Stefon Diggs Trade Proposal (Hypothetical)

[LABILLBACKER]

20 minutes ago, SCBills said:

IF the Bills are able to maneuver around his cap hit and someone offers a Second Round Pick.  Do you take it?

 

Where there's a will, there's a way and I think it's a no-brainer to trade him at this point if not for the dead cap.  I was on his side over the summer, but he's just negative energy at this point.  Weird vibes and doesn't back it up on the field.  Gets shut down, again, by Kansas City.  Fumbles on the first play.  Drops a 65 yard bomb in the 4th Quarter from Allen and makes a gesture intimating that it was on Allen.

 

I'm over it. 

 

I'd rather give Allen a couple Day 1/Day 2 Wide Receivers to go with Kincaid, Knox, Shakir and Cook at this point.  

 

The dead cap hit might make this completely impossible, but if the Bills can get creative, I think we're better off.  The relationship just seems like it's run it's course. 

I'm not opposed to this strategy  if you could find someone willing to give us a 2nd and take his contract. Gabe was a fail. Stef is definitely not the same guy as he once was. We need to get more young promising wrs. As much as I love what Diggs meant to this team, his time is ending soon. 

Edited January 22 by LABILLBACKER

[Mango]

1 minute ago, BarleyNY said:

Trading Diggs prior to 6/1 would increase his cap hit from $27.9M to $31.1M. We are at a point where it is possible to do this - albeit very painful and unlikely. I do not see another team trading a second round pick (especially in this draft which is loaded with WR talent) and paying Diggs $18.8M for the season. Not when Diggs turns 31 in November. 

 

I think we are stuck with him one more season and then he gets designated a 6/1 cut the following offseason. But to the OP’s question - hell, yes, I’d move him for a 2 and take the cap hit. 

 

I think the one thing that makes Diggs an OK trade candidate is that they can risk his cost for the season. But I believe the receiving team can move on from Diggs without any real cap ramification because all that is left is his base salary, roster bonus, etc. Buffalo eats the rest. 

 

A team like Houston or Indy could take this risk to help out a rookie QB. If it doesn't work out they move on the following offseason for basically nothing. If he does work out he is certainly worth his cap hit. 

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

Fvck no. What the hell is a 2nd round pick going to do for us? Take on 31 million in dead cap for a 2nd? You must have lost your mind.

 

Bills Top 5 OL comes back next year. 

 

James Cook year 3.

 

Kincaid Year 2.

 

Shakir Year 3.

 

There's your trio to rely on heading into next season.

 

I'm more than willing go heavy WR early in this draft.  I'd literally pull a Rousseau/Boogie and hope they actually get it right with the WR's.  

[Buffalo_Stampede]

If the Bills move on from Diggs they can realistically sign a top WR in the offseason and back load the contract to have small cap hits early.

 

Tee Higgins anyone?

[oldmanfan]

Team has to take one step back to take the next two forward.  That step back involves getting younger and dumping some vets like Diggs even if they get a cap hit.

[BarleyNY]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

Fvck no. What the hell is a 2nd round pick going to do for us? Take on 31 million in dead cap for a 2nd? You must have lost your mind.

 

Just to be clear, the Bills already have that $31M in dead cap on their books and it must be accounted for. It’s just spread out right now. Trading Diggs would accelerate the pro rated portion into the current year - or the following year if it is after 6/1. 

 

Keeping Diggs adds to his overall cap impact because we pay him more in salary, etc. This is always the risk when you kick the cap hit can down the road to this extent. 

[msw2112]

Diggs is tough to figure out.  He played really well in the first half of the season.  When Brady took over, his production dropped, but I don't think it's because he lost a step mid-season, it was simply because Brady was (wisely) spreading the ball around to other weapons such as Shakir, Kincaid, Cook, and even Ty Johnson.  If teams were going to double-team Diggs, that means someone else has single coverage and/or is open.

 

That said, he's made some key drops.  That dropped bomb from Allen yesterday could have changed the complexion of the game if he had caught it.  An NFL WR of his level HAS to make that catch.  The Chiefs' WRs, ridiculed for drops all season long, made all of the tough catches yesterday.  Shakir and Kincaid also made a bunch.

 

So is his decline because he lost a step, or is it because the offense is not running through him anymore?  And if it's because the offense isn't running through him anymore, is he dropping the ball because he's just out of rhythm or is it because he feels "disrespected" and his head/heart are no longer in it?  I hate to question the guy, because he's always been a competitor who plays hard and wants to win, but he's also shown to be a bit of a head case.

 

I'm curious to know what others on the board think.  And I'm really just looking for insight into his play and not taking the contractual situation into account.

Edited January 22 by msw2112

[Big Turk]

1 minute ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Just to be clear, the Bills already have that $31M in dead cap on their books and it must be accounted for. It’s just spread out right now. Trading Diggs would accelerate the pro rated portion into the current year - or the following year if it is after 6/1. 

 

Keeping Diggs adds to his overall cap impact because we pay him more in salary, etc. This is always the risk when you kick the cap hit can down the road to this extent. 

