When it came to adding players during free agency last spring, there was a lot of frustration when it came to the New England Patriots lack of spending when it came to adding talent to the roster.
Coming off another 4-13 season, there was a concern that there would be more of the same this offseason, leaving the Patriots in a tough spot when it came to improving a roster with so many holes.
While the addition of Drake Maye last April certainly made the quarterback situation here a little brighter, the addition of new head coach Mike Vrabel appears to have had a little larger impact than some might have thought in terms of attracting free agents.
Newcomer Stefon Diggs more or less admitted that during his press conference on Friday. Diggs spoke to reporters for the first time and said that his knowledge of Vrabel both as a coach and a player made this a destination he was interested in coming to, and it’s definitely part of the reason he’s here.
“Yeah, 100 %,” said Diggs when asked about it Friday. “I mean, I also kind of factor in that he was a former player. And player-to-coach relationship, it works, meshes really well with coaches that played at one time. They know what it takes to put the time in being out there. I guess I wouldn’t say it’s too much like a robot. Sometimes they get caught up in being in the numbers and the Xs and O’s. Player coaches know that you’re out there, you can make plays, things come up differently, how you see things can be differently when you once were a player.”
“So he was a big draw for me seeing that he played the game of football and how well he played the game of football. I mean, he played with a standard. He played with some moxie. He had that energy. He played with a team or individuals that were great at what they do. Being around greatness and breeding greatness, it’s like – it’s rubbing shoulders with it. I feel like he has good words with it. I feel like it’s a good relationship to have, especially when out there. So trying to follow suit, in a way. ”
As a former Super Bowl champion and someone who certainly had an impact in those wins, Vrabel had the resume as a player. But one other thing that made him stand out a little more from former coach Jerod Mayo is the fact that Vrabel already has a pretty good coaching resume, having had the success he did in Tennessee.
For Diggs, as he heads into what might be the final chapter of his career, he’s hoping to have that same success here in New England. This time around, he’s a guy who is definitely the best receiver in the room, and with a young quarterback and what he feels is a group heading in the right direction, he’s excited to be a part of it.
“Young quarterback, a good team, a lot of pieces being added, everything tracking in the right direction, something that I wanted to be a part of,” said Diggs. “I feel like I could be helpful as far as the development with the receivers and everybody involved. For me personally, getting back out there and getting active. I just want to put my talents to use. But definitely, I thought about it. All that factored into making my decision.”
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
