The Buffalo Bills moved on from Stefon Diggs today, trading the wide receiver to the Houston Texans. The Texans will also receive a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 189 overall) and a 2025 fifth-round pick, while the Bills will receive a 2025 second-round pick (via the Minnesota Vikings) from Houston.
So, what is next for this franchise?
If you're a Bills fan today, you likely aren't feeling too well. In fact, you probably haven't been feeling too well since your team lost yet again to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs last season in the AFC Divisional Round. With another early exit from the playoffs, most feel the talents of Josh Allen and the Super Bowl window for this team are pretty close to being shut. That felt even more evident today with Diggs being traded to the Texans.
Diggs' trade may not be seen as too surprising, however, as the relationship between him and the Bills pretty much deteriorated over the last year, resulting in cryptic tweets foreshadowing his departure. However, what is surprising is that they made a trade before June 1, meaning that they now take a dead cap hit of $31 million, which, according to Spotrac, is the greatest single-season dead cap hit in NFL history for a non-quarterback.
Though there is a ton of uncertainty now with the Bills, the team's general manager, Brandon Beane, could have had his reasons for what is turning out to be an eyebrow-raising decision to trade his one true No. 1 receiver, thus leaving his franchise quarterback nearly weaponless. With Diggs, along with Gabe Davis, gone to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bills' remaining receivers are Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, Khalil Shakir, KJ Hamler, Andy Isabella, Tyrell Shavers, and Bryan Thompson.
For the Bills, that probably now means that they are about to become very active in trade talks with teams, either with current active receivers who may be in similar situations to Diggs, being unhappy with their current teams, or they could seek to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Bills go after a current wide receiver on another team
Though many aren't in the seemingly toxic relationship that Stefon Diggs and the Bills were in, there are other wide receivers across the league right now that might be looking for a new home, although looking to be paid in the process in a new deal.
One of those is San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers are already taking a ton of salary cap hits with other major players they've signed over the last couple of seasons, and Aiyuk would only add to that.
Another is Tee Higgins, who was franchise tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals. By doing so, Higgins then asked for a trade, although nothing has come of that as of yet. But the Bills now make for an intriguing option with Diggs gone.
There's also the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson and even the Las Vegas Raiders' Davante Adams. Jefferson has yet to sign a new deal of any kind offered from the Vikings, leaving many to speculate that he could be traded at just any time. Adams, on the other hand, seems to be staying in Las Vegas, as Raiders general manager Tom Telesco said while at the combine back in February, “He's a Raider,” per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. But as we all know, depending on what the Bills could offer, it could quickly change Telesco's mind.
The Bills go after a receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft
If the Bills are wanting one of the coveted wide receivers like Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, or even Brian Thomas Jr., they're going to have to find a way to move up from their current No. 28 overall spot. Those guys are all going most likely within the top 15 picks.
Beane would have to do some major negotiating and make a pretty sweet deal to go from 28 to say, top 10 or top 8 where one of those receivers could still be available. Perhaps they use their extra 2024 second-round pick they just acquired from the Texans (via the Vikings) to make a deal, though it would definitely take much more than that, including their swap of first-round picks this year.
If the Bills can't do that, then the good news is that there are some talented wide receivers still in the second round with their No. 60 pick. There's still the possibility that Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk or Jalen McMillan, North Carolina's Devontez Walker, UCF's Javon Baker, or even Florida State's Johnny Wilson will be available on Day 2.
This seems the next likeliest move for the Bills, as now getting a proven, reliable WR1 is paramount if they want to stay in their Super Bowl window.
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