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Patriots Cut Diggs, Save $26.5M, Add Brown, Doubs

7/13/2026

35 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Stefon Diggs (32), former New England Patriots wide receiver, remains a free agent two weeks before NFL training camps after his March 11 release.
The release freed $26.5 million in cap space and ended his three-year, $69 million contract with $6 million guaranteed.
New England replaced Diggs by trading for A.J. Brown and signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year, roughly $68 million deal.

History

Historical Context

Since the NFL introduced its first hard salary cap of $36.6 million in the 1994 season, teams have routinely shed costly veterans to stay compliant. The Patriots, owned by Robert Kraft, followed that pattern by cutting Drew Bledsoe in 2001 and, in March 2024, releasing Stefon Diggs to free $26.5 million. The 1994 cap preceded the NHL’s 2005 hard-cap of $39 million, illustrating a league-wide shift toward fiscal parity.

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Story summary

Stefon Diggs (32), former New England Patriots wide receiver, remains a free agent two weeks before NFL training camps after his March 11 release.
The release freed $26.5 million in cap space and ended his three-year, $69 million contract with $6 million guaranteed.
New England replaced Diggs by trading for A.J. Brown and signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year, roughly $68 million deal.

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