Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Stefon Diggs At OTAs: New England Patriots WR Ahead Of Schedule?

Episode Date: May 28, 2025

Stefon Diggs was pictured at New England Patriots’ OTAs last week. Diggs is seemingly ahead of schedule to return from ACL surgery, but could he be back by Week 1?Speaking of WRs, can Josh McDaniels revive the career of Ja’Lynn Polk? We’ll get into the three reasons why that will be a challenge. Finally, Doug Marrone was one of the biggest coaching hires of the offseason and he has three clear priorities this camp season. We’ll tell you what those priorities are on today’s episode. Pull up and enjoy!Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOPatriots?sid=YouTubeLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL#patriots #newenglandpatriotsSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That's where we start on this episode of Locked On Patriots. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What's up, Patriots fans? I am your host, Nick Cattles, born and raised in New England, your New England Patriots expert, host of the Everything Pats podcast, co-host of the Greg Medard Patriots podcast

with Nick Cattles, and also a Sports Talk Show host veteran. On today's episode, Josh McDaniels looks to revive a young receiver and the top three priorities for one of the most important coaches on this staff. But first, the picture that spawned fan optimism late last week. We appreciate you joining the show, making us your first listen. And for being an everydayer, the Lockdown Patriots podcast is a proud partner.

The Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Stefan Diggs, if he is 85% of what he once was, he will have a significant impact on the 2025 Patriots. Significant. And late last week, I don't know how many of you saw this, I'm sure many of you did, if you're watching a Patriots podcast or listening to a Patriots podcast or listening to a Patriots podcast in late May, there was a picture of Stefan Diggs that surfaced. And

this picture was from the Patriots themselves. And I think that means something. If the Patriots are releasing a picture of Diggs working at OTAs, that tells us something because I don't think the team, or at least they shouldn't want to do this. I don't think the team is in the business of getting fans excited. And pushing this idea that digs is out there on the field to get them excited of digs possibly being out there week one. I don't think the organization would be throwing this picture out there to fraudulently tell us that, hey, Stefan Diggs is ahead of schedule.

I don't think the Patriots are going to be pumping the tires of Diggs in late May to set up the expectation of Diggs possibly being out there week one, maybe probably being out there week one, maybe probably being out there week one. I don't think the Patriots are going to push that narrative on social media to just destroy all hopes by the time we get to camp in late July. This OTA picture had Stefan Diggs with helmet on catching the football and being involved. just being involved. And that matters.

And it matters because if we look at Kendrick Bourne and his situation, Kendrick Bourne got injured going back to 2023, tore his ACL, and he was out until October of 2024. If you look at Diggs and his injury, Diggs right now is ahead of Bourne. If we're just treating this as a two-horse race to kind of visualize things, Kendrick Bourne

did not take part in OTAs. Wasn't out there, wasn't involved. I don't think there were pictures of him wearing a helmet, catching passes, being an active participant in OTAs. I don't think we saw that with Kendrick Bourne. Bourne actually talked about it going back a couple of months ago, saying that, you know, this year he feels like he's a different guy.

He's more optimistic about his ability to help this team because last year he did not take part in OTAs. But not only that, Bourne was a bystander at training camp. I was out at training camp. Bourne was not involved. I think he was out there every once in a while as far as just standing and watching the action. But Bourne was not actively participating in training camp He just wasn't out there doing football activities. So the fact that digs Is pictured doing football activities with helmet on during otas Before memorial day weekend

That tells me that he is ahead of born. And if we just match it up, if we just match up time of year and how each guy was being handled, born not at OTAs, born not involved with training camp, not on the field, actively participating. Now we look at Diggs in late May Helmet on seemingly participating via the football team on social media a full two months ahead of training camp if Diggs is out there participating in football activities like that picture presents to us if that is the case

