Were Russell Wilson, Stefon Diggs signings directly linked?

Two more major NFL free-agent dominoes fell on Tuesday night when Russell Wilson and Stefon Diggs found new homes, and the timing of the news has led to some questions about whether the signings may have been linked.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported on Tuesday evening that the New York Giants had signed Wilson to a one-year, $21M deal. Less than 30 minutes later, word surfaced that Diggs had agreed to a three-year, $69M deal with the New England Patriots.

The Giants now have two veteran quarterbacks on their roster, as they also signed Jameis Winston to a two-year deal on Friday. Wilson's contract, which includes $10.5M guaranteed, suggests the Giants expect him to be their starter in 2025.

New York also has the No. 3 overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. Now that the Giants have a new starting quarterback in place, they might choose to draft the best player available instead of a quarterback. That player could be former Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.

The New England Patriots have the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. Hunter is one of the players they are said to be very high on. If the Giants do not draft Shedeur Sanders or another quarterback at No. 3, there is less of a chance of Hunter being available by the time the Patriots are on the clock. Hence, they may have elected to address the wide receiver position by signing Diggs, knowing their draft target is less likely to be there at their pick.

Of course, the Giants could still target a quarterback early in the first round. Wilson only signed a one-year deal and is 36, so he is more of a bridge option. New York still needs to draft and develop a quarterback at some point. Having Wilson on the roster gives them the flexibility to address that need later in the draft, however.

The Patriots had already done their research on Diggs when they hosted him for a visit that reportedly went well. Maybe they were going to sign the former Pro Bowl wide receiver regardless of whether the Giants signed Wilson.

There is no guarantee that Hunter will be off the board at No. 4, just as there is no guarantee that he is New England's top choice. But if the Patriots had visions of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner becoming their new top option in the passing game, they may have felt more of a sense of urgency to sign Diggs once the Giants secured a starting quarterback.