Patriots Already Teetering on Disaster Before Training Camp

The New England Patriots have had a very busy offseason, making significant additions on both sides of the ball in an attempt to repair a roster that was probably the NFL's worst last year.

The problem is that the Patriots were a bit careless in addressing one of their biggest holes: the receiving corps.

New England inarguably had the worst wide receiver room in the league in 2024, and with the Pats trying to cultivate quarterback Drake Maye, improving the group was paramount.

The Patriots made quite a few additions, signing Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency, drafting Kyle Williams and picking up undrafted rookie Efton Chism III.

But unfortunately, New England decided to put most of its eggs in the basket of Diggs, who tore his ACL midway through last season and whose 2025 debut was always in question as a result.

The Pats were hoping that Diggs would be ready for Week 1, but now, there appears to be a real chance that the 31-year-old could begin the regular season on the PUP list, which would be disastrous for the Patriots.

In that case, DeMario Douglas may have to resort to representing New England's No. 1 receiver, and we all saw how that worked in 2024.

Many had the Pats pegged as playoff contenders heading into training camp this summer, but there was always reason for trepidation. Now, you're beginning to see it.

Make no mistake: if Diggs is not healthy, the Patriots have almost no chance of even pushing for a playoff berth this coming season. They simply do not have enough weapons otherwise, which makes their decision to not push harder for an offseason trade or to take a wide receiver earlier in the draft that much more questionable.

New England has an easy schedule, yes, but it's important to remember that this team is coming off of back-to-back four-win campaigns. The Pats were terrible the last two years, so while they are surely happy about their manageable slate, other teams are seeing the Patriots on their schedule and are probably satisfied, as well. Especially if Diggs is sidelined.

There is still time for New England to make a move to bolster its offense before the regular season begins, but it won't be that easy, particularly this late in the offseason.

The fact remains that the Pats are already in deep trouble, and training camp hasn't even begun.