Report: Patriots passed up opportunity to acquire this star receiver

The Buffalo Bills made what turned out to be one of the best moves of the offseason last year when they acquired Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings, and New England Patriots fans are now left wondering what could have been.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media provided a detailed breakdown on Sunday of how the Diggs trade came together last March. The Bills and Patriots were considered the two finalists for the Pro Bowler, and the Vikings even called Bill Belichick to give him a chance to beat Buffalo’s offer.

The Bills traded a first-round draft pick and three other picks to Minnesota for Diggs. It’s unclear how close the Patriots were to beating that offer, but there must be a reason the Vikings called them back before finalizing things with Buffalo.

Diggs led the NFL with 127 receptions and 1,535 yards this season. The Patriots had the most unproductive wide receiver group in football, so they certainly could have used the help. It looked like they might improve the unit at one point, but nothing ever came of it.

Of course, Diggs has been a perfect fit for Josh Allen and Buffalo’s offense. There’s no guarantee he would have duplicated his production in New England, but he certainly would have been an upgrade over any of the Patriots’ skill players.