 

He will put up another 1000 yard+ season next year here. Who do you plan on replacing him with? Signing Mike Evans to a $25 million dollar a year contract?

[SCBills]

3 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

Diggs is tough to figure out.  He played really well in the first half of the season.  When Brady took over, his production dropped, but I don't think it's because he lost a step mid-season, it was simply because Brady was (wisely) spreading the ball around to other weapons such as Shakir, Kincaid, Cook, and even Ty Johnson.  If teams were going to double-team Diggs, that means someone else has single coverage and/or is open.

 

That said, he's made some key drops.  That dropped bomb from Allen yesterday could have changed the complexion of the game if he had caught it.  An NFL WR of his level HAS to make that catch.  The Chiefs' WRs, ridiculed for drops all season long, made all of the tough catches yesterday.  Shakir and Kincaid also made a bunch.

 

So is his decline because he lost a step, or is it because the offense is not running through him anymore?  And if it's because the offense isn't running through him anymore, is he dropping the ball because he's just out of rhythm or is it because he feels "disrespected" and his head/heart are no longer in it?  I hate to question the guy, because he's always been a competitor who plays hard and wants to win, but he's also shown to be a bit of a head case.

 

I'm curious to know what others on the board think.  And I'm really just looking for insight into his play and not taking the contractual situation into account.

 

I still think he has WR1 ability in him, but I think it's run it's course here. 

 

I do think he and Allen have some sort of friction for whatever reason.  And I do think he's out of rhythm from not being the focal point.  

 

I don't think he has Top 5 WR ability any longer though.  Unless it's revealed he's had a major injury, the last half of the season and the playoffs are just not on that level... not even close.  

 

[SectionC3]

21 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

There's a chance. 

 

I didn't believe it would be on the table prior to this post-season, but I think this off-season might shock some people.  

 

The Bills can clear cap, and maybe it's not to re-sign guys.. maybe it's to reload through the draft and get younger. 

 

This.  All day long.  To beat KC we have to get contributions from younger, cheaper talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.  Many are down on this season because we didn’t win the whole thing.  The outcome hurts, but we’re in good shape moving forward.  We need to refresh the receiver room, but the offense on the whole is well-positioned for the future.  We discovered this year that we have a burgeoning star in Kincaid, and a stud slot receiver in the making in Shakir.  Cook arguably is a star.  

 

On the other side of the ball, LB is set.  Corner is set.  We’re going to get younger in at least one safety position.  Oliver is a stud.  There’s some work to do on the defensive side of the ball, and the Miller contract hurts.  But all things considered we’re in good shape.  White, Hyde, Davis, maybe Siran Neal, and maybe Morse are goners.  But that’s OK.  The pieces are there, and we are going to be back next year.  

 

 

[BarleyNY]

5 minutes ago, Mango said:

 

I think the one thing that makes Diggs an OK trade candidate is that they can risk his cost for the season. But I believe the receiving team can move on from Diggs without any real cap ramification because all that is left is his base salary, roster bonus, etc. Buffalo eats the rest. 

 

A team like Houston or Indy could take this risk to help out a rookie QB. If it doesn't work out they move on the following offseason for basically nothing. If he does work out he is certainly worth his cap hit. 

 

I think that the Bills best option would be to trade him post 6/1. Let draft and FA play out and teams get their rosters set. Then wait for the eventual catastrophic injury to a stud WR on a contender. Then you might get a second out of them.

 

Notably Diggs’ salary becomes guaranteed at the start of the league year but he doesn’t have a roster bonus. The team trading for him could do a restructure to fit him under their cap. One snafu is if the Bills restructure his contract early in the off-season to macerate cap space. His trade value would increase, but we’d be on the hook for his salary and associated cap hit. 

[Mango]

10 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

Fvck no. What the hell is a 2nd round pick going to do for us? Take on 31 million in dead cap for a 2nd? You must have lost your mind.

 

The delta in keeping Diggs vs cutting/trading Diggs is $3M. That is an important distinction to make. 

 

1 minute ago, Big Turk said:

 

He will put up another 1000 yard+ season next year here. Who do you plan on replacing him with? Signing Mike Evans to a $25 million dollar a year contract?

 

I generally agree here. When you cut a guy, you have to replace him. But Diggs has had the ability to be a distraction. 

I wouldn't be quick to pull the trigger on this one. But I also don't fall into the "fork no" category either. Both seem to have some cost and some benefit. It all depends on what kind of Stef we get back next year? Do we get this seasons teammate that was a good soldier. Or do we get the Bengals/OTA Stef. If it is the ladder you pull the trigger. If it is the former you ride this out another year. 

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

He will put up another 1000 yard+ season next year here. Who do you plan on replacing him with? Signing Mike Evans to a $25 million dollar a year contract?

 

KIncaid is going to be a superstar.  

 

Shakir has all the making of a top tier Slot WR with inside/outside flex.  Should have had 2 TD's yesterday along with making multiple tough catches.

