither is Meyers, but the resume over the last three seasons certainly measures up.”
According to various outlets, Meyers recently requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders as he enters the final year of his contract.
Even considering the age of both players and disregarding their peaks, Diggs still has a higher ceiling as a dominant precision player in the slot.
Before he got hurt, Diggs was on pace for about a 1,000-yard season in Houston in a crowded WR corps.
It makes sense to default to the younger option, who has roughly the same skills, but moving such an integral piece of the passing attack right before Week 1 is self-sabotage.
New England should still be in the market for Meyers or another disgruntled receiver, but not at the expense of their current top target.