That will tell us that digs is at least two months ahead of where Kendrick Bourne was in born he ended up starting his first game or at least playing his first game week five week six of last season so it stands to reason if digs is indeed participating like we see in that picture, I don't think it's AI, maybe it is, but if he's participating in OTAs, that means he's going to be participating in training camp. And if he's participating in training camp, that absolutely opens the door to digs playing week one. And I know we heard all these things when digs signed that he was ahead of schedule and I know that there have been a lot of stories written about digs and

you know what he's been going through with his rehab and Interviews with the guy who's helping him rehab the injury and we've heard it all however interviews with the guy who's helping him rehab the injury, and we've heard it all. However, it's much more significant that we're seeing pictures, that we're seeing visual evidence of Diggs with a helmet on in late May, because that tells me that he is ahead of schedule. And the stuff that we've heard wasn't just trying to build the excitement or justify the decision by the Patriots to sign him. Now with all of that said, I don't think there's a reason to rush digs.

Is the team better with digs out there? Absolutely. And that's why if he's say 85% of what he once was, he will have a significant impact on this season. And especially have a significant impact on this season and especially have a significant impact on Drake May. But I don't think that's a reason to rush him back for week one. Three out of your first four games this season are at home. So you got some home cooking to start the season. Those four games are against Vegas, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Carolina. Vegas at home without digs, you're favored. At Miami with or without digs, tough game.

Back home against Pittsburgh, we'll see who the quarterback is, but right now, favored. At home against Carolina, right now, favored. And when we look at underdog or favored, right now I would imagine that the thought process before this picture surfaced especially, the thought process is that Diggs will not be fully ready to participate in week one. So the early schedule with or without Ds is an opportunity to go at least two and two, maybe even three and one. This season is about the build. It's about building momentum towards the final month of the season, month and a half of the

season. It's about getting better as the year goes on. That's the most important part. So if digs has to miss the first few weeks of the season, but he's there for you week 5 through 18, that's when you need him the most. And I would say if Diggs is not ready by week 1, this is an opportunity for other wide receivers in that room to take advantage of that. The wide receiver room, that competition is going to be legitimate. There are a number of guys that could be cut, could be traded,

and if Diggs is not ready and you decide to say, let's pump the brakes, let's wait a little bit here, at least through the first few weeks, those other receivers like Jaylen Polk and Jayvon Baker, Kaishan Booty, they're going to have the opportunity to prove their worth. And that would give the Patriots coaching staff more time to evaluate that position and see what you have. And maybe just maybe one of those guys actually pops and it kind of changes your dynamic. And I just hope, I hope that when Diggs returns, if when he returns, it's for the right reasons. It's because he's healthy and not because of ego. It's because he's healthy and not because of money.

Because his contract has incentives. $500,000 for each of the following reception benchmarks 70, 80, 90, 100. He gets $500,000 receiving yards for each of the following, 1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300. He gets a half a million dollars if he makes the Pro Bowl. And also roster bonuses, per game roster bonuses, $3.4 million in per game roster bonuses. If Diggs, who we know, was not necessarily super happy about his contract and his market out there, if Diggs wants to make as much money as possible, he does that by being out there week one.

And I just hope that does not drive him to rush himself and be out there week one when he's not ready. This could only be a one year deal if you look at the details. And that could be some pressure on digs. But I would preach patience. No reason to rush. But certainly that picture late last week was reason for optimism.

Speaking of wide receivers, Josh McDaniels will attempt to give new life to one of them. That's coming up next as we continue with today's episode of Locked On Patriots, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and every night delivers highlight worthy performances, major momentum shifts and can't miss moments whether it's a game winning shot or a breakout

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off to a slow start and you feel like the numbers have dropped a little bit You're gonna take advantage of that because inevitably that guy is going to get hot if you're new to fandu It's the perfect time to sign up at the fan duel comm and place your first five dollar bet if it wins you'll get $200 in bonus bets make every moment more with fandu official sports betting partner of the NBA Fandule official sports betting partner of the NBA. One of the more interesting players on this roster is Jalen Polk and Josh McDaniels. One of his priorities during this camp is to try to revive Polk. You drafted him in the second round last year.

