Among the many missteps made by Matt Patricia when he was the Detroit Lions head coach/poor imitation of Bill Belichick overload was offloading players who dare criticize the way he did things. Darius Slay is at the top of that list, but fellow defensive back Quandre Diggs was also traded away for pennies on the talent dollar.
All Diggs did was make the Pro Bowl in each of his first three full seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, further proving the mistake the Lions' previous regime made. Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-30 safety in the league in the first two of those seasons, and he played more than 1,000 defensive snaps in each of his four full seasons in Seattle.
But Diggs was not quite as good last year (55.4 PFF coverage grade, one interception), and the Seahawks released him in March. Coming off a down year, and his age (31), has kept him available now deep into May.
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Former general manager Randy Mueller, writing for The Athletic, had Diggs on his list of best available free agents this past week,
"I’m surprised Diggs hasn’t found the right team yet. He hasn’t missed a game since 2019, and he’s played at least 97 percent of the defensive snaps in three consecutive seasons, despite suffering a broken leg in the 2021 finale. He had a career-high 95 tackles last season, his first-step quickness is still a plus, and his instincts for reading and breaking on things from the post make him a good fit in zone coverage for most teams. He’s still only 31 and has solid leadership qualities."
"I actually think a return to the Motor City, where he spent his first five years in the league, would make some sense. The Lions have remade their secondary, especially at corner, and a veteran communicator could be just what the doctor ordered to bring the back end together. Diggs made good money in Seattle, so perhaps he would be willing to take a discount to join a contender, and his prior ties to the Lions could be helpful. He would fit seamlessly into their new culture under Dan Campbell."
The Lions have re-signed C.J. Moore for some much-needed safety depth, but Diggs still makes a level of sense. He may (should?) be willing to take a discount to play for a contender, and he does look like a good culture fit.
Diggs' options naturally are not robust right now, with OTAs going on around the league. A return to Detroit remains in play, and it may only be a matter of time before it happens.
