WR Stefon Diggs, NE (5 Viewers)

[Boston]

For the "being cut is on the table" from Zolak, assuming nothing more or terrible comes out on the boat stuff, what % chance do you think he's cut?

"Being on the table" is a wide range.

I think it is really tough to say because as far as I know no one (i.e. the general public) knows anything else negative other than the boat incident but IMO there is no way Zolak just throws out something for clicks or Talk Radio fodder...that is not who he is...the bottom-line is Vrabel is all-in on culture...he has been preaching it non-stop as he should because the Pats have been adrift since the last few years of BB...if there is other negative stuff swirling around Diggs he almost has to cut him because right now he has to play the long game...as much as the Pats could use Diggs they are not one player away from competing for a title and Vrabel has to practice what he preaches and I fully expect him to do so IF there is other stuff going on that he was concerned about before the boat incident became public...due to the unknown I put this at 50/50 right now.

Thanks. That's higher than I was thinking but good insight. And from your screen name, I'm assuming Patriots are your team.

In one way, I can see it as a dramatic maybe wild but just might work shot across the bow for Vrabel to cement the "Nobody bigger than the team" thing. That's a VERY expensive shot across the bow though. I'd think a ton of that would depend on how Diggs is perceived in the locker room. It'll be much easier if tons of players resent or don't like him for some reason. Much tougher if he's everyone's buddy.

My guess is the "everybody's buddy" does not matter because he really hasn't played for them yet...I think many are not understanding what is most important here...it is not Diggs it is Vrabel...if this was a one-off incident I think they deal with the headache and move on...not optimal but he gets his one-strike and they move on...it's the NFL and no one will really care the second he makes his first catch in a Patriots uni (which is exactly what I am rooting for as a Patriots fan)...as I keep saying everyone is guessing but until we know what this "other stuff" is (and if Zolak says it I 100% believe there is more going on and Zolak is not gonna be used in some type of team-ploy...I find that to be a foolish angle quite honestly)...if there have been issues and Vrabel has already warned him that takes things to a totally different level and not to be overly dramatic but Vrabel risks his credibility which I believe is one of his biggest strengths...the Pats locker-room needed to be fumigated after the past few years and Vrabel has been aggressive doing so this offseason...he is not going to piss that all away for a 31 year old Stefon Diggs if there is in-fact something else going on here...and I have no clue that there is like everyone else here.

I think I understand though it's both. Yes, it would be a statement from Vrabel. But it's not in a vacuum. Diggs has a role. Will be interesting to see.

I have seen lots of organizations personally where sometimes removing a talented but problematic person is a big plus in the overall. No idea if that applies here. But it's something I've seen often.

No doubt if they cut him it hurts the team on-field...zero doubt...also, Vrabel is a very street-smart guy who understands the personalities of the NFL...he is no boy scout so he wouldn't cut him because of one thing (outside of something like a domestic) but if this is something where Diggs has disrespected him (and I hate that word TBH) I don't think Vrabel would think twice about cutting him.

 

[TheWinz]

As a Vikings fan I love Diggs and wish him the best.

This stuff about him dating Cardi B (I did not know that) reminds me of this funny thing Brian Robison did.. 96 questions where he asks players who would they not want to date their sister and most of them said Diggs.

P Diggsy

 

[TheWinz]

Zolak talks about things he’s heard on his radio show all the time. Some things have more legs than others. I remember times where he said a big trade was going down any minute and none were made. There were other times things he brought up didn’t materialize (changes in personnel, injuries, signings, etc.) That doesn’t mean there weren’t discussions about it or he was necessarily wrong, only that some of those things didn’t end up happening.

I don’t think he usually would be the first source of information for a major story, which is part of the reason I find this situation a little surprising. Put another way, he’s not really positioned to be a news breaker, and I think there are other guys that would have been on this before him. Like I said, internally, I think NE has discussed how to handle things with Diggs and potential outcomes. But I think things would really need to escalate to get to the point where they would have more serious discussions about moving on from him. Short of some shocking revelations that we have no knowledge of right now, I don’t think they are seriously considering moving on from him . . . AS THINGS STAND NOW.

Very well put. Anarchy99! We always hear about teams doing their due diligence before drafting or trading for a player. NE surely did theirs, and knew full well Diggs would be Diggs. Sadly, there is a sliding scale for how much crap a team will take from a player before being cut, and the main element is talent.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

and the main element is talent.

I’ve mentioned this numerous times, most recently in the ARod topic.

It’s a line graph with a “talent” and a “problematic” axis.

Where on that axis the talent fails to exceed the problems, you’ll see teams taking more action. Unfortunately that means guys like AB get numerous chances to be a problem, often for numerous teams.

Sometimes the players check their head & it works out - Tyreek Hill comes to mind with some of his early career antics. That said there was a recent issue with a boat assault that comes to mind, but it all went away somehow.

Diggs coming off an ACL is kind of breaking new ground. The talent was there pre-injury. ACL recovery is pretty well understood. But he’s also got age as a factor.

IMO if he’s looking good on the field, this will all become a nothing burger. Team said what it was supposed to say, Diggs will stay out of trouble, Pats get their WR.

But if he’s struggling to recover as reported (I heard it on Fox Sports radio last Sunday) then it could go any number of directions.

Economics also come into play. Unless there’s a failed drug test & out clauses in his contract, he’s simply due too much money to cut. In my opinion, again.