Diggs cryptic comments - 2024 edition

[BillsFanForever19]

5 hours ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Was any more detail provided besides working on a trade with Houston?  Thanks 

 

Oh joy! You've found your ErieCountyBulls for this season and he's a poster on this board. Wonderful. I can't wait to hear "BuffaloBaumer said" up until the Draft, like it's some sort of proof positive smoking gun to this nonsense.

 

Houston makes very little sense. They have Nico Collins, Tank Dell, John Metchie, and Robert Woods. They've spent a 2nd and two 3rds over the past 3 Drafts to acquire them and are in really good shape in that room. Now they're going to pay for Diggs' massive bag of money and spend a 1st as well on top of all of that, when their room is already very good and growing/developing?

 

Now let's look at the next part of it that makes no sense - why would we help Houston? They, like us were one of the final 4 teams in the AFC. We're in direct competition with them. So now we're going to give them a final piece to help push them over the top? In our own path? In exchange for a lottery ticket and paying money out of pocket to do so? No f'n way.

 

Even if you were to entertain the idea that trading him is possible or likely, which it absolutely isn't - we wouldn't trade him to an AFC contender.

Edited February 10 by BillsFanForever19

[Tim Tindale]

38 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Oh joy! You've found your ErieCountyBulls for this season and he's a poster on this board. Wonderful. I can't wait to hear "BuffaloBaumer said" up until the Draft, like it's some sort of proof positive to this nonsense.

 

Houston makes very little sense. They have Nico Collins, Tank Dell, John Metchie, and Robert Woods. They've spent a 2nd and two 3rds over the past 3 Drafts to acquire them and are in really good shape in that room. Now they're going to pay for Diggs' massive bag of money and spend a 1st as well on top of all of that, when their room is already very good and growing/developing?

 

Now let's look at the next part of it that makes no sense - why would we help Houston? They, like us were one of the final 4 teams in the AFC. We're in direct competition with them. So now we're going to give them a final piece to help push them over the top? In our own path? In exchange for a lottery ticket and paying money out of pocket to do so? No f'n way.

 

Even if you were to entertain the idea that this is possible or likely, which it absolutely isn't - we wouldn't trade him to an AFC contender.

Honestly, while I have no idea if this rumor has merit, identifying Houston as a landing spot isn’t crazy at all:

 

1). Nico Collins is on the last year of his rookie deal in 2024.  He’s going to want 1a WR money. Is that the WR you want to pair with Stroud and pay 1a money to? I would be questioning that. 
 

2) Tank Dell is a 5’8” 165-pound slot receiver on a rookie contract coming off a major injury. It’s irrelevant to whether you want to bring in an expensive WR1 to pair with Stroud.

 

3) Metchie is one year removed from leukemia with two years left on a rookie deal.  He caught 16 balls this year for 160 yards. I mean, WR4 perhaps?

 

4) Robert Woods will be 32 next year coming off a 40-catch season with one year left on his contract. He’s maybe a JAG, at best, at this point in his career.

 

5) If I’m Houston, I’m trying to find my Jamar Chase, Tyreek Hill, Ceedee Lamb, or dare I say, Steph Diggs to pair with my franchise QB. A Ferrari at WR1 that I’m willing to pay.  Tee Higgins fits the bill but he is probably going to get franchised, and then you have to outbid other suitors after 2024. You can go the draft, but you have to hit the pick correctly.

 

I don’t view that WR room as loaded at all and Diggs makes a lot of sense there, particularly if the WR1 is not in the building.  Niko Collins may not be the guy you want to pay top 10 WR money to after next season. 
 

They have the room because Collins and Stroud are on rookie contracts.

 

I mean, it’s not a crazy rumor at all from Houston’s side. 
 

If you are Beane/Bills, you make the deal because you think Houston believes Diggs is still a top 10 WR while you are convinced he’s on the decline with a massive contract.

 

Seems like a reasonable rumor to me. 

 

Edited February 9 by Tim Tindale

[BillsFanForever19]

1 hour ago, Tim Tindale said:

Honestly, while I have no idea if this rumor has merit, identifying Houston as a landing spot isn’t crazy at all:

 

1). Nico Collins is on the last year of his rookie deal in 2024.  He’s going to want 1a WR money. Is that WR you want to pair with Stroud and pay 1a money to? I would be questioning that. 
 

