03-23-2025, 02:53 PM
I'm feeling old again.
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When the Patriots traded for veteran receiver Randy Moss in April 2007, some wondered how he would fit into the team's culture. A banner headline across the Boston Globe's front page the next day read: "Controversial receiver Moss aboard."
Moss was entering his 10th NFL season, and among the storylines that followed him to New England was a comment he made early in his career when he said, "I play when I want to play."
Coupled with on-field frustrations that boiled over with the Raiders, the acquisition was viewed by some as risky.
Turns out it was brilliant.
The story comes to mind in the wake of the Patriots hosting free agent receiver Stefon Diggs -- whose transgressions have been documented in Minnesota and Buffalo -- on a visit last week.
This isn't to say Diggs is an equal to Moss as a player; few in the history of the game are. But it serves a reminder that perception isn't always full reality. At the least, the Patriots' visit with Diggs, who like Moss began his career with the Vikings, was an attempt to go beyond the surface and get to know him better as he gets set to enter his 11th season.
One coach who worked closely with Diggs told ESPN he is one of his all-time favorites because he "loves football, practices hard and with purpose, and wants to be coached," adding that "he's a warmer person than the stigma that follows him."
The visit was also a chance for the Patriots to assess where the 31-year-old Diggs is in his recovery from a torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered on Oct. 27 while playing for the Houston Texans. League sources have described Diggs as ahead of schedule, already running full speed and gaining increased comfort cutting and changing direction.
In turn, the visit gave Diggs a chance to consider what it would be like to play under first-year coach Mike Vrabel, whose team has a glaring void at receiver and a promising second-year quarterback in Drake Maye.
Since 2020, Diggs has 5,868 receiving yards (ranks sixth in NFL), 40 touchdowns (seventh) and averages 79.3 yards per game (ninth).
Would Diggs prefer to be on a surefire contender? Or if the Patriots took a Milton Williams-type approach with an aggressive offer that showed their conviction and belief despite the injury risk, would that trump all else for him?
The answers to those questions are to be determined, as neither side seems to be operating with heightened urgency at this point.
ESPN
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When the Patriots traded for veteran receiver Randy Moss in April 2007, some wondered how he would fit into the team's culture. A banner headline across the Boston Globe's front page the next day read: "Controversial receiver Moss aboard."
Moss was entering his 10th NFL season, and among the storylines that followed him to New England was a comment he made early in his career when he said, "I play when I want to play."
Coupled with on-field frustrations that boiled over with the Raiders, the acquisition was viewed by some as risky.
Turns out it was brilliant.
The story comes to mind in the wake of the Patriots hosting free agent receiver Stefon Diggs -- whose transgressions have been documented in Minnesota and Buffalo -- on a visit last week.
This isn't to say Diggs is an equal to Moss as a player; few in the history of the game are. But it serves a reminder that perception isn't always full reality. At the least, the Patriots' visit with Diggs, who like Moss began his career with the Vikings, was an attempt to go beyond the surface and get to know him better as he gets set to enter his 11th season.
One coach who worked closely with Diggs told ESPN he is one of his all-time favorites because he "loves football, practices hard and with purpose, and wants to be coached," adding that "he's a warmer person than the stigma that follows him."
The visit was also a chance for the Patriots to assess where the 31-year-old Diggs is in his recovery from a torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered on Oct. 27 while playing for the Houston Texans. League sources have described Diggs as ahead of schedule, already running full speed and gaining increased comfort cutting and changing direction.
In turn, the visit gave Diggs a chance to consider what it would be like to play under first-year coach Mike Vrabel, whose team has a glaring void at receiver and a promising second-year quarterback in Drake Maye.
Since 2020, Diggs has 5,868 receiving yards (ranks sixth in NFL), 40 touchdowns (seventh) and averages 79.3 yards per game (ninth).
Would Diggs prefer to be on a surefire contender? Or if the Patriots took a Milton Williams-type approach with an aggressive offer that showed their conviction and belief despite the injury risk, would that trump all else for him?
The answers to those questions are to be determined, as neither side seems to be operating with heightened urgency at this point.
ESPN
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