 

Why do we need to sign big name WR's?  This draft is loaded.  Diggs would be perfect for teams with cap space and/or Dallas if they want to fulfill that fantasy.  

 

RD1/RD2 give Allen a couple WR's like Green Bay has while knowing we bring back a very good OL with a trio of Kincaid, Shakir and Cook. 

[78thealltimegreat]

5 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

Diggs is tough to figure out.  He played really well in the first half of the season.  When Brady took over, his production dropped, but I don't think it's because he lost a step mid-season, it was simply because Brady was (wisely) spreading the ball around to other weapons such as Shakir, Kincaid, Cook, and even Ty Johnson.  If teams were going to double-team Diggs, that means someone else has single coverage and/or is open.

 

That said, he's made some key drops.  That dropped bomb from Allen yesterday could have changed the complexion of the game if he had caught it.  An NFL WR of his level HAS to make that catch.  The Chiefs' WRs, ridiculed for drops all season long, made all of the tough catches yesterday.  Shakir and Kincaid also made a bunch.

 

So is his decline because he lost a step, or is it because the offense is not running through him anymore?  And if it's because the offense isn't running through him anymore, is he dropping the ball because he's just out of rhythm or is it because he feels "disrespected" and his head/heart are no longer in it?  I hate to question the guy, because he's always been a competitor who plays hard and wants to win, but he's also shown to be a bit of a head case.

 

I'm curious to know what others on the board think.  And I'm really just looking for insight into his play and not taking the contractual situation into account.

There could be some undisclosed injury he’s dealing with that’s been nagging him. Not enough for him to get put on the injury report but enough lookto affect his play at least mentally. 
 

[T master]

If the player isn't producing & is or could be causing some friction in the locker room Beane ain't scared to get rid of them & take the hit for a year and get younger players that he feels can help if just by the motivation to prove them selves .

 

I don't know what is up with Diggs but what ever it is it's not like it was the guy couldn't catch a cold in a phone booth kind of makes me wonder if he in some ways played bad because he was pouting about something that didn't go his way .

[dorquemada]

24 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Got to love how Diggs has been a great teammate all season but because his production has been down from what seems likely a persisting injury it's LOCKER ROOM CANCER! everywhere.

 

I dont think he's a cancer, but my eyes tell me that he's struggling to catch the football, and important skill in the year 2024 for NFL wide receivers

[Mango]

1 minute ago, BarleyNY said:

 

I think that the Bills best option would be to trade him post 6/1. Let draft and FA play out and teams get their rosters set. Then wait for the eventual catastrophic injury to a stud WR on a contender. Then you might get a second out of them.

 

Notably Diggs’ salary becomes guaranteed at the start of the league year but he doesn’t have a roster bonus. The team trading for him could do a restructure to fit him under their cap. One snafu is if the Bills restructure his contract early in the off-season to macerate cap space. His trade value would increase, but we’d be on the hook for his salary and associated cap hit. 

 

I don't think his cap hit is prohibitive in a trade. In that scenario Diggs $18M-ish next year puts him at 15th overall between Ceedee Lamb and Justin Jefferson with the freedom to walk away. I think that would be good value for a team with a young QB and a lot of cap space. 

If this team wants to move on from Diggs I think they can and even get 'some' return on it if they want. 

[SectionC3]

2 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

KIncaid is going to be a superstar.  

 

Shakir has all the making of a top tier Slot WR with inside/outside flex.  Should have had 2 TD's yesterday along with making multiple tough catches.

 

Why do we need to sign big name WR's?  This draft is loaded.  Diggs would be perfect for teams with cap space and/or Dallas if they want to fulfill that fantasy.  

 

RD1/RD2 give Allen a couple WR's like Green Bay has while knowing we bring back a very good OL with a trio of Kincaid, Shakir and Cook. 

This is why I’m not morbid about the loss yesterday.  It hurts, and it’s one less year to win the Super Bowl.  But from where we were at 6-6 to the long-term outlook, I feel great.  I really do.  We gotta re-load on D.  But this year we discovered the second generation, if you will, to work with Allen in Kincaid, Shakir, and Cook.  Look at the Ravens and Lamar Jackson.  They may well win the whole thing this year.  Sometimes it takes awhile.  And it has for us.  But we are gonna have a look at this for a long time coming, and those changes will only improve once we shed the Miller and Diggs contracts. 

[SCBills]

1 minute ago, dorquemada said:

 

I dont think he's a cancer, but my eyes tell me that he's struggling to catch the football, and important skill in the year 2024 for NFL wide receivers

 

The "this close" hand gesture to Allen on that bomb was such a clown move.

 

That's a "pat your chest , my bad" gesture.  

[SectionC3]

Just now, SCBills said:

 

The "this close" hand gesture to Allen on that bomb was such a clown move.

 

That's a "pat your chest , my bad" gesture.  

Totally agree.  Clown move is the best way to put it.  He was right about Allen having to knuckle down last year.  And now he has to look in the mirror and figure out what it is that isn’t working on his own side of things.