He was a bust in his rookie season. Can Josh McDaniels get anything more out of poke than what you got from him last season? Greg Bedard wrote about this months ago. And here's what he wrote, McDaniels and Vrabel see player development the same way. They'll tailor the plan to the player. Kendrick Bourne needed a lot of help in his first season,

and he got it from McDaniels and Mick Lombardi, who was the wide receivers coach at that time. It produced Bourne's best season. Polk will get similar treatment. So if you could work with Kendrick Bourne and understand back in 2021 what he needed to be successful and have his best NFL season, then maybe you can do the same for Polk is the point from Bedard. And McDaniels, he has certainly developed receivers. He hasn't developed every receiver he's worked with. He has not been a magician for every single person that

plays that position, but he has experience of getting the most out of certain players at said position. But with all of that, I actually find it very unlikely that poke will be revived here in New England year two, and it's not because I'm giving up on Jalen poke. I don't give up on any player at the beginning of year two. I don't believe in that. You draft a guy, you see what he does his rookie season. Maybe he exceeds expectations, maybe he falls well short of those expectations. But I never sit back and say that guy's done, he's dead to me, he's not going to be a player

after one year. It's just not going to happen. Now if off the field stuff happens and arrests or whatever, that's a different conversation for a different time on the field on the field product on the field production I don't rule out anybody being able to revive themselves in year two or year three, but mostly year two So I'm not sitting here telling you that I'm giving up on poke I'm not telling you that I've written him off as an NFL player But I find it very unlikely he

finds that revival, so to speak, this year in this place. Jalen Polk for McDaniels is likely going to play the Z position in the offense. Now, he might play something else, but in a perfect world, you look at Polk and you say, he's a Z receiver. He can be moved around, play outside, play inside, all those things. And at Z, the Patriots are going to have a big time numbers game. I mentioned Bourne and how good he was in 2021 for McDaniels

and for this offense. And last year, when he came back from the ACL, he was at the Z spot. So, Bourne, best year of his NFL career, was playing the Z position in a Josh McDaniels offense. Polk would have to leapfrog him to make a significant contribution. Stephon Diggs can play the Z. He can play outside, he can play inside, he moves all around for the offense.

Tough, tough, tough assignment for Polk. You could even include K. Shambuti. Maybe you move him around even though he's played mostly on the outside for the Pats, especially last season, but maybe he's a possibility. Kyle Williams played 25% of his snaps in college last year at the slot position. So poke would have to leap frog at least Kendrick Bourne. Now maybe Bourne gets traded. Poke has a great camp can't predict the future, but right now when you're looking at the numbers game, it's a very difficult challenge for poke to leapfrog born to leapfrog digs especially like we talked about last segment if digs is healthy and ready to go week one it might even be difficult to leapfrog k-shon booty because booty had a pretty good year last year all things considered it's going to be maybe difficult

to leapfrog kyle, even though Williams has never played an NFL game. He is this front office and this regimes, this regimes guy. So the numbers game is difficult for poke. And when you talk about the numbers game at wide receiver, you're talking about mouths to feed. If Diggs is ready week one, we know who's going to get the football thrown to him a decent amount.

And that would be one Stefan Diggs. Diggs did not sign a contract that could be a one year deal when all is said and done. He did not sign that contract to not be a big part of this offense out of the gates when he's ready to go. So Diggs, he's going to get targets. Pop Douglas or Kendrick Bourne. I think one of those two guys is going to get plenty of targets. We'll see if Pop fits within this offense. We'll talk about that at a later date because there are some things that he brings to the table that would make you believe he'll be a fit, but there are a couple of questions about Douglas that might get in the way of him being a fit with this offense. But I would say

it's safe to bet one of Pop or Bourne is going to make this roster. And if they're out there day one, then I think they're going to get some targets. But it's not just you know those guys Kyle Williams does Williams have a great camp and push this coaching staff to say man we drafted him in the third round he's an impact player he brings a different electricity to that position for us as a football team we got to get him in there more than we thought we were going to get him in there. Going to feed that mouth, but it's not just wide receiver. Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, who had one of his best seasons.

