The Buffalo Bills were adamant about securing a No. 1 option in the passing game for their offense this offseason. They were finally able to make the splash they needed by acquiring wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings.
However, it seems Diggs was not the only wideout on their radar at the time. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show that he was still thinking about the decision to sign with Buffalo when they pulled off the trade for Diggs just a short time later:
“I spoke with the Bills for a little bit,” Sanders said. “And I told them, ‘Let me think about the idea, give me a night.’ And 30 minutes later the Stefon Diggs deal went through and I was like, ‘Okay.'”
Sanders would have made for a rather notable addition to the receiving corps had Buffalo waited to sign him as a free agent. Instead, they opted to ship away a 2020 first-round pick, fifth-round pick, sixth-round pick and 2021 fourth-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for Diggs and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
The Bills may have had to spend more than they initially planned in order to get their big-name receiver. Fortunately, it was one that they managed to get in the prime of their career as opposed to the other who is in the final stretch of his.
The 26-year-old Diggs will have a chance at a fresh start in Buffalo. Meanwhile, Sanders will have another opportunity to compete for a championship with New Orleans.