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The Patriots went into the offseason ready to improve after losing to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. New England’s to-do list got even longer after the team stated receiver Stefon Diggs would be released after one season.

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Diggs signed a three-year deal with the Patriots worth $69 million. He caught 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. That came after rupturing his ACL with Houston the year before.

The 32-year-old’s salary cap charge, per ESPN, was set to rise from $10.5 million to $26.5 million. Off-the-field issues have have also not helped his status in New England. Now, the team must look for a new WR1 for QB Drake Maye.

MORE: Top 5 Offseason Needs for the Patriots

There are several options for the Patriots, some more enticing than others. The team could wait for free agency or trade for an elite receiver. Which path will they take?

Here’s a breakdown of a few candidates the Patriots can look into to replace Diggs.

Top Receiver Options for Patriots

Alec Pierce

Alec Pierce was a bright spot for the Colts last year, with a career-high 1,003 receiving yards and catching six touchdown passes. One would think he would be a priority for Indianapolis. However, the team put the franchise tag on Daniel Jones, not him.

Given his value at 25, Pierce would be the perfect fit for the Patriots. It does help that Adam Schefter believes Pierce and New England can work. If Pierce tests the open market, where he's valued at $25 million, the Patriots feel like the ideal team Pierce is looking for.

"Definitely quarterback play, and stability in a franchise. Winning culture. Things like that, I'd say, are probably the most important," Pierce said on Up & Adams via 98.5 The Sports Hub.

"Being in Indy, I played with a ton of different quarterbacks. I think they're on the way to figuring that out with Daniels [Jones]...I think I've understood the battles that come with not having that stability. So I think as a free agent, that would be something that I would look into a lot."

Drake Maye continues to grow, and Mike Vrabel will be by his side long-term. The Patriots’ stability may be the deciding factor that entices Pierce.

A.J. Brown

With Diggs gone, the Patriots are ready and willing to look at anyone. That includes a trade package for A.J. Brown.

The three-time All-Pro is under contract with Philadelphia through 2029. If Brown does get traded, the Eagles, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, are looking for a “Quinnen Williams-esque” package. Howie Roseman will not back down on a deal like that, and he may get what he wants.

MORE:The complete history of Patriots championships

Brown caught 78 receptions last season for his fourth straight 1,000-yard season. He brings value to any team. It also helps New England that coach Mike Vrabel and Brown have a relationship, spending three years together with the Tennessee Titans.

New England needs a new number one, and Brown is that. Given that DJ Moore got traded to the Bills for a second and fifth-round pick, is Philadelphia’s asking price (especially now) worth it?

Jauan Jennings

Jauan Jennings is looking to cash in after several years with the San Francisco 49ers, becoming one of the injury-riddled team’s most reliable players.

Jennings was also injured this year, but did have a career-high in touchdowns (nine) for 643 yards. He also had a scoring pass to Christian McCaffrey in the playoffs. The 49ers may not be interested in giving him a $26 million franchise tag, which could benefit New England.

At 28, he can be a difference-maker for the Patriots, especially with the playoff experience he has.

Mike Evans

After spending twelve years in Tampa, Mike Evans may look for a change in scenery if he doesn't get a deal done with the Buccaneers. Would the Patriots swoop in and bring the receiver to New England?

Dealing with injuries all of last season, Evans only appeared in eight games and had 30 receptions for 368 yards. At 32, Evans' age may work against him. However, the Patriots could be the ones to benefit from a potential bounce-back year from Evans.

Via Spotrac, Evans’ market value is $13.3 million. The Patriots may not break the bank for him, but Evans is worth checking out.

Rashid Shaheed

Rashid Shaheed helped bring the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, where the team eventually beat the Patriots. New England could have the mindset, “If you can’t beat them, sign them.”

The 28-year-old was acquired by Seattle in a trade with the Saints and caught 15 passes for 188 yards with the Seahawks. Shaheed had over 687 total receiving yards in 2025. Also known for punt and kick returns, Shaheed can provide value on all fronts.

It’s not impossible to think New England will go after him, especially after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Seahawks and Shaheed are not close to an extension.

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Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem faced heat from Republican senators during a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, including criticism about her leadership during the Trump administration's deportation surge, with one GOP senator comparing past animal killings to decisions she has made as DHS secretary.

Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., both got into testy exchanges with Noem Tuesday during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversight hearing with lawmakers.

