Diggs proves the trade skeptics wrong

[The Jokeman]

I admit I hated the Diggs trade when it first came down as felt gave up a lot of draft capital. Yet to me Vikings didn't do much with it. Yes, Jefferson played great for them yet don't see him giving us what we needed from Diggs. It was a good trade for both teams yet in retrospect I like it for the Bills.

[Jpsredemption]

He makes the game look easy. It’s so much fun to watch how smooth this guy is. 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Jpsredemption

[QLBillsFan]

5 hours ago, dma0034 said:

 

 

I don't really think the Bills needed a veteran presence. They have Beasley and Brown as WRs... you think Diggs provides a veteran presence with that group? He helps Josh because Josh is looks for him often on 3rd down (especially with no John Brown)

 

Jefferson is controlled longer than Diggs because of age. Jefferson will get another contract with the Vikings (or they'll franchise tag him). Diggs isn't getting a Franchise tag at 31 and even if he did he isn't going to get a long term extension like Jefferson. Let's not pretend that Diggs is going to play until he is 38 at a high level

 

Jefferson is having a great year and is clearly going to be great. At every level of argument Diggs is a #1. He’s also to be dealt with and teams have to game plan for him. 4th down play is why we needed him as a example. Talent meets experience. 
Without a doubt this is a win win trade. But almost every expert agrees this was the player that has vaulted the Bills and JA to a higher level. Jefferson would not have done that this year. Stats alone can’t explain the actual impact Diggs has contributed. 

Edited December 10, 2020 by QLBillsFan

[QLBillsFan]

13 hours ago, dma0034 said:

They are two different types of receivers but Justin Jefferson is going to be a better WR than Diggs and may already be. Contract is better for 5 year. So I don't really know if it silences the trade skeptics honestly.

Argument is really not logical. Impossible to predict who was going to be available for Bills at WR with that pick. They absolutely knew what they had with Diggs who had a reasonable contract vs production. 
Great WR class and several are solid already. But some not as of yet. So no guarantees and possibly they felt Jefferson would be gone. As far as 10 years vs 5, who knows? Your assuming he automatically resigns with Vikes 🤷🏻‍♂️.For what ever reason Diggs wasn’t happy with Vikes. Perhaps he knows while Cousins is good, he’s not great. And yes wins and losses do factor into evaluation. It’s a win win trade and that’s being generous as of this moment. And yes Jefferson is darn good. 

[GunnerBill]

9 hours ago, dma0034 said:

Very good point. No doubt that Diggs has more knowledge and has contributed to Josh's growth. What you aren't stating is how Jefferson is 5 years younger. He could be a difference make for 10 years. Diggs is probably 5. I don't want short term success. I want long term success. 

 

But you accept, surely, that the Bills have entered a window now, right? The only way the Bills were not gonna be competitive this year was if Josh Allen didn't take another step. They needed a sure thing to help now. Even if Jefferson is still playing at a high level when Stef is retired that doesn't affect the context in which the Bills took that decision in March. I think it may prove to be one of the very best decisions this franchise has ever made. We could win a Superbowl in the next 3 years. It is not completely out of the question that we could win one this year.

6 hours ago, Jpsredemption said:

He makes the game look easy. It’s so much fun to watch how smooth this guy is. 

 

He is a top 3 route runner in the NFL. He might be the BEST route runner in the NFL. His ability to separate is absolutely astonishing. He can separate on a 5 yard route or a 50 yard route. The guy is just incredibly talented.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

21 hours ago, dma0034 said:

They are two different types of receivers but Justin Jefferson is going to be a better WR than Diggs and may already be. Contract is better for 5 year. So I don't really know if it silences the trade skeptics honestly.

Jefferson was projected to be drafted from the range #19 to #23 for the entire process. He was always behind Jeudy/Lamb and then Ruggs. Those three were thought to be the elite, then a drop off to Jefferson. 

 

After his Combine, I’m not sure why he didn’t continue to rise up boards more. Who watched his college tape and Combine and concluded he wasn’t going to be good? I’m not sure why it was concrete that he was behind Jeudy and Lamb, other than they attributed his numbers, in part, to Burrow.
 

As it turned out he went #22 in the Bills original slot, but an interesting detail is the Eagles taking Reagor at #21, who was thought to be ranked below Jefferson.

 

Beane talked about having to avoid trading up to #18 - #20. So it turns out both teams evaluated properly. Beane wanted a finished WR that could contribute immediately with minimal risk and Diggs style fits Allen perfectly.

But you’re right, when you see Jefferson come in at 21/22 years old on a rookie deal, verses Diggs at $14M, and it wouldn’t have cost the Bills anything to stay put and get him, it does sting somewhat.

 

But if the Eagles take Jefferson at #21 instead of Reagor, your entire plan goes up in smoke.

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Straight Hucklebuck

[BobbyC81]

21 hours ago, dma0034 said:

They are two different types of receivers but Justin Jefferson is going to be a better WR than Diggs and may already be. Contract is better for 5 year. So I don't really know if it silences the trade skeptics honestly.

 

Yes but Jefferson has Thielen as an established #1 receiver and a veteran QB.  If he was drafted by Buffalo to be the #1 WR with Allen as QB, I have my doubts that he would’ve had the impact Diggs has had.  Allen would probably have shown improvement but not to this level.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

Just now, ColeB said:

 

Yes but Jefferson has Thielen as an established #1 receiver and a veteran QB.  If he was drafted by Buffalo to be the #1 WR with Allen as QB, I have my doubts that he would’ve had the impact Diggs has had.  Allen would probably have shown improvement but not to this level.

I don’t agree with the Thielen on the other side point.

 

Jefferson is awesome.

 

Diggs isn’t as vertical as Jefferson, and so his precise route running has shortened Allen’s average throw distance and he has become more accurate as a result. This is consistent with the change we saw starting in 2019 where the Bills shortened Allen’s throw distance and improved his accuracy that way. 

 

But Jefferson on his own is explosive and so Allen would have had to adapt to a more vertical #1 WR. I think he would have.

 

Either way, Diggs breaks corners off constantly and Allen completes passes, but I agree with the controversial point that we didn’t silence critics, right now this looks like an even trade and Vikings have the player with more vertical upside and youth. 
 

Both teams got a #1, the Vikings is younger, but Diggs and Beasley run similar shorter routes.

[27yanks]

13 hours ago, Don Otreply said:

Way to cold up there, headed farther south in the am, 😁

Indeed it is. Gods speed!!! May the winds blow in your favor.

 

[JerseyBills]

I really wouldn't trade him for any WR. 

Ppl will point to a rookie like Jefferson or Dhop but we needed his personality and leadership for this O just as much as we needed his elite skillset on the field.  

Perfect match!

[HappyDays]

22 hours ago, dma0034 said:

They are two different types of receivers but Justin Jefferson is going to be a better WR than Diggs and may already be. Contract is better for 5 year. So I don't really know if it silences the trade skeptics honestly.

 

I could have told you before the draft that at least 1 WR the Bills could have drafted will turn out to be as good or better than Diggs. With how good this WR class it was almost a guarantee. It's just a coincidence that Jefferson happened to be drafted by the team we traded with. That doesn't mean Diggs was a bad trade even if Jefferson goes on to be a superstar. We got the sure thing instead of the lottery ticket, and without the benefit of hindsight no one knew if the WR we picked in the 1st round would turn out to be as good as Diggs.

 

It's been explained by plenty of other people in this thread too but we needed an immediate #1 receiver that can win now. I know building long term is important but the easiest time to win a Super Bowl is on your QB's rookie deal. 3rd year of an ascending QB's rookie deal is exactly when you make a move like this. And it has worked out better than anyone imagined. Diggs this year is a better WR. Jefferson has more yards than Adams, Hopkins, Evans and a bunch of other top receivers but that doesn't mean he's automatically better than them.

 

It reminds me of when the Bills let Gilmore walk fo the Patriots and we drafted White to replace him. Sure you could argue the Patriots would have been better in the long term if they had just found a way to draft White instead of signing Gilmore to a big contract. Certainly long term that would be the better move. But Gilmore as a veteran helped them win a Super Bowl in their window and no one knew White would turn out this good. Sometimes you have to make the more costly short term move and shoot your shot.

Edited December 10, 2020 by HappyDays

[Jay_Fixit]

22 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Redzone? Diggs. Stretch the field? Diggs. Who do I want to run the deep over out of the slot? Justin Jefferson. He is already, I think, the best in the league at that route he kills defenders on it. But regardless, I'd still take the trade. Even if the Bills loved Jefferson more than I did - he was an unknown. This team needed an established proven #1 guy where they were in the development. I don't think Jefferson transforms this offense the way Diggs has.

Jefferson wasn’t an unknown. He was my number 1 ranked receiver in the draft. I’m sure he was for others as well.

 

I’d still do this trade though. Diggs is perfect for Allen. Who knows if Jefferson would be.

[djp14150]

This idea we coukd have draftedJefferson us straw man BS

 

when thetradeoccured we didn’t know who would be there. Most had Jefferson gone before Bills pick.

[GunnerBill]

21 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said:

Jefferson wasn’t an unknown. He was my number 1 ranked receiver in the draft. I’m sure he was for others as well.

 

I’d still do this trade though. Diggs is perfect for Allen. Who knows if Jefferson would be.

 

Unknown was the wrong word. You know what I mean though. Unproven in the pros.

[Big Turk]

23 hours ago, dma0034 said:

They are two different types of receivers but Justin Jefferson is going to be a better WR than Diggs and may already be. Contract is better for 5 year. So I don't really know if it silences the trade skeptics honestly.

 

Well...we will see. It is one thing to do it one year as a rookie and another to do it consistently.

[QLBillsFan]

23 hours ago, dma0034 said:

 

I really don't understand why anyone thinks throwing Minnesota's record out there is something! He's won them more games than Diggs has won Buffalo. 

 

Ask Vikings fans:

http://www.vikingsmessageboard.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38009

 

 

Diggs has more targets and catches but Jefferson has more TDs and yardage. Vikings are run first. Bills are pass first. Jefferson and Allen could have been the best QB-WR for the next decade. Lets make sure we bump this thread in a year or two and see how everyone is feeling. 

Your overall premise is:

 

1. Jefferson is better.

2. You don’t want 5 years of success you want 10(assuming he re-signs) wow long term plan 

3. Jefferson has won more games but the team record doesn’t matter

4. Diggs current contract that is Bills friendly doesn’t matter

5. Jefferson would both be available and as good on Bills as Vikes given our depth at WR

6.Your positive that Jefferson will continue this pace 

7. You disregard the Bills decision to make the trade based on Diggs as guaranteed #1

8. Not acknowledging Run first w best RB in league opens pass game 

 

 

[Charles Romes]

Whether Diggs is the third best receiver in the league or number seven is subject to debate. What is clear from this trade is that if there is guy available in the top 10 in his position with anything  that can be characterized as a friendly contract he’s worth a first rounder in the mid 20s. 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Charles Romes

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

On 12/9/2020 at 11:04 AM, 27yanks said:

"I want him to be him. I don't want him to be anything else but him," Daboll said. "He's got juice, he's got fiery competitiveness, he's got swagger -- and I want him to have it because it rubs off on our team.

"He's an old throwback. He wants to grind at practice, you've got to take him out because he just wants to keep going. And if it's not right at practice, he gets hot. He's just been such a pleasure to be around."

 

I honestly can’t think of one knowledgeable person that cast a shed of doubt or skepticism on what this trade would do for the bills other than It made BoB look dumb for fire sale of Hopkins 

[Mat68]

7 hours ago, ColeB said:

 

Yes but Jefferson has Thielen as an established #1 receiver and a veteran QB.  If he was drafted by Buffalo to be the #1 WR with Allen as QB, I have my doubts that he would’ve had the impact Diggs has had.  Allen would probably have shown improvement but not to this level.

This.  Jefferson is playing very well.  Diggs and Jefferson are playing 2 differant games though.  Jefferson has the one of the top backs in the league and plays across Theilen who is the teams #1.  Diggs is the guy for the Bills.  At wr and the offense.

[T master]

I have to eat crow on this one i thought dude would be a thorn that would fester and cause a bunch of crap but 

 

I WAS WAY WRONG !! 

 

He's definitely made a believer out of me ... GO BILLS !! Bring it Stefon !!

[QCity]

On 12/9/2020 at 11:12 AM, dma0034 said:

They are two different types of receivers but Justin Jefferson is going to be a better WR than Diggs and may already be. Contract is better for 5 year. So I don't really know if it silences the trade skeptics honestly.

 

What Jefferson is doing as a rookie is quite amazing, he certainly conjures up memories of Moss. The guy was a beast at LSU and in a few years he may be considered the top WR in the NFL. But here's what many forget -- if we don't make that trade there's no guarantee we would have drafted him.