NFL rumors: Stefon Diggs answers Bills drama without saying a word
On Tuesday, there was a lot of attention focused on the Buffalo Bills. That's because Stefon Diggs wasn't spotted at the team's mandatory minicamp practice. Head coach Sean McDermott said that he was "very concerned" about Diggs' absence. Then, Diggs' agent told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the wide receiver met with McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, took his physical, and announced that he would be there for the entirety of minicamp.
One day after all the drama and trade speculation, Diggs showed up at practice on Wednesday. He was spotted in a jersey and helmet, participating in practice. The photo below comes courtesy of Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.
For those crying conspiracy that maybe it's not Diggs under the helmet and visor, here's further proof. The Bills' social media team posted photos of Diggs without his helmet, and of the wide receiver with quarterback Josh Allen.
Late on Tuesday night, Diggs posted a message on his Instagram story that read, "I just be letting people cap. If them lies help you sleep better tell em big dawg."
On Wednesday, McDermott said that Diggs was excused from practice on Tuesday "after things reached a point 'where they needed a break,'" per The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. Now, McDermott said that he and Diggs are in "a great spot."
As of now, crisis averted in Buffalo, with Diggs participating on the second day of mandatory minicamp. Once the final practice takes place on Thursday, June 15, the Bills will go on break before training camp later this summer.
NFL rumors: Patriots optimistic in DeAndre Hopkins deal during visit
The ball is now in DeAndre Hopkins' court. After being shopped by the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, they couldn't find a trade partner that would give them the return they were looking for. So, they released Hopkins from his contract, allowing him to speak with teams and sign as a free agent.
So far, Hopkins has visited the Tennessee Titans, which was reported by theScore's Jordan Schultz as a "successful visit." That also included Hopkins attending the Country Music Awards (CMAs). Now, Hopkins is set to visit the New England Patriots on Thursday, and the team is feeling mighty confident about their chances to sign him.
According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe (subscription required), there is "optimism" that the Patriots and Hopkins can find a way to reach an agreement on a contract.
Hopkins does have a connection with the Patriots, considering his former Houston Texans head coach, Bill O'Brien, is the team's new offensive coordinator. While O'Brien was responsible for the Texans trading Hopkins to the Cardinals in 2020, ESPN's Dianna Russini said that there's "no animosity at all" between the two.
But the thing is, it will all depend on how much the Patriots are willing to offer him. Considering Odell Beckham Jr. earned a one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens despite missing the entire 2022 season, Hopkins may be looking for a deal in that range.
If the Patriots were to add Hopkins, they'd have quite the wide receiver corps also including JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, and Kendrick Bourne.
NFL rumors: Steelers can bring back rushing attack glory days with 1 move
The running back market has created plenty of debate this offseason. Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs are holding out seeking a new long-term contract and not signing their franchise tags just yet. Not to mention that no running back is receiving the lucrative deal the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara signed. One player who has yet to sign with a team is Leonard Fournette.
On Wednesday, Fournette made an appearance on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football." When they discussed the best landing spots for Fournette, former Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf said that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be an ideal fit.
"I am a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan," Leaf said, h/t Steelers Now. "You put him in the backfield with Najee, you get inside the 10-yard line, and Kenny Pickett won't even need to throw the ball. All he'd do is turn around and hand the football to his guys, and that's how Pittsburgh can take the AFC North."
Adding Fournette to the running back depth chart alongside Najee Harris? That would be quite the duo. As Leaf brings up, that would be a terrifying running back duo for defenses to face at the goal line.
Fournette spent the previous three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2021, Fournette averaged 4.5 yards per carry by accumulating 812 rushing yards on 180 attempts in 14 games, 13 of which were starts. But this past season, the Buccaneers rushing attack was the worst in football, as they averaged just 76.9 yards per game. Fournette put up 668 yards on 189 carries, giving him an average of 3.5 yards per attempt.
While Fournette hasn't put up bell-cow numbers this past season, he could be a true goal-line threat and potential touchdown vulture if he were to sign with the Steelers. As of now, there is no word on if the team would be interested in bringing him in.