New England Patriots
The Patriots could turn to other WR targets like Alec Pierce or AJ Brown moving forward.
Stefon Diggs’ exit means New England has a major vacancy on its WR roster. AP Photo/Lynn Sladky
Two days after the Patriots’ 2025 season ended with a loss in Super Bowl LX, Mike Vrabel He offered an ominous reflection on the state of New England’s roster.
“We’re looking for a better, younger, cheaper player every day, and the players we have are trying not to let that happen,” Vrabel said. “And that’s the dynamic, that’s the job of the National Football League.”
New England is certainly rolling the dice when it comes to its offensive personnel for 2026.
It is said that the patriots Veteran receiver Stefon Diggs released next week, which will free up nearly $17 million in cap space as a result.
New England needs all the financial flexibility it can get this offseason, given the number of shortcomings in the Patriots’ depth chart.
But the Patriots are now in desperate need of a new WR1 to pair with Drake Maye, whether in 2026 or in the coming years.
Although New England’s offense has been explosive in 2025 with Maye at the helm, the Patriots are inviting a lot of risk if they choose to bring him back with Kayshawn Butte, Mack Hollins, Demario Douglas, and Kyle Williams as their top pass rushers.
Here’s a quick look at New England’s options when it comes to upgrading Maye’s arsenal following Diggs’ exit.
In terms of pure asset management, the best path forward for New England is to replace Diggs’ production with a younger, better receiver on the free agent market.
By signing a talented pass-catcher, New England can properly utilize the cap space freed up by cutting Diggs without having to give up valuable draft capital as part of the trade.
With $16.8 million freed up by moving on from Diggs, New England is currently projected to have more than $56 million in cap space this offseason, according to OverTheCap. They could unlock more purchasing power by restructuring other contracts or cutting more players before the league calendar flips to 2026.
Unfortunately for New England, this crop of wide receivers may not exactly move the needle. Options like Romeo Doubs, Wan’Dale Robinson and Jauan Jennings have questions about durability — and about their status as the true No. 1 player in a new offensive system.
But there is one major target New England could turn to: Colts WR Alec Pierce.
The Colts’ decision not to apply the franchise tag to Pierce was a head-scratcher. The 25-year-old wide receiver is now scheduled to hit the open market next week
Pierce could land a contract with annual payments between $25 million and $30 million, near the price range Diggs was scheduled to count against the cap in 2026 ($26.8 million).
But Pierce offers a higher upside than Diggs when it comes to his age (seven years younger) and his profile as an explosive big receiver.
Pierce appears to fit seamlessly into the Patriots’ dynamic offense that led all NFL teams during regular season games in explosive play-action rate (8.1 percent).
He led the NFL in yards per catch during the 2024 (22.3) and 2025 (21.3) seasons with Indy — and closed last year with 47 catches for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns.
After receiving deep balls from Colts QBs like Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco and Philip Rivers, Pierce could take another big step forward as an elite player on a Maye-led team.
Trade for WR1
If Pierce is too expensive or chooses to return to Indy, New England could focus on the trade market.
Although it may be painful for New England to give up valuable draft picks to achieve wide receiver range, there are several attractive options the Patriots could draft instead of putting all their eggs in one basket with a free agent like Pierce.
Eagles star AJ Brown still makes a lot of sense for New England. Besides Brown’s status as an elite player (six 1,000-yard seasons), he has plenty of ties to Vrabel, having played as New England’s head coach during their time with the Giants.
“We communicate and text each other during good things that happen to each other.” “I don’t know what to do,” Vrabel said of Brown at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Sometimes, things aren’t going well for the people close to you, and you text them too. It’s a two-way street of support and a reminder of what got us to where we are here today.”
Brown, 28, could be a versatile and dynamic weapon in New England. But the Eagles — who would have to cough up a $43.4 million fee if they deal Brown before June 1 — are reportedly asking a hefty price for the WR1.
“In their minds, it’s a Quinnen Williams-type deal,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said of Philly’s asking price. “We’re talking about a potential first-round pick with a second-round draft pick on him. That’s where the Eagles should start thinking about moving AJ Brown.”
New England could wait until after June 1 to see if the Eagles lower their asking price, when the cap fee could be spread out over several years.
But waiting until that point in the NFL calendar to try to add a WR1 carries some risks for New England and severely limits their leverage in negotiations with the Eagles.
The Patriots could also try to pay Jaguars youngster Brian Thomas Jr., whose stock dropped in Jacksonville after a lackluster second season in the NFL ranks. However, Thomas is a year removed from posting 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a starter in 2024.
Chicago Bears WR DJ Moore could also be an option, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones Consider the Patriots a potential “landing spot” for Moore. The 28-year-old Moore is coming off a 2025 season in which he caught 50 balls for 682 yards and five touchdowns, but he has four 1,000-yard seasons on his ledger.
Draft a replacement for Diggs
New England hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to adding elite talent at wide receiver via the draft.
But, New England may not have the buying power to target a WR like Pierce or Brown if it chooses to shore up other areas of the depth chart — including offensive line, edge rushers, safety, and tight end.
With the 31st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, New England may look to affordable blue-chip talent in hopes of replicating some of Diggs’ production.
Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion is an explosive athlete with strong post-catch numbers during his time with the Aggies. He can be an effective alternative to Diggs when it comes to moving the chains on crossovers and lining up in the slot.
A big-time WR like 6-foot-4 Denzel Boston out of the University of Washington could also be a potential pivot if New England can’t land a proven borderline receiver like Pierce.
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