We talked about him on yesterday's podcast as one of the three forgotten guys. That's not being talked about. Oh, and running back. Trevion Henderson is explosivity. We talk about his ability as a pass catcher from the running back position and McDaniels and how he leans, he leans on running backs third down to be a help in the passing game. So Henderson is going to get some looks. So when you look at poke, what if poke makes this roster, it's most likely going to be as, you know,

the fifth or sixth receiver on the depth chart and how many opportunities is he going to get? And the final point I want to make on this, the learning curve for poke could be difficult. One of the biggest issues for poke last year was wrong time, wrong place during games. Not running the correct routes. Sometimes we saw poke in places he shouldn't be. Where wide receivers were kind of clumped together. The spacing wasn't right. And he had some issues with that. Now, it could have been a coaching problem, but some of that, maybe most of it, could

be on poke. So, wrong place, wrong time. And now he's got to learn his third offense in three years, and he's working within a Josh McDaniels offense, which depends on wide receivers and quarterbacks adjusting and being on the same page, not to mention the new verbiage, the new language they're going to use. So I find it unlikely, if not very unlikely, that Polk revives his career here, but I'm not going to put that on Polk. I'm not giving up on him. I just think there are lots of challenges.

In front of him to get through, to prove himself day one. Doug Morrone was one of the most important coaching hires for Mike Grable, we outline his top three priorities during camp as we continue next with today's episode of lockdown Patriots, part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. We continue next with today's episode of Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. If Doug Morrone fails this season, it will have a catastrophic impact on this team, not only in the short term 2025, but it would also have a catastrophic impact into future years.

Karen Geregian, OG at Mass Live, spoke with Bill O'Brien recently about Doug Morrone. And here's what Geregian wrote. O'Brien, who spoke with Mass Live, said Morrone fits in well with Vrabel and McDaniels. Quote, Doug is very smart about that position. He knows how to coach it. He's developed a lot of players over his time. You go back to when he was the online coach with the Jets and the Saints in college. He was the online coach when I was at Alabama, unquote. So some people say you can look at Marrone's history and his development of players is actually a little hot and cold. And there have been questions of whether or not he is going to be capable

of developing players at the level that you want him to. O'Brien thinks he'll be capable of doing that. Another quote from Bill O'Brien in this story, he knows the technical part of it. He's been in Sean Payton's offense, which is similar to this offense, so he'll be able to learn the offense and coach it. Now that's a good point by O'Brien. Morrone is not parachuting into the McDaniels offense with absolutely zero knowledge of what McDaniels likes to do, wants to do, loves to do.

He's not parachuting in with ignorance. He has the history with Peyton. And if you look at it, Sean Peyton's offense, very similar to McDaniel's and Marrone should be able to with his vast experience in football, he should be able to adapt, understand what McDaniel's the changes, the tweaks between the Peyton and McDaniel's offense. And he should be able to adapt to that and coach to the best of his ability. Here is one more from O'Brien to Karen Guregian.

Quote, he's got a ton of experience. I think it's a great fit for the Patriots. I think the Patriots are lucky to have Doug. So let's talk about Marrone's top three priorities as the offensive line coach of this team. And I go back to development. That has to be the number one clear cut priority for Marrone, the number one at the top of the heap priority for Marrone. And I'm not just talking about this rookie class.

I'm also talking about year two development for last year's rookie class. We start with Will Campbell. Marrone has to get the most out of Campbell at left tackle. He has to coach him up. He has to make sure that Campbell is ready. Day one, you're not getting drafted fourth overall to play that premium position and not start the season. So the development of Campbell is huge. If Campbell does not develop the right way, then that is a huge issue for this all line. It's a huge issue for the online.

