The Buffalo Bills continue to watch as the rival New England Patriots continue to stay active in the early days of NFL free agency. It was clear to Bills Mafia that the Patriots would be interested in wide receiver help before they moved on from Stefon Diggs, and now the Bills’ toughest rival has their guy.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Patriots had agreed to terms on a four-year, $80 million deal for former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs. Bills fans had a feeling Doubs would be too expensive to be an option for Buffalo, but the hopes that he would stay out of the AFC East were not enough.
Bills Mafia must hope Patriots' Romeo Doubs gamble goes as well as their efforts with Stefon Diggs
Doubs will undoubtedly step in as the top receiver in the Patriots’ offense, which will continue to build off quarterback Drake Maye’s MVP runner-up season in 2025. Diggs was effectively the No. 1 in New England last season, but he vanished in the Super Bowl as well as the rest of the Pats' offense, so the Patriots cut bait with the contentious receiver.
Still, there’s a slight feeling in New England that the team may have had to settle for Doubs after missing out on Mike Evans in free agency. With that in mind, the jury is still out on whether the Patriots are still interested in pursuing Eagles’ receiver A.J. Brown in a trade.
Nonetheless, Doubs was one of the more intriguing options at the position on the open market, and had he been cheaper, the Bills likely would have shown more interest. Reportedly, however, Doubs chose the Patriots over the Washington Commanders, an understandable decision given how 2025 ended for those franchises.
Still, Doubs hasn’t yet reached bona fide elite status in the NFL. If he is the No. 1 receiver in New England next season, he’ll have plenty of work to do to prove he’s worth his new contract and the role that comes with it.
In four seasons in Green Bay, Doubs never caught 60 or more passes or topped 750 yards. He’s been in and out of the lineup too, both due to minor injuries and a brief disagreement with his useage in 2024.
Of course, the Packers’ wide receiver corps in recent seasons has consisted of young, promising players that worked in a rotation as they were available, so opportunities were naturally limited. However, Doubs was effectively the No. 1 option in the offense in 2025, and while he put in the best campaign of his career so far, it was far from a signal that he’s ready to be the leading pass-catcher for a championship contender.
The Bills will have to contend with Doubs' play-making ability, regardless. He may not have the volume stats you’d expect from a WR1, but it’d be foolish to ignore his production in the endzone, where he’s picked up 21 touchdown receptions over his four-year career. It will no doubt be an exciting matchup when Doubs lines up across from Christian Benford this season.