Is the Diggs / Jefferson trade the best NFL trade in the last 20 years?

[Inigo Montoya]

Before everyone breaks a finger writing that we didn't trade Diggs for Jefferson, the end result is exactly that.  I'm hard pressed to think of another trade that was more beneficial FOR BOTH SIDES of a trade.  There are plenty of trades where one side gets an incredible value and the other side gets hosed, but I think both the Bills and the Vikings got more than they could've hoped for in this trade.    Knowing what they know now, I think both teams would still make that trade today.

 

Week 1;

Jefferson - 9 catches - 184 yards - 2 TDs

Diggs -       8 catches - 122 yards -  1 TD

 

You have to give Justin Jefferson his due, he is amazing and may be a better pure receiver than Diggs is.    We'll never know if the Bills would have drafted Jefferson had they not traded their 1st rounder for Diggs.   I suspect that if Jefferson had been drafted by the Bills he would probably excel here too.  He's just an incredible talent.  But the Bills needed more than just a true WR1 when they traded for Diggs

 

Beane was looking for a WR1 with a veteran presence in the locker room to help this team grow.  He knew Allen needed someone who had been around and could help Allen take that next step.  With all the talk coming out of Minnesota about Diggs being a diva, I don't think the Bills could ask anything more of Diggs than what he has already given this team since his arrival.   I don't think this franchise is where it is today without Diggs in a Bills uniform.  

 

The Vikings are relevant because of Justin Jefferson and have an elite WR1 on a 1st round rookie contract and they can build around him for years.  The Bills have a veteran WR1 in Diggs who is elite in his own right and who has bought into "the process" making Allen and everyone else in that locker room better by being there.

 

Admittedly, I'm not a student of the game like many on this board are, but I can't think of another trade that did more for both sides than Diggs/Jefferson did.  

[dorquemada]

It's a good point, i'm trying to think of another trade that worked out so well for both parties

[Doc]

He's going to be getting more than $30M/year after the season.  

[Warcodered]

Didn't the Bills and Chiefs basically trade picks that lead to Mahomes, Tre White, and Josh Allen?

Edited September 12, 2022 by Warcodered

[msw2112]

It could be argued that the Vikings "won" the trade because Jefferson is even more productive than Diggs, he is younger, and paid much less (still on rookie contract), and the Vikes got additional draft picks.  That said, I am going to agree with you that Diggs brought/brings intangibles to the Bills that were needed and call this trade a win-win, and agree that it looks so far like one of the best trades the league has seen.

[947]

Champ Bailey for Clinton Portis was a similar win/win trade.

[RoyBatty is alive]

Actually I agree with the logic.

 

I never understood what the alleged  issue Diggs supposedly had in Minnesota but he has been a tremendous leaders and teammate here.

[msw2112]

1 minute ago, Warcodered said:

Didn't the Bills and Chiefs basically trade picks that lead to Mahomes, Tre White, and Josh Allen?

 

Yes - this is a great point - and similar, in that this trade also worked out in a big way for both franchises.

[Buffalo Junction]

Maybe the Chargers/Falcons pick swap that got them LaDanian Tomlinson and Michael Vick respectively? There are probably a few other trades that worked out as well. 

[Process]

If you look at it as the trade was Diggs for Jefferson, than the Vikings clearly "won" the trade. 

 

That's not what happened though. Trade was DIggs for draft picks. Getting a top 5 WR for essentially one late first round pick is a clear win for the Bills. Vikings than won the draft with Jefferson falling to them and making a good pick. There was no way to know at the time of the trade that Jefferson would be available. 

 

Regardless of who "won", it ended up working out insanely well for both sides. 

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

2 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Didn't the Bills and Chiefs basically trade picks that lead to Mahomes, Tre White, and Josh Allen?

 

Strictly speaking we used the Chiefs 2018 pick from the Mahomes trade to move up to select Edmunds (we used our own 1st rd pick to move up for Allen)

[Utah John]

2 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Didn't the Bills and Chiefs basically trade picks that lead to Mahomes, Tre White, and Josh Allen?

