The 2024 free agent safety class was one of the most talented in recent memory, and the influx of high-impact players forced talented starters like Quandre Diggs to go overlooked. Diggs hit the open market at the wrong time, as the former sixth-round pick had a rough go of it in 2023. Starting in all 17 games, the Texas product finished the season with one interception, 95 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and an underwhelming 55.1 PFF grade.
Now entering his age-30 season, there is a chance that Quandre Diggs won’t find a free agent home after such an underwhelming campaign. However, it’s worth noting that his 2023 performance is not reflective of the player he once was. Diggs made three straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2020 to 2022, and his film shows that he deserved each one of those selections.
Teams do not appear interested in Quandre Diggs, which means the free agent could be a solid low-risk, medium-reward signing for the right team. According to Dan Pizzuta of The 33rd Team, that team should be the New Orleans Saints.
Free Agent Quandre Diggs Linked to New Orleans Saints
The Saints make sense as a free agent landing spot for Quandre Diggs for several reasons. First off, the team needs a deep safety, as Tyrann Mathieu is considerably better near the line of scrimmage at this point in his career. With Marcus Maye out of the picture, New Orleans needs another starting safety if they want to win the NFC South.
While Justin Simmons is the best free agent safety on the market, the Saints only have the cap space to sign Quandre Diggs. Thanks to years of avoiding a rebuild, the team cannot afford a top free agent. Diggs might be toast, but there is a chance that a more scheme-friendly fit could bring out the best in him. Seeing as he probably won’t cost too much, New Orleans should sign him and see what’s left in his tank.
Of course, Pizzuta’s article is just speculation, and there are plenty of teams out there that could use a safety. Quandre Diggs might not be a player who can singlehandedly win you games, but the free agent is a great candidate for a one-year, prove-it deal with a minimal salary cap impact.
Other Potential Destinations
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos took on a record amount of dead cap to part ways with Russell Wilson, so they don’t have the financial liberty to go after big-money players on the open market. This much was obvious when they released Justin Simmons for purely financial reasons. No team enters a season hoping to lose, so the Broncos could use their limited financial resources to sign Quandre Diggs as a free agent. When you share a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, you need fast safeties capable of taking away deep passing attacks.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions could use another safety after losing C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Philadelphia Eagles. Gardner-Johnson missed most of the 2023 season with an injury, and the team felt his absence throughout the season. Now in their Super Bowl window, Detroit needs to find somebody who can improve the defense for this championship-caliber team. The 2022 version of Quandre Diggs could be that somebody and the Lions should roll the dice on the free agent finding his old form.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs will have to get creative to replace L’Jarius Sneed. Great cornerbacks don’t grow on trees, which means the team will need to improve the safety position to discourage deep shots down the sideline. Quandre Diggs should be able to do this for basically no money, freeing up the Chiefs to use their cap space on a free agent wide receiver, cornerback, or tackle.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens love three-safety sets, but they need to find a replacement for Geno Stone if they want to continue running their preferred defense. Quandre Diggs excels at playing in the deep part of the field, and the free agent should be a natural fit for the role that allowed Stone to haul in seven interceptions.
Philadelphia Eagles
As mentioned earlier, the Eagles already signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson back from the Detroit Lions. However, he’s not enough to singlehandedly fix Philadelphia’s defense. Last year, the Eagles thought they were getting a great player when they traded two late-round picks for former All-Pro Kevin Byard. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, but they could buy low again with free agent Quandre Diggs. The process was right last time, and hopefully, the results will follow this time.
Main Photo: Michael Chow – USA Today Sports
