Patriots Should Cut Ties With Stefon Diggs; Sign 25-Year-Old Free Agent
The New England Patriots face a tough decision with Stefon Diggs this offseason, and if they move on, they will need to find a way to replace him. Alec Pierce could be a great target.
Diggs is under contract, just led the team in receiving yards and proved to be a leader in the locker room, so why would the Patriots move on? Well, the price tag may not match the production.
Diggs’ cap hit next season will be $26.5 million. The Patriots could save plenty of money by releasing him. He had 1,013 receiving yards last season and will turn 33 this year. Replacing him with Pierce would give the Patriots a younger player who produced just as much last season.
Pierce has led the league in yards per reception in each of the last two seasons. Last season, he had 1,003 receiving yards in 15 games and six touchdowns. He did that with Daniel Jones missing some time and Phillip Rivers filling in.
He does not have great yards after catch numbers, but he is a great deep threat. He had 829 yards before the catch last season, and his average depth of target was 18.9 yards. Pairing that with Drake Maye’s elite deep ball could be great for the Patriots offense.
Pierce is projected to sign a four-year, $80.9 million deal this offseason, so he would not be cheap. However, he is only 25 years old, and the Patriots would be getting him in his prime. Mike Vrabel has already noted that the name of the game is finding younger, better players every offseason.
“As I was taught, we talk about the business of the NFL, the businesses, we’re looking for the better, younger, cheaper player every day, and the players that we have are trying to not let that happen,” Vrabel said in his final press conference with the media. “And that’s the dynamic, and that’s the business of the National Football League.”
Diggs did a good job giving the Patriots a tough decision to make. However, it does not change the fact that he will be 33, slated to count over $25 million against the salary cap.