WickedGame

Hasn’t played a snap yet and he’s the best Hardy or Harty we’ve ever had. Daequan > Deonte > James

Brandon Aiyuk, here we come?

He also had a cap hit that’s $7m/year higher, and he’ll be 30 years old in June. I’ll concede I’m not an expert on the compensation, but I imagine it won’t come cheap to get the Bears to part with their #1 receiver from a year ago — a guy who had 950 more yards than their next closest WR.

We don’t have a 3rd.

My long-shot prediction: Bills trade for DJ Moore. Cost is pick #28 and a mix of later/future picks. Maybe a player (Spencer Brown?) Bills get a proven WR to replace Diggs at a modest $16M cap number for the next two years. Maybe they extend him two years, since he just turned 27 last week. The Bills avoid a roll of the dice on a receiver at 28. They also potentially keep their #2 pick in the deal. If Brown is part of the package they get an RT in the second to compete with Lael Collins. Then we get a WR in the 4th and everything else is depth. The Bears, who have only a few picks, stockpile picks and use #28 to nab the 5th or 6th best WR to be their new #2 WR alongside Odunze or Nabers. Brown would also fill a need for them. They end up with two cost-controlled receivers on 5-year rookie deals to go with their cost-controlled QB, freeing them up for big swings in free agency in 2025. Feasible?

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State - Cardinals Rome Odunze, Washington - Bills Ladd McConkey, Georgia - Panthers Brian Thomas Jr., LSU - Bengals Xavier Worthy Texas- Chiefs Bonus Bills pick - Odunze

I hate when people say this. It’s reductive. There’s a massive difference between paying big money to a 30-year-old Stefon Diggs who underperformed and paying big money to a 26-year-old Aiyuk who has improved every year and is easily in his prime. I’m not saying the $25m-$30m/year would be easy to swallow, but let’s not pretend Diggs’ salary and value is an apples-to-apples comparison with Aiyuk at a similar salary. Nobody wants a car payment after you’ve just finished paying off your car, but I’d rather have a new Maserati than a used Mercedes.

I’d trade this year’s #2, #4, and a #6 for him. It’ll take more than just a 2nd rounder for SF to part ways…they just witnessed what Diggs traded for, and they know whoever trades for Aiyuk is doing a long-term deal and getting years of production out of him. Then I can package my #1 with whatever I need to from this year’s remaining picks or next year’s picks to move up a few spots (if needed) for another WR. That gives me two studs for the next few years after I extend Aiyuk (structure it so the cap hit starts next year). Whatever picks I have left this year give me depth, and next year I still have capital to get an Edge or whatever else becomes our top need.

Would you say it’s better to have a big Johnson or to get the Clapp?

Fixed it for ya:

I don’t dislike Legette, but I have some concerns. Body type, downfield, contested catches, etc. are intriguing. But limited career production and some inconsistency/drops. I’d like him more as a 2nd rounder.

Agree with these points. Although I’ll add that I don’t want my #2 WR receiver to be purely a straight-line-speed/go routes guy. I want him to be a separator. With hands, ideally. Someone who can run a full route tree…maybe even some of those deep middle routes you mentioned. A unicorn, I know, but it got to where Gave was only useful on a deep go. Splashy? Sure. But give me a guy who requires a DB to make decisions. Ideally, poor decisions.

The need for a #2 is less about catching the balls that currently go to Kincaid, Shakir, Cook, etc., and more about having a dangerous enough weapon opposite Diggs to prevent defenses from focusing so heavily on him. If a #2 receiver reduces the production of Kincaid and Shakir, I don’t care as long as it INCREASES the production of Diggs. I I’m not saying I need 1,700 yards from Diggs — I’m saying I need a set of weapons so stacked that somebody on the defense is seriously compromised.

Hurt in a sacrifice to The Pit? Call Cellino & Barnes injury attorneys. Don’t wait, call 8.

Complaining about “the media” has got to be the most tired, most cliche way to rant on a soapbox. Why do people so desperately need a boogeyman in their lives?