Patriots not taking any drastic measures with Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs’ first offseason program as a member of the Patriots is off to a controversial start, but the team reportedly doesn’t foresee doing anything extreme.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport said Monday on the NFL Network that the Pats are moving forward with Diggs, amid the circulation of a video of the 31-year-old wide receiver flashing a mysterious pink substance during a party on a boat. Diggs is due guaranteed money after passing a physical coming off his ACL injury, but Rapoport seems convinced that he will indeed pass and get paid.

“My understanding is the team does not plan to cut Stefon Diggs,” Rapoport said. “He is a very good player. They intend to pay him a lot of money – they haven’t yet, but they intend to pay him a lot of money – especially after he passed the physical from his ACL recovery. Does seem to be on track.

“This is a player they want to keep, want to be making plays for them, that’s why they signed him in free agency to such fanfare. Just got to be better, and this was a step in the right direction for Diggs, certainly a step that the Patriots welcomed.”

Mike Florio obtained Diggs’ full contract with the Patriots and detailed it in a new story at Pro Football Talk on Sunday. Essentially, if a Patriots team doctor were to fail Diggs on the physical related to his recovering knee, and at that point, the Pats would have an avenue to avoid paying any remaining guaranteed money.

To further complicate things, Diggs’ contract includes a clause stating that he “will not participate, and is not engaged and will not engage, in any conduct or activity that is illegal, unlawful or immoral.” It may be an uphill battle for the Patriots to prove any wrongdoing in a legal sense, if they wanted to do so, but it’s telling that the contract merely contains this language.

Diggs has not participated in team drills during Patriots OTAs that were open to the media. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Diggs is “staying up on the information and the material” in regards to his playbook, while wide receivers coach Todd Downing said Diggs is “working hard.”

^{Stefon Diggs (8) participates in a drill at Patriots OTAs in Foxborough.}

Rapoport indicates that the Patriots are willing to weather the storm with Diggs, the team’s clear No. 1 wideout when healthy. This may not be the end of Diggs making headlines for the wrong reasons, or aggravating his head coach, and it’s hard to rule anything out after that boat video.

But considering the Pats’ still-dire situation at wide receiver, Diggs is a talent that may just be worth the trouble.