2) Tank Dell is a 5’8” 165-pound slot receiver on a rookie contract coming off a major injury. It’s irrelevant to whether you want to bring in an expensive WR1 to pair with Stroud.

 

3) Metchie is one year removed from leukemia with two years left on a rookie deal.  He caught 16 balls this year for 160 yards. I mean, WR4 perhaps?

 

4) Robert Woods will be 32 next year coming off a 40-catch season with one year left on his contract. He’s maybe a JAG, at best, at this point in his career.

 

5) If I’m Houston, I’m trying to find my Jamar Chase, Tyreek Hill, Ceedee Lamb, or dare I say, Steph Diggs to pair with my franchise QB. A Ferrari at WR1 that I’m willing to pay.  Tee Higgins fits the bill but he is probably going to get franchised, and then we have to outbid other suitors. You can go the draft, but you have to hit the pick correctly.

 

I don’t see that WR room as loaded at all and Diggs makes a lot of sense there, particularly if my WR1 is not in the building.  Niko Collins may not be the guy you want to pay top 10 WR money to after next season. 
 

They have the room because Collins and Stroud are on rookie contracts.

 

I mean, it’s not a crazy rumor at all from Houston’s side. 
 

If you are Beane/Bills, you make the deal because you think Houston believes Diggs is still a top 10 WR while you are convinced he’s on the decline. 

 

Seems like a reasonable rumor to me. 

 

 

Nico Collins was 8th in the league in yardage last year and was Stroud's go to guy. They're growing together. I see no way that they'd not keep a 25 year old Top 10 WR who may be just scratching the surface with Stroud in favor of a guy that, as good as he is, will be 31 years old this year.

 

Even in a Down Year Stefon Diggs, he was 7th in the league in Receptions and just out of the Top 10 in Yards. 

 

Beane himself said he needs to get weapons to take pressure off of him, which partly resulted in the Down Year.

 

Even if he thinks he might be on the decline, he's still a difference maker. If there's a question as to whether or not that's the case, Houston wouldn't give up what's being talked about to get him.

 

And Beane can't possibly be so sure he isn't a difference maker anymore that he's going to risk handing them a weapon that could come back to bite us. There's zero way he can be positive that would happen.

 

Again, if he were to be traded, which I just don't see - as we still have to replace half of our WR core as is - there's zero possibility it would be to an AFC contender like Houston. There's zero chance he'd risk even the possibility of having to answer why he handed Houston the piece that beat us in the Playoffs. 

 

That's setting himself up for a fireable offense. Beane is too judicious for that.

Edited February 10 by BillsFanForever19

[transient]

11 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Nico Collins was 8th in the league in yardage last year and was Stroud's go to guy. They're growing together. I see no way that they'd not keep a 25 year old Top 10 WR who may be just scratching the surface with Stroud in favor of a guy that, as good as he is, will be 31 years old this year.

 

Even in a Down Year Stefon Diggs, he was 7th in the league in Receptions and just out of the Top 10 in Yards. 

 

Beane himself said he needs to get weapons to take pressure off of him, which partly resulted in the Down Year.

 

Even if he thinks he might be on the decline, he's still a difference maker. If there's a question as to whether or not that's the case, Houston wouldn't give up what's being talked about to get him.

 

And Beane can't possibly be so sure he isn't a difference maker anymore that he's going to risk handing them a weapon that could come back to bite us. There's zero way he can be positive that would happen.

 

Again, if he were to be traded, which I just don't see - as we still have to replace half of our WR core as is - there's zero possibility it would be to an AFC contender like Houston. There's zero chance he'd risk even the possibility of having to answer why he handed Houston the piece that beat us in the Playoffs. 

Hear me out here… maybe Beane is such a wizard that he’s pumping up Diggs value so that he can trade him to an AFC rival and watch him light the league on fire at a record pace with Eric Moulds and Peerless Price for the first half of the season until he turns into Frankenstein’s pumpkin and plays the rest of the season like his feet have been cast into the concrete of the foundation of the stadium… wait, I think I have some of the details confused… 🤔

[Billl]

7 hours ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Harty*

 

No fair! I had the idea with Houston first!

 

Seriously though, a person claimed he knew Diggs reached out to a former Texans WR about the city and organization

 

Texans have a lot of cap space and putting Diggs with Collins and Tank Dell gives them a really nice group for Stroud

So Houston wants to bring in a guy who has forced his way out of two organizations to mentor their young, talented WRs?  Not buying that.