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Thillis likened Noem's decisions as a farmer and dog-owner to what he described as Noem's disastrous leadership amid Trump's border crackdown. Meanwhile, Kennedy got into a back-and-forth with Noem over her decision to describe Renee Good and Alex Pretti as domestic terrorists in the early days after they were killed, and also her subsequent reasoning for doing so.

"Those are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment. Not unlike what happened up in Minneapolis," Tillis said, comparing Noem's time as an animal owner to her leadership as Secretary of DHS.

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Noem came under fire in the Spring of 2024 when reporting based on an advanced copy of her memoir, "No Going Back," described an incident of her killing her family dog Cricket, along with a separate incident during which she killed a goat. Noem explained that the dog had proven itself "untrainable" after several violent attacks and described the decision to eventually shoot the dog. 

"I hated that dog," Noem recalled, according to The Guardian and other media reports that covered the pre-released copy of Noem's book at the time. "[Cricket was] dangerous to anyone she came in contact with."

"It was not a pleasant job," Noem reportedly continued, "but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done." Noem then went on to describe slaughtering the goat that Noem described as "nasty and mean," adding it smelled "disgusting, musky, rancid" and complained that it "loved to chase" her children. 

The reporting on Noem's memoir led to a group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to start a Dog Lovers Caucus, and Noem's memoir excerpt led to criticism against her from animal rights groups and other critics.

"You decided to kill that dog because you would not invest in the appropriate time and training, and then you have the audacity to go into a book and say it's a leadership lesson about tough choices. It's in your book. We could play it if we had time," Thillis said amid his heated testimony about Noem's leadership, which also included criticism about her approach to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). 

"And you killed a goat because you said it was behaving badly. You are a farmer. You don't castrate a goat. They behave badly. You should have probably done that before, but my point is, those are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment. Not unlike what happened up in Minneapolis," he continued.

In addition to getting hounded by Tillis, Noem also got into a testy exchange with GOP Senator Kennedy, who signaled concern over who she was taking direction from amid her tenure running DHS.

'YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!': PROTESTER DRAGGED FROM KRISTI NOEM'S SENATE HEARING

"At the time you said [what Renne Good and Alex Pretti engaged in] were acts of domestic terrorism," Kennedy clarified with Noem, who confirmed that was the intal assessment of what the pair's actions "appeared" to be. Noem attempted to interject that the assessment came at a time when there was a lot of information circulating about the Trump administration's deportation efforts in Minneapolis, but Kennedy stood firm and continued with his line of questioning. 

"As I've said previously in this hearing is that –," Noem tried to say before Kennedy cut her off. "Did you say that? I think it's been widely reported. Did you say that?"

Noem continued to try and explain the reasoning for the domestic terrorism label, until Kennedy interjected. "I think it's safe to say you got some pushback on that," Kennedy said, adding he did not want to make a judgment on the fairness of it, but just wanted to point it out. "Yes," Noem agreed, before Kennedy got to the root of his question.

"What got my attention was that you blamed those statements on Mr. Stephen Miller at the White House, did you not?"

Noem fervently denied the accusation, arguing the claim was from an anonymous source that could not be trusted. "Where you're seeing that is in a news article of anonymous sources and anonymous sources say a lot of things, but I've never said that at all," Noem claimed. But Kennedy shot back that she "said on the record" that "everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the president and Stephen." Kennedy then provided an exact date on which Noem made the remark.

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"Do you think it was fair to blame Mr. Miller for your words?" Kennedy asked.

Noem dismissed the question again, and continued to contest the legitimacy of the claim she made such statements, adding she "did not" blame Miller for her decision to call Good and Pretti domestic terrorists. 

"You're reading from a newspaper article with anonymous sources."

"Are you denying that you said that?" Kennedy questioned. 

"Sir, I am not going to speak to that situation that is relayed on anonymous sources," Noem said again.

The report in question is a January article from Axios, which wrote that the "episode illustrates the confusion that gripped the administration after the Saturday shooting death of Minnesota protester Alex Pretti. And it shows the influence of Miller, Trump's close and longest-serving political adviser whose dominion in the White House far exceeds his title." 

"They're quoting you on the record saying it's Stephen's fault," Kennedy replied before the committee chairman gaveled that the senator's time was up. "Thank you," Kennedy said before a new Senator began their time to speak.    

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment on the testy exchanges Noem had during the hearing Tuesday, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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