This is the trade I was thinking about.  The Chiefs got Mahomes for a first round pick that turned into Tre White, and then the Bills were able to get Allen.  I don't think the Chiefs would trade Mahomes for Allen + White, and the Bills wouldn't trade even Allen alone for Mahomes, so they both feel like they got everything they wanted.  That trade turned into the steps that made both teams powerhouses.

4 minutes ago, 947 said:

Champ Bailey for Clinton Portis was a similar win/win trade.

I don't think so.  Bailey was an elite player and remained one for years after the trade.  Portis, like most RBs, didn't last very long, and he wasn't really very special even right after the trade.  

[Warcodered]

Chargers-Saints with Brees and Rivers.

Edited September 12, 2022 by Warcodered
Wasn't a trade I guess.

[Billzgobowlin]

Diggs is what we needed and Jefferson is what the Vikings needed.  Perfect for both sides

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

16 minutes ago, Inigo Montoya said:

Before everyone breaks a finger writing that we didn't trade Diggs for Jefferson, the end result is exactly that.  I'm hard pressed to think of another trade that was more beneficial FOR BOTH SIDES of a trade.  There are plenty of trades where one side gets an incredible value and the other side gets hosed, but I think both the Bills and the Vikings got more than they could've hoped for in this trade.    Knowing what they know now, I think both teams would still make that trade today.

 

Week 1;

Jefferson - 9 catches - 184 yards - 2 TDs

Diggs -       8 catches - 122 yards -  1 TD

 

You have to give Justin Jefferson his due, he is amazing and may be a better pure receiver than Diggs is.    We'll never know if the Bills would have drafted Jefferson had they not traded their 1st rounder for Diggs.   I suspect that if Jefferson had been drafted by the Bills he would probably excel here too.  He's just an incredible talent.  But the Bills needed more than just a true WR1 when they traded for Diggs

 

Beane was looking for a WR1 with a veteran presence in the locker room to help this team grow.  He knew Allen needed someone who had been around and could help Allen take that next step.  With all the talk coming out of Minnesota about Diggs being a diva, I don't think the Bills could ask anything more of Diggs than what he has already given this team since his arrival.   I don't think this franchise is where it is today without Diggs in a Bills uniform.  

 

The Vikings are relevant because of Justin Jefferson and have an elite WR1 on a 1st round rookie contract and they can build around him for years.  The Bills have a veteran WR1 in Diggs who is elite in his own right and who has bought into "the process" making Allen and everyone else in that locker room better by being there.

 

Admittedly, I'm not a student of the game like many on this board are, but I can't think of another trade that did more for both sides than Diggs/Jefferson did.  

I don’t think you can really evaluate it as Jefferson vs diggs because we really traded  a draft pick for diggs and Jefferson should not have been available at that pick anyway. Had McDermott 100% known Jefferson would’ve fallen to us maybe that completely rewrites history. The eagles completely botched their wr pick at 21

Edited September 12, 2022 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Freddie's Dead]

Jerry Hughes for Kelvin Sheppard worked out for both parties....

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

2 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Chargers-Saints with Brees and Rivers.

 

Chargers-Giants  Eli for Rivers+

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

So it's agreed?  Both teams movin' on up as a result of the trade? 🤔

[Albany,n.y.]

The Tampa Bills trade in the 2018 draft is my choice.  Bills got Josh Allen, Tampa got multiple picks that they used to help them build a Super Bowl champion.  

 

[JoeF]

I live in Saint Paul.  The Minneapolis Star Tribune did a great story on Jefferson last Sunday.  He is an amazing young man.  A worker on the level of Diggs.  The question is will the Vikings will keep him to a second contract.  I think they will. 

 

The local scuttlebutt was that they were worried about Diggs' durability due to his small size.

 

The Vikings game is going to be competitive.  I thought it would be a relatively easy lift but not now....