New England Patriots DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

ESPN's Ryan McFadden writes that the Las Vegas Raiders could target former Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (knee) as they look to build their offense around new quarterback Geno Smith, tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Jakobi Meyers. Even though Diggs is 31 years old and is coming off a torn ACL, he'd be a significant upgrade over current No. 2 wideout Tre Tucker if he can return to full strength in 2025. The former Buffalo Bills wideout had 496 yards in the first eight weeks of the 2024 campaign in Houston before suffering his season-ending knee injury. After trading for Christian Kirk and signing free agents Justin Watson and Braxton Berrios, it's unlikely that Diggs will re-sign with the Texans. Vegas could be a nice landing spot for Diggs, but with no guarantees that he'll be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, he'll be a shaky fantasy option, regardless of where he signs.

The New England Patriots have agreed to a deal with free-agent wide receiver Mack Hollins on Monday. The two sides have agreed on a two-year, $8.4 million deal where Hollins can earn up to $10.4 million in total. This is a nice landing spot for Hollins who was previously coached by Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels while in Las Vegas. Hollins hasn't been very impressive on the field outside of his lone season on the Raiders where he hauled in 57 receptions for 690 receiving yards and four touchdown in 2022. He'll be a nice depth piece to go along with DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Kendrick Bourne.

Free-agent veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs reached an agreement with the New England Patriots on Monday on an undisclosed two-year deal, according to his agent, Mike McCartney. The 30-year-old journeyman signal-caller will head to the AFC East after spending the 2024 campaign with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup to Brock Purdy. Dobbs only appeared in two games (one start) for the Niners a season ago and went 32-for-47 for 361 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He saw his most action (13 games) with the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings in 2023 and threw for a career-high 2,464 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2023, also adding 421 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 77 carries. Dobbs has gone 3-12 in his 15 career NFL starts. Turnovers and decision-making have been an issue, but he'll provide experience as a backup to second-year QB Drake Maye.

The New England Patriots are re-signing veteran tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7 million. Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 45 receptions and 476 yards with New England a season ago, his highest marks since his 2021 stint with the Cleveland Browns. While he began the 2024 season cold, the 30-year-old picked it up over the back half -- racking up four catches in five of his last seven appearances as then-rookie signal-caller Drake Maye got acclimated to the NFL. The Stanford product played second fiddle to fellow tight end Hunter Henry last season and figures to do so again if his teammate stays healthy, as the latter out-paced the former handily in snaps (835-575) despite playing in one fewer contest. It's possible Hooper returns some TE2 value this upcoming season, but he's better off left to waivers until he proves otherwise.

The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M. Alexander doesn't think the Houston Texans will make a big push to try and re-sign impending free-agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs (knee) this offseason. General manager Nick Caserio has made it sound like the door is open for Diggs to return in 2025, but Alexander thinks Diggs would have to give the Texans a hometown discount for a reunion to happen, even with fellow wideout Tank Dell (knee) potentially missing all of the 2025 season. Diggs is now 31 years old and is rehabbing a torn ACL that he suffered in late October, so it will be interesting to see what his free-agent market will look like. Because he might not be ready for Week 1, it could drive his price down, potentially creating an opportunity for the Texans to land him on the cheap. If Diggs were to return, he'd be the clear No. 2 to Nico Collins.