Drake Maye has thrown plenty of passes to Stefon Diggsâjust never in real life. Back in high school, the Patriots quarterback was connecting with Diggs on “Madden” and stacking fantasy points on his phone. Now, heâll be targeting the former All-Pro for real on Sundays.
âWhen I was in high school he was a younginâ in the league, and I had him on my fantasy team and things like that,â Maye said, per Danny Jalliet of Patriots Wire. âI was playing with him on âMadden.â So, itâs pretty cool to now this season be throwing to him.â
That throwback sentiment now becomes a reality in Foxborough, where the Patriots front office has made it clear: theyâre all-in on maximizing Mayeâs development with a bolstered supporting cast. And Diggs is the crown jewel.
The Patriots signed the 30-year-old wide receiver to a three-year deal despite him coming off a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season prematurely. Prior to the injury, Diggs had posted six straight 1,000-yard seasons and opened last year in Houston with 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in just eight games.
Patriots Keep Loading Up on Offense
Even if heâs not quite the dominant version of himself from Buffalo, Diggs still represents a massive upgrade at a position group that was borderline unwatchable last season. His presence alone should draw coverage and ease life for younger receivers like Kyle Williams, the mid-round rookie from Arizona who also joined the roster this offseason. See Maye’s comments on Diggs here.
New Englandâs approach this offseason was obvious: surround Maye with weapons, protection, and experience. Along with Diggs, they added veteran wideout Mack Hollins, signed center Garrett Bradbury and tackle Morgan Moses, then spent draft picks on LSU left tackle Will Campbell and Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Oh, and the sidelineâs revamped too. Mike Vrabel takes over as head coach, with Josh McDaniels running the offense. Thatâs a heavy dose of familiarity and upside all at once.
Mayeâs optimism is noticeable. âIâm pumped,â he said. âA lot of new faces, a lot of veterans who played at a high level. We found answers at a lot of different spots that I hope we can plug and play.â
The Patriots havenât been shy about admitting their failures from 2023, but theyâve also wasted no time trying to flip the script. Whether Diggs returns to full form or simply gives them competence on the boundary, the goal is clear: give Maye every reason to make Year 2 a launchpad.
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