When the New England Patriots signed Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $63.5 million contract in free agency, they knew they had to be patient. Having torn his ACL just five months earlier, the veteran wide receiver was still in the process of recovering from his injury and despite an optimistic outlook no lock to be ready for training camp.<\/p>\n
Fast forward four months and to Diggs not just being cleared for full camp participation, but immediately filling the role he was signed to play in the first place. The 31-year-old stepped right into the Patriots\u2019 starting lineup, serving as the team\u2019s primary Z-receiver and one of quarterback Drake Maye\u2019s go-to players throughout the summer so far.<\/p>\n
\u201dHe just adds a swagger in the room. He gets defenses on notice when he\u2019s in the game, and he helps the guys around him,\u201d Maye recently said about Diggs.<\/p>\n
Even though they did not get to showcase it in the Patriots\u2019 preseason opener against the Washington Commanders due to what head coach Mike Vrabel later called a \u201ccoaching decision,\u201d the Maye-Diggs connection has been a productive one so far. The veteran wideout looks like he did not skip a beat and appears to be well on his way to becoming a crucial part of New England\u2019s offense this season.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, the coaching staff is quite happy with Diggs\u2019 progress so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think where he\u2019s at in his process right now is where we want him to be,\u201d wide receivers coach Todd Downing explained earlier this week. \u201cHe\u2019s working hard when he\u2019s out there with his reps, and you see him making some plays.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Downing made sure to point out that smooth sailing should not be expected at all times. Diggs experienced that himself recently, when he dropped a well-placed would-be touchdown in a last-play-of-the-game scenario in a recent practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big thing with him is understand that we can\u2019t confuse results with the process,\u201d Downing said. \u201cSo, if there\u2019s a day that he doesn\u2019t have a whole bunch of production, that doesn\u2019t mean that he didn\u2019t do his job and get open. The process for him is going to have to be learning this system and learning exactly what the quarterback and what Josh [McDaniels] are looking for, and making sure that he\u2019s in the right spot at the right time. As he continues to refine that, I think he\u2019s stay on the trajectory we expect him to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diggs\u2019 combination of playmaking skills and ability to serve as a volume target for Maye was only one part of the reason why the Patriots picked him up during the offseason. Another was his leadership.<\/p>\n
Halfway through training camp, he continues to leave a positive impression on what is room mostly consisting of players on their rookie contracts.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been a great guy,\u201d said first-year wideout Kyle Williams. \u201cHonestly, a great mentor, dropping lots of gems. He\u2019s been in the league for a decade, so it\u2019s been pretty long. All the gems and the knowledge that he\u2019s dropped on us, it\u2019s been very useful. Just a great dude and a great teammate overall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams, a third-round draft pick in April, added that Diggs has been echoing the \u201cdon\u2019t confuse the results with the process\u201d mantra shared by their position coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to have a veteran like 8,\u201d three-year veteran Kayshon Boutte said about Diggs. \u201cHe\u2019s a straight-forward guy. Anytime he\u2019s here, you feel the energy. Anytime. I think he\u2019s good for our room, too. A guy that can lead us and have us on the right path.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the first half of training camp over, Diggs has fully established himself as a leader in New England\u2019s receiver room. In the meantime, he put himself on that right path as well \u2014 both physically in regards to his recovery from major knee injury, and mentally as far as the acclimatization to Josh McDaniels\u2019 offense is concerned.<\/p>\n
Will the results reflect that when the regular season starts in early September? Time will tell, but the positive mood surrounding Diggs upon his arrival has not died down at One Patriot Place.<\/p>\n