Last season, as the Buffalo Bills struggled for much of the schedule and won only half of their first 12 games, there was plenty of speculation that star wide receiver Stefon Diggs was unhappy.
It wasn’t exactly clear what the source of his discontent was, but some speculated that he had beef with quarterback Josh Allen, something Allen denied. Regardless, plenty of observers felt Diggs’ days with the Bills were numbered.
After the team won its last five games of the regular season, only to fall in typical Bills fashion to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, that feeling only intensified. Diggs, of course, was eventually traded to a Houston Texans team that now seems to be rich in offensive talent.
But according to Bills general manager Brandon Beane, the Diggs trade was done to save cap space.
“You weigh a lot of things…From a cap standpoint, we decided just to go ahead and eat it now…We think we can compete,” Beane stated.
Diggs is arguably one of the top five wide receivers in the NFL, and he has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last four seasons. He had 107 catches, 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, and in each of the last four seasons, he has posted no fewer than 103 receptions and those 1,183 yards.
Yet according to ESPN, the Buffalo Bills have a dead cap hit of just over $31 million next season because of Diggs.
They also lost WR2 Gabriel Davis this offseason, and now they’re in a situation where they need new threats on offense to emerge quickly if they are to remain competitive. That is especially true when one looks at how much certain other teams in the AFC have improved this offseason.
The Texans are starting to look like a potential powerhouse with Diggs, while the Pittsburgh Steelers have added future Hall of Fame quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Patrick Queen. The Baltimore Ravens, who had the league’s best record last year, now have star running back Derrick Henry, and the New York Jets could be a big threat if Aaron Rodgers shakes off last September’s torn Achilles.
Interestingly, plenty of people still seem to think Buffalo will make the playoffs this coming season. Perhaps with Allen’s ability to gain significant yardage by himself with his legs, it is something that can actually happen, even without Stefon Diggs there to take pressure off of him.
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