It was 2020 when the Buffalo Bills made a franchise-defining move to trade for wide receiver Stefon Diggs that gave Josh Allen not just his new No. 1 receiver, but it is what jumpstarted the run that the Bills went on to take control of the AFC East. Every ascending young quarterback who shows promise has to have a star to take that next huge step in their career.
The entire NFL watched Josh Allen take a huge step forward in his third season when the Bills brought in Diggs. Now, Allen is a top three quarterback. However, he is no longer the only solid quarterback that is in the AFC East.
The New England Patriots have Drake Maye under center and in his second season, he brought the Patriots to the Super Bowl. Granted, the Patriots had an extremely easy schedule but Maye was an MVP candidate and the Bills struggled against him in both matchups last season.
One of the reasons why Maye thrived in his sophomore season was because of having Stefon Diggs to throw the ball to who helped elevate his game. However, Diggs is no longer in New England and it would be shocking to see the Patriots go into 2026 with Romeo Doubs as the top target for Maye.
Bills fans would be terrified to see mock trade come true involving Patriots
Mark Powell from FanSided has put together a mock trade that would have Bills fans in disbelief as it would strengthen the Patriots even more, and potentially help Maye take yet another step forward. Powell’s mock trade has the Patriots trading a 4th and 5th round pick in next month’s draft to acquire wide receiver Davante Adams from the Los Angeles Rams.
"The Patriots should trade for another wide receiver. Whether that player is Adams remains to be seen, but the asking price isn't all that high. The time is now to strike on a player like Adams, who has just one year left on his contract and still create separation and run routes with the best of them. Drake Maye already has plenty of receivers he can rely on, but after losing Stefon Diggs, there's no true No. 1 on the roster." said Powell.
The Patriots taking back the AFC East was a gut punch for Bills fans because for nearly two decades, it was New England who ruled the division. Even when the Bills took control of the division, they only ever made it as far as the AFC championship game. Yet, the one year New England takes the AFC East in the prime of Josh Allen’s career, they go to the Super Bowl.
Despite them getting blown out by Seattle, they still did what Buffalo has yet to do with Allen under center. If New England is able to add a dynamic playmaker on the outside for Maye, it will make the road tough once again for the Bills to try and take back the division.
Even though Adams is past his prime, he is still playing at a high level as he put up 14 touchdowns last year with the Rams. If he were to come to New England, he would immediately become Maye’s go-to target on the outside and put the Bills in a position to gameplan for him no matter what.