Diggs’ trade means that Buffalo is left with a empty wide receiver locker room. What does it mean for the Bills going forward?
A room has never looked emptier. Stefon Diggs’ trade means that everything has been flipped upside down. When you look at the big picture, the Buffalo Bills are in full rebuild mode. Letting go of veterans, moving on from the team that was all but sure to make a playoff run year after year, the Bills are now a new team. But, in the entirety of the new league year, not one move has been more blockbuster for Buffalo than the decision to move Diggs out of the building.
This only leaves one glaring question– what does this mean moving forward?
The much more elaborate question would be, “did Buffalo see this coming?”
To the naked eye, probably not. Stefon Diggs was an All-Pro receiver for years on end, compiling productive seasons back to back like a chain link fence. It was unfathomable just a year ago to imagine the team parting with Diggs. A massive cap hit– the biggest in NFL history now that Diggs has left, along with a good, healthy relationship with quarterback Josh Allen meant that the receiver’s days in Upstate New York might be eternal. Paired along with the notion that the Bills wanted him locked up, after all, the team did sign him to a massive four-year, $104 million extension in 2022 that would keep him in Orchard Park through 2026, the idea of Diggs packing his bags seemed far-fetched.
For years, Buffalo had its surefire battery. Josh Allen at quarterback, Diggs as WR1 while the Bills maintained a solid slew of auxiliary receivers such as Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir as the duo’s supporting cast. Now, Diggs has left for Houston while Davis signed with Jacksonville– all that remains is an empty receiver room with one of the league’s best quarterbacks to pick up the pieces.
MORE ON THE DIGGS TRADE: Stefon Diggs Traded to Texans; Buffalo Gets 2025 Draft Pick
The Bills began to understand that a 2024 without Diggs was a possibility about halfway through the 2023 season. The signs were apparent. A sharp drop off in production along with a slow, ushering out of the offensive scheme led to clear frustration from Diggs and his family members. In the first half of the season, Diggs was on pace to set career highs along with being on track to stretch north of 1,400 yards with 748 yards through eight games. Through the final nine, Diggs’ production fell off a cliff, halving his first half total, only recording 435 yards. This was around the time when Bills’ brass started to think about Diggs’ future in Buffalo. Because what if the untouchable might’ve actually been the expendable?
Almost immediately, with Diggs’ trade being prior to June 1st, the Buffalo Bills managed to take Diggs’ full hit in 2024, completely getting him off the books by the end of 2025. The Bills will take a extra $4 million cap hit in ’24, but will retain $24.5 million of space for next year allowing for whatever plans Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane has to take fruition.
Despite the monumental change, Beane doesn’t think the negative Buffalo Bills faithful have much to worry about. It’s clear that Beane has a plan, there’s just a plethora of hurdles in the way.
“These moves are never easy— very hard, not made overnight, anything like that— but any time you make a move like this, as I said, very difficult, you’re doing it because you’re trying to win,” Beane told reporters. “Sometimes people may not see that. This is by no means the Bills giving up or trying to take a step back or anything like that. Everything we do, we’re trying to win, and we’re going to continue to do that.”
The white flag hasn’t been waved yet for the Bills who started last season on a rough patch with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Head coach Sean McDermott made the decision to fire Dorsey and go with former quarterbacks coach Joe Brady, a move which turned around a rogue ship and allowed the Bills to go 6-1 down the stretch. That same new, fresh gameplan was the same one that phased out Diggs– presumably leading to the situation the Bills find themselves in now.
The Buffalo Bills are attempting to contend with Josh Allen’s increasingly growing price tag. Year-over-year, his cap hit grows and the Bills must search for cheaper, younger talent in order to keep Allen in Western New York. Diggs is hardly the only big name Bill to say sayonara this offseason– only being the latest casualty. The team has gotten rid of six of eight captains including Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, and Gabe Davis. Their rising costs paired with the fact that Buffalo has a generational talent at quarterback who needs to get paid spelled the end for their tenures.
This is by no means the Bills giving up or trying to take a step back or anything like that.
Brandon Beane, Bills General Manager
Beane currently has the Bills picking 28th in this year’s draft. The Bills also have the second round pick they acquired from the Diggs deal to play with. With a loaded receiver draft class, we wouldn’t rule out the idea of Beane managing to trade up to nab a big name talent. Our current mock draft has Buffalo selecting Xavier Worthy from Texas. But, if the Bills want to aim higher than that– looking for the likes of Rome Odunze or Marvin Harrison Jr., they’ll have to splurge and make teams an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Buffalo’s receiver room is currently devoid of any real talent. The only notable names on the list are 2022 fifth-round draft pick Khalil Shakir, newly signed Mack Hollins, and Curtis Samuel. Signing an expensive veteran probably isn’t in the cards for the team as that’s the exact reason that the Bills rid themselves of Diggs in the first place. They can’t afford a veteran, nor does the team want to pay for top tier talent right now. So, the only logical path towards replacement is scour the draft.
If the Bills somehow feel content with their receiver room, we would probably take the over on Josh Allen’s rushing yards. The team is entering a rebuilding period where it’s clear that the Super Bowl window for the Bills team of the past. Five straight playoff appearances and nothing to show for it draws an uncanny resemblance to the 1990-93 Bills who lost four straight Super Bowls.
The team in 2024 will be a former shell of itself, holding on to Josh Allen as its only vestige as a bona fide contender for the championship every year.
“The years that Stef’s been here, he’s clearly been our one,” Beane said. “I think we can all agree to that. I think it’s more of a volume, a variety of guys. I’m not standing up here today saying, ‘Look, I’ve got another 1 to walk in the door.’ We know we’re still working through the cap.
From an expectation standpoint, I wouldn’t anticipate walking in here in the next week and say ‘Look what we’ve got.’ I think we do have a lot of confidence in our offense, in the other players, whether it’s our receivers, the two tight ends, the backs. And listen, we don’t play games until September, I hope you know I’m going to turn over every stone.”
The point? Beane understands there will be a transitionary period– especially for the offense with the mass exodus of players the team has seen. Yet, Beane firmly believes that the future is bright. This year’s stacked list of receivers will help that notion plenty.