It's a huge issue for Drake May. It's a huge issue for the online, it's a huge issue for Drake May, it's a huge issue for the entire offense. You have to get Campbell to play at least average, if not above average football at that position. You also have to develop Jared Wilson, who played one season as the starting center for Georgia, one starting year in college. And you have to make sure that Wilson transitions from college to the NFL. You have to make sure that Wilson learns the McDaniels offense and that he is able to communicate said offense if he's asked to, even though the quarterback for the most part will be in charge of that. You still want the center to be on the same page. If you wanna even try Wilson at guard, that's gonna be up to Doug Morrone and his two other offensive line coaching assistants, and

Jason Hotaling and Robert Kugler. But the development of Campbell and the development of Wilson is paramount. If you develop both of those guys in the right way and you get production sooner rather than later and they give you average to above average play sooner rather than later, then you're talking about your left tackle of the future and your center for the future. You should have those two spots on the offensive line solidified for the next decade if Doug Morrone can develop them in the correct way. And let's also bring up Marcus Bryant, who yes, was a lottery ticket in the seventh round, but he's got the size, he's got the athleticism,

he's got the length. If you could develop Bryant even as just a swing tackle, then that is a major hit for you drafting him where you drafted him. But it doesn't end there because you've got to look at the 2024 picks as well. Kayden Wallace, can you get Kayden Wallace ready to supplant Morgan Moses at right tackle? Moses, 34 years old, closer to the end than the beginning, closer to the end than the middle of his career. And if you could develop Wallace, who had mostly a lost season last year due to injuries, if you could develop him, that is a huge step forward of solving your tackle problem. Because you could now have Wallace and Campbell as your bookends of this offensive line for the next decade.

Layden Robinson, is he a fit? If he's a fit, can you develop him? Can you get more from him this year than what you got last year? Another guy who had to deal with injuries. But if you could develop Campbell and Wilson and Bryant and Wallace and Robinson, that would answer so many questions about this offensive line Not just in the short term, but in the long term priority number two just mentioned Robinson and whether or not he's a fit and we're looking at that with left guard Priority number two is to make the right decision at that position. You can't get it wrong

It is is maroon going to lean towards the safe and maybe even uninspiring choice of Wes Schweitzer who we know who he is because he's been in the league. He is what he is for better or worse. Limited ceiling. Does Marrone just kind of fall back to the safe uninspiring pick or does he try to work with Robinson and end up getting more out of Robinson and figuring out that Robinson is an actual fit for this offensive line? Jared Wilson, as we mentioned earlier, do you try to transition him to guard? And I don't mean a full transition and not have him be center, but if Garrett Bradbury is going to start, could you see Wilson play left guard?

Can you get him to a point before the season that you feel comfortable with that idea? And we mentioned reviving Jaylen Polk. Can Doug Marrone revive Colestrange, who arguably has the highest ceiling of the guys that we talk about in the left guard competition. And finally, the third priority is no loyalty. No loyalty.

Doug Marrone has to pick the best five. That is his job. That is his responsibility. He's got to pick the best five and he's got to get it right. And he's got to figure out whether or not baptism by fire is necessary. Maybe it's necessary to throw Jared Wilson into the deep end and say, no, you're going to start for us at center. Yeah, we signed Garrett Bradbury, but it's not a big time contract.

And we think that you have the potential and it might be a little rough at the beginning, but we feel like by week seven, week eight, you're going to be fully ready to be that guy to take charge. So you've got to pick the best five, pick the best five, even if it includes baptism by fire to a point, don't show the loyalty to the veterans and the older guys. This 2025 season is about not only improvement, it's about growth and it's about growth on that O-line specifically given the last couple of years. That wraps up this edition of Lockdown Patriots. Let me know your thoughts on today's topics. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C Radio and don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube

channel and thank you for making Lockdown Patriots your first listen today. For your second listen, check out Lockdown NFL Scouting. Hosts Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino make you the most informed NFL fan this off season. Find Lockdown NFL Scouting on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Have a great day and we will see you tomorrow.