The New England Patriots have been active in the wake of the opening of the legal tampering period ahead of free agency. However, one position they have not addressed is wide receiver, and as the targets continue to fly off the board, it's becoming clear that upgrading from Stefon Diggs is going to be a tall task.
Right off the bat, the Pats missed out on Alec Pierce, who re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts on a massive four-year, $116 million contract. Now, another top wide receiver appears to come off the board, as reports indicate former Tampa Bay Buccaneers stud Mike Evans is signing with the San Francisco 49ers.
"From Bay to Bay: Future Hall of Fame WR Mike Evans has agreed to terms with the 49ers, his agents Deryk Gilmore of Day 1 Sports & Entertainment and Darren Jones of MAVEN Sports Group tell The Insiders," Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported in a post on X. "Evans’ 13th NFL season will be his first donning a uniform other than the Buccaneers."
Evans spent the first 12 years of his career with the Bucs, and you can make a case that he is one of the most consistent wide receivers in NFL history. In each of his first 11 seasons, Evans racked up at least 1,000 receiving yards, with that streak only coming to an end in 2025 because he missed nine games with a collarbone injury.
It doesn't seem like the Pats were as interested in Evans as they were in a guy like Pierce, but still, considering the state of the wide receiver corps, it's tough to say he wouldn't have been an upgrade over the team's current cast of characters. With the options in free agency continuing to dwindle, N.E. may have to turn to the trade market to find a proper replacement for Diggs.
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