[BillsFanForever19]

12 minutes ago, Billl said:

So Houston wants to bring in a guy who has forced his way out of two organizations to mentor their young, talented WRs?  Not buying that.

 

That's just one of the million things about this hairbrained idea that doesn't make sense.

 

But hey, some guy, who supposedly knows a guy, who was supposedly talking to Sherfield and Harty and just volunteering trade secrets to him, says it's in the works. 

 

So, you know, logic be damned. That's some stone cold, believable, lock it in stuff right there.

 

The Diggs posts that were a waste of time last year were insane. I guess we're just going for next level crazy this offseason.

Edited February 10 by BillsFanForever19

[Big Turk]

The media has turned this into the NFLs version of Prince Harry and Megan Markle versus the Royal Family where people just make sh!t up and treat it as facts then basically create stories out of thin air and just go with them.

 

It's beyond ridiculous by now.

[Beck Water]

4 hours ago, Tim Tindale said:

Honestly, while I have no idea if this rumor has merit, identifying Houston as a landing spot isn’t crazy at all:

 

1). Nico Collins is on the last year of his rookie deal in 2024.  He’s going to want 1a WR money. Is that the WR you want to pair with Stroud and pay 1a money to? I would be questioning that.

 

So lemme get this straight. 

 

You're saying that the Texans would trade something of significant value (to make up for the cap hit we'd take) for Diggs (age 30, 13th in receiving yards), in order to pay Diggs $18.5M this year, $18 next year, and $19M in 2026, because they still have Collins (age 24, 8th in receiving yards) on a cheap contract through 2024 and they might have to franchise tag him (last year WR franchise tag was $19.7M) if they can't reach agreement on a deal?

 

4 hours ago, Tim Tindale said:

5) If I’m Houston, I’m trying to find my Jamar Chase, Tyreek Hill, Ceedee Lamb, or dare I say, Steph Diggs to pair with my franchise QB. A Ferrari at WR1 that I’m willing to pay.  Tee Higgins fits the bill but he is probably going to get franchised, and then you have to outbid other suitors after 2024. You can go the draft, but you have to hit the pick correctly.

 

I don’t view that WR room as loaded at all and Diggs makes a lot of sense there, particularly if the WR1 is not in the building.  Niko Collins may not be the guy you want to pay top 10 WR money to after next season.

 

So the Texans may not want to go to the draft for a top WR because you have to hit the pick correctly, but the Bills (who lack the cap $$ to sign a top FA) should trade away Diggs and put themselves in a position where they absolutely MUST go to the draft and hit the pick correctly?

 

Make it make sense

[billieve420]

I just don’t see how Diggs gets traded. Can’t see any team offering anything worthwhile. If any team was offering mid 1st round draft pick for Diggs. I would do that trade in a heartbeat if I was Beane. Mid first round pick probably gives you enough ammo to get one of the top 3 WRs in this class. 

Edited February 10 by billieve420

[billsfanmiamioh]

4 minutes ago, billieve420 said:

I just don’t see how Diggs gets traded. Can’t see any team offering anything worthwhile. If any team was offering mid 1st round draft pick for Diggs. I would do that trade in a heartbeat if I was Beane. Mid first round pick probably gives you enough ammo to get one of the top 3 WRs in this class. 

Absolutely. Unfortunately, I think you’d be lucky to get a third for him at this point. 

[Tim Tindale]

8 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

So lemme get this straight. 

 

You're saying that the Texans would trade something of significant value (to make up for the cap hit we'd take) for Diggs (age 30, 13th in receiving yards), in order to pay Diggs $18.5M this year, $18 next year, and $19M in 2026, because they still have Collins (age 24, 8th in receiving yards) on a cheap contract through 2024 and they might have to franchise tag him (last year WR franchise tag was $19.7M) if they can't reach agreement on a deal?

 

 

So the Texans may not want to go to the draft for a top WR because you have to hit the pick correctly, but the Bills (who lack the cap $$ to sign a top FA) should trade away Diggs and put themselves in a position where they absolutely MUST go to the draft and hit the pick correctly?

 

Make it make sense

First, I’m not saying it will happen. My point was more pushing back against the hyperbolic “it would NEVER happen”.  I think it can make sense for both sides.
 

