Trade Stefon Diggs? ESPN Analyst Suggests Bills Shake Up WR Room
Rumors of tension between Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs and quarterback Josh Allen have been … exaggerated, to say the least. There’s been little to suggest any actual discord between the two.
However, the prospect of trading Diggs has remained relevant throughout the offseason’s opening weeks.
Could a Diggs deal make sense for a team in a Super Bowl window?
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According to ESPN's bold offseason moves column, trading Diggs could mean getting off a sinking ship a year early, rather than a year late.
There’s no doubting Diggs’ impact on Allen and his supernova growth into the pantheon of elite quarterbacks. But Aaron Schatz suggests the second-half dip in production is too concerning to overlook.
“An even bigger warning sign might be his decline in the second half of the season,” Schatz said. “In Weeks 1-9, Diggs had 14% DVOA with a 72% catch rate and an average depth of target of 11.3 yards. From Week 10 onward, Diggs had minus-21% DVOA with a 59% catch rate but an average depth of target of just 9.7 yards.
“Usually, shorter passes mean a higher catch rate. Not in Diggs' case and not since the start of November.”
If this is the end of the road for Diggs in Western New York, finding a suitable receiver to soak up his target share is imperative. Receivers are far and away the most commonly mocked target for Buffalo, perhaps too presumptuously, but if Diggs is out of the picture a star must be acquired.
That’s a need that is only exacerbated by receiver Gabe Davis’ impending free agency. Whether their next target (or two) is acquired via the open market, the trade block, or the NFL Draft is yet to be seen, moving on from Diggs could open enough cap space to grant the Bills some flexibility.
Moving on from Diggs with a post-June 1 designation would incur a dead cap hit of $8.8 million while freeing up $19 million, giving Buffalo relief in addition to the NFL’s recent cap increase.
Replacing someone who has been such a fixture of the offense is a challenge, and perhaps an unnecessary one. But with a Super Bowl in sight and a tough road ahead, trading Diggs is a possibility that can at least be explored.
