Patriots mailbag: Why hasn’t Stefon Diggs signed yet, and which undrafted free agents should we keep an eye on?

Welcome back to the mailbag. This week, we have questions about Stefon Diggs, pass-rushing depth, undrafted free agents to watch, and more. Let’s get to it.

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What do you make of the fact that Stefon Diggs, a 1,000-yard receiver on a Super Bowl team, remains unsigned? He was a great player with the Patriots; no team issues, showed tons of leadership, and any off-the-field stuff was resolved in his favor in court.

— PJ Flynn, Amherst

I’ve reached out to his representatives to try to get a response, but I didn’t hear back. I imagine there are a few of things at play: One, he wants to get paid. I’d expect somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million annually. Making a financial connection with a franchise at this stage of the team-building process might be a challenge for anyone looking to land a sizable payday.

Two, I’d have to assume he’d be interested in landing in a competitive spot. In my conversations with him over the last year, he referenced a Super Bowl ring as the final piece of a Hall of Fame candidacy. That narrows the list.

And three, timing. There are a lot of intriguing veterans who are still on the market, but it’s occasionally in their best interest to wait for a landing spot to reveal itself, usually because of a training camp injury or some other reason. Ultimately, I wouldn’t be shocked if he landed on a roster before Week 1.

Regarding a recent question from the mailbag about the Patriots’ indoor practice facility, I seem to recall the Patriots got bad reviews on their current facilities. How much could the new facility help with recruiting and retaining players? As for the current indoor facility, most people never see the inside. What are the biggest issues with that besides being smaller than 100 yards?

— Jackson Flynn, Key West, Fla.

Yes. That comes into play when wooing potential free agents. Players around the league talk about that sort of thing, and as long as the money is competitive, it can help tilt the balance in favor of the Patriots.

As for the practice bubble, it’s on the older side. It opened in 2002, and it shows, especially when compared with other indoor facilities around the league. At the same time, it’s important to reiterate it probably doesn’t get as much work as other northern facilities for a few reasons, including that the Patriots play in an outdoor stadium and enjoy taking advantage of the climate.

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Last season it was exciting to watch UDFA Efton Chism seemingly come out of nowhere, play lights out in OTAs, minicamp, and training camp, and make the Opening Day roster. Is there a player (or players) we should be similarly excited about this season?

— Patrick Halley, Bartow, Fla.

A few players to keep an eye on. They had limited reps this spring, but UDFA receivers Kyle Dixon and Nick DeGennaro set a good foundation they could build on this summer. (It would help if they tried to elbow their way into the picture at kickoff returner, a sneaky-good way for a UDFA to make this roster.) He’s not a UDFA, but seventh-round pick Jam Miller has a chance to battle for the third running back spot. He also brings fantastic energy to the practice field on a regular basis. While that isn’t enough to make the final 53 in and of itself, it doesn’t hurt.

We’re very thin at rushing the passer. What’s the better option, sign one of the unsigned pass rushers like Jadeveon Clowney or Joey Bosa, or trade for Josh Sweat? And if you think Sweat is the way to go, what will it cost the Patriots?

— Jim Deveau, Pawleys Island, S.C.

The player who stands out in that group for me is Clowney, most notably because he’s another certified Mike Vrabel guy, having played for him in Houston (where Vrabel was a defensive assistant) and in Tennessee (when Vrabel was the head coach). Clowney knows the level of expectation the coach is going to have, and he could probably be added on a one-year, cost-effective contract. Clowney, who turned 33 in February, played 44 percent of the defensive snaps for the Cowboys last season and finished with 8.5 sacks. He’d be a situational pass rusher, but I think he’d be a great add.

Seems that the Pats’ biggest need is a pass rusher. What are your thoughts on the fit with Kayvon Thibodeaux of the Giants, and would a third-rounder be enough to get him?

— Robert Cautela, Merrimack, N.H.

While I’m not necessarily sold on it — I think Thibodeaux has underperformed a bit the last couple of seasons — I don’t completely disagree with the idea. But how about a different approach than giving up a pick? If we get to Labor Day and Thibodeaux and Kayshon Boutte have stayed healthy, how about a player-for-player swap? Both are going into contract years, the Patriots need edge help, and the Giants are desperately in need of receiver depth. Maybe one team or another tosses in a draft pick to even things out, if needed.

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Some questions have been edited for length or clarity.