The post mentioned that Houston’s WR room is loaded. It’s not - Nico is a nice receiver, but he really hadn’t done much before Stroud arrived this year and Houston could come to the conclusion his big year was a product of Stroud.  Just because he is young and put up a big year, it doesn’t follow he’s an alpha 1a that can command double-teams, you can count on for 100 catches per year going forward, etc.  There are plenty examples of young WR’s who put up big years with great QB’s as the WR1, but weren’t really top 10 WR’s and you wouldn’t want to pay him as such (e.g. a 22-year old JuJu Smith Schuster in 2018 comes to mind, or 24-year-old Steve Smith for the Giants, who went for 107-1220-7 with Eli and never cracked 600 thereafter).  Just because average fan says “Nico is young and put up a big year” doesn’t mean Houston will come to the conclusion that he should be paid WR1 money in 2025.  
 

Or, Houston could come to a different conclusion - we won’t have to pay Stroud for a few years. That allows us to tie up Collins and another established WR with a big contract to pair with Stroud for three years. That’s a luxury when you have a top 5-7 QB on a rookie deal. Maybe they decide to go “all in” in 2024 given how cheap and young that roster is.  They certainly can worry about how many established playmakers they have around Stroud, especially after Dell broke his fibula late in the year.  You may wonder what you are going to get from guy who relies on speed prospectively.
 

I push back on “Houston would never do that and especially because that WR room is loaded.” It’s not, and they have plenty of wiggle room given they aren’t paying anyone on the offensive side of the ball.  It really not crazy at all from their side. 

 

As for Beane, I’m struck by Diggs’ comment that, and I’m paraphrasing, “we will see how this offseason goes, it’s a business, and I hope I’m in Buffalo”.  I know it’s Diggs and he stirs the pot, but that sounded like he’s preparing for the possibility that he could be elsewhere. The facts are the Bills are way over the cap, you have Diggs on a massive deal, is it so unreasonable that Beane decides to get out from under that contract to a team that has maximum cap flexibility? 
 

You can’t act like it’s the craziest thing you have ever heard when a few years ago, Minnesota was us (mercurial WR, unload contract) and we were Houston (young QB, cheap, flexible roster).  
 

Again, I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but I certainly can understand both sides (more so than the standard “it’s crazy and it will never happen”.) And, if that’s true, I won’t feign absolute shock when it does.  
 

[Einstein]

12 hours ago, Beck Water said:

You're saying that the Texans would trade something of significant value (to make up for the cap hit we'd take) for Diggs (age 30, 13th in receiving yards), in order to pay Diggs $18.5M this year, $18 next year, and $19M in 2026, because they still have Collins (age 24, 8th in receiving yards) on a cheap contract through 2024 and they might have to franchise tag him (last year WR franchise tag was $19.7M) if they can't reach agreement on a deal?

 

This sounds so stupid that I could see the Texans doing it.

Really poorly run franchise.

[SectionC3]

17 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Oh joy! You've found your ErieCountyBulls for this season and he's a poster on this board. Wonderful. I can't wait to hear "BuffaloBaumer said" up until the Draft, like it's some sort of proof positive smoking gun to this nonsense.

 

Houston makes very little sense. They have Nico Collins, Tank Dell, John Metchie, and Robert Woods. They've spent a 2nd and two 3rds over the past 3 Drafts to acquire them and are in really good shape in that room. Now they're going to pay for Diggs' massive bag of money and spend a 1st as well on top of all of that, when their room is already very good and growing/developing?

 

Now let's look at the next part of it that makes no sense - why would we help Houston? They, like us were one of the final 4 teams in the AFC. We're in direct competition with them. So now we're going to give them a final piece to help push them over the top? In our own path? In exchange for a lottery ticket and paying money out of pocket to do so? No f'n way.

 

Even if you were to entertain the idea that trading him is possible or likely, which it absolutely isn't - we wouldn't trade him to an AFC contender.

I'm not saying that I think this is going to happen, but maybe they're sick of his childish BS, the attendant headaches, and the friction with the boss (Josh Allen), and Houston is one of few available destinations for him with the contract. The other possibility, of course, is that he's such a toxic butthole behind the scenes that sending him to a rival might be addition by subtraction for us and subtraction by addition for them. 

[Not at the table Karlos]

On 2/8/2024 at 10:41 PM, SCBills said:

I’m clearly talking about how Josh answers when asked about Diggs. 
 

If my girlfriend and I are in weird point in our relationship and she asks me about how I feel about us, should I answer like Diggs if I truly want to be with her long term?  
 

Because the only way I’m answering like that is if I want to be