Patriots Eye AJ Brown After Diggs Departure; Chiefs Reset?

Patriots Pivot to AJ Brown Amidst Stefon Diggs Trade Rumors

In a surprising turn of events, the New England Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that he will be released at the start of the 2026 league year. This move has immediately sparked speculation about the Patriots’ next big acquisition, with many pointing towards Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown.

While the departure of Diggs was unexpected for some, the focus quickly shifted to potential replacements. “Does this mean that they the Patriots need to go all in after AJ Brown right now?” asked Harry Douglas during a recent sports talk segment. The consensus among analysts suggests it’s a strong possibility, especially given the history between new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and Brown from their time together in Tennessee.

“When it comes to AJ Brown, I had one GM tell me, well, you know, the Patriots are going to be all in on AJ Brown. And that was before the Stefon Diggs news yesterday,” revealed K-Mart, who gathered intel from Indianapolis. “Now, it makes a ton of sense given the history with Vrabel and AJ Brown from their time in Tennessee.” Vrabel himself commented on his relationship with Brown at the combine, noting their constant communication and his admiration for Brown’s growth as a person.

However, Harry Douglas also highlighted a more pressing need for the Patriots: revamping their offensive line. “The most glaring need is revamping that offensive line. We have to remember last season in 2025, Drake May was sacked 47 times. That was the fourth most by any quarterback. And then when you got to the playoffs, he was sacked 21 times in the four games. So, protecting your franchise quarterback is the most important in my opinion.”

Despite the offensive line concerns, the allure of acquiring a top-tier receiver like Brown is undeniable. “Another way to protect him, too, is to get a guy on the outside that can get open when you don’t have a ton of time,” argued K-Mart. “AJ Brown is still that guy that can beat man coverage one-on-one. So, going to get a true number one, a big physical receiver like AJ Brown will be big. Remember, they tried to sign Chris Godwin in free agency a year ago as well, a big-name wide receiver. That didn’t work out. Now, Stefon Diggs is gone. Getting a guy like AJ Brown will be big for Drake May.” The Patriots’ aggressive approach in free agency last year, despite not landing their top targets, suggests they might be willing to make a significant splash again.

Chiefs Trade Trent McDuffy, Sparking Rebuild Questions

In another significant development, the Kansas City Chiefs have traded All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffy to the Los Angeles Rams for a package of picks, including a late first-rounder this year. This move has shifted the betting odds, with the Rams now becoming the favorites to win the Super Bowl, while raising serious questions about the Chiefs’ immediate future.

“That’s one of the situations you get in. Trent McDuffy, an All-Pro, two-time All-Pro type of player. He deserves a massive contract at that quarterback spot. The Chiefs are in a situation where you just can’t pay everybody,” explained J. Mack. “So, they were forced to make a trade and get rid of him and get something in return.”

The trade signals a potential shift in strategy for the Chiefs. “To me, this signals for the Chiefs, hey, we don’t see ourselves as contenders right away. Patrick Mahomes coming off of an injury. At some point, he’s going to be healthy. But not only is Trent McDuffy, their All-Pro corner going to be gone, their corner on the other side, Jaylen Watson, he’s a free agent. Their safety, Brian Cook, he’s a free agent. They could have three out of four new starters in the secondary next year. To me, this is the Chiefs sort of hitting reset in the sense of now we have to build our next nucleus of the guys that are going to go on a run to become contenders as Mahomes is getting healthy over the next maybe two to three seasons opposed to 2026.”

Harry agreed, emphasizing the multiple areas needing attention. “Multiple multiple multiple moves away. Greeny, if you ask me, when you look at the offensive line, the running back position, what’s going to go on with Travis Kelce? Is he going to play? Is he not going to play? If he doesn’t, how you going to fill that void? You look at their defensive line, they have multiple pieces on the defensive line. They’re going to lose linebackers. They’re losing secondary pieces. They have a ton of holes amongst their roster right now. Hence the why they probably traded Trent McDuffy to get a lot of draft capital back to reset everything.” The Chiefs’ history of moving on from key defensive backs like Justin Reed, Shvarius Ward, and L’Jarius Sneed suggests a belief in their player development infrastructure.

Concerns also linger about the health and form of Patrick Mahomes. “I’m concerned about the Chiefs cuz obviously the Travis Kelce of it all like what kind of player is he going to be? the fact that Mahomes, we don’t know exactly when he will be on the field and how will he look,” K-Mart added. “Him tweeting out yesterday, you know, damn, like he’s sitting back knowing that he’s not healthy and there’s so much at stake with this team.” The Chiefs may be looking at a “take a step back to leap forward” season, using the draft capital to build for their next championship window.

Cowboys Restructure, Eye Aggressive Offseason Moves

The Dallas Cowboys are making significant financial moves, restructuring the contracts of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyler Smith, saving nearly $66 million and freeing up cap space for free agency. This financial flexibility is seen as the first step towards fulfilling Jerry Jones’ promises of aggressive moves this offseason.

“Heck yeah, most definitely. Especially what does it say? No projects or what or what? We need guys now to play,” a motivated Dak Prescott stated. “Yeah, I mean, we got a coach in the second year. Um, we know we’ve had some ups and downs and shine some good moments last year and, uh, this is this is the year that you make a big jump and getting big time players who can help immediately is a key part of that.”

The question on everyone’s mind is who will be that “big-time player.” While needs exist across the defense at edge, linebacker, and safety, the idea of acquiring a player like Max Crosby has been floated. However, the cost, both financially and in terms of draft compensation, is substantial. An alternative discussed is acquiring Trey Hendrickson, who would be less costly in terms of draft picks.

Harry Douglas expressed caution about labeling the Cowboys as immediate Super Bowl contenders, noting their long drought without an NFC Championship appearance. “But you get three solid players on defense and I’m not just going to put it in the box of Max Crosby. You go get a guy like Trey Hendrickson as well. I think that’s going to upgrade your defense from a pass rush standpoint and pair him with those interior defensive linemen. Now you can focus from a draft perspective on your linebackers and your secondary.”

The comparison was drawn to the Cincinnati Bengals’ successful formula of a potent offense complemented by defensive upgrades. “If you are sort of the modern version of the Bengals, Trey Hendrickson should feel very comfortable in that, right? He went from one the offense is great. We can’t stop anybody to another team. Offense is great. We can’t stop anybody. He can help.”

Ultimately, the consensus is that Dallas has a crucial window to capitalize on their strong offense. “They can’t miss this window. They’re paying a lot of guys offensively. If they they just need it’s one offseason of very smart, aggressive moves and they draft well,” one analyst concluded. The focus on defense, whether through free agency or the draft, is paramount for the Cowboys to become legitimate NFC contenders.

Source: Without Stefon Diggs, do the Patriots HAVE to go after A.J. Brown? 👀 K-Mart's info… 💭 | Get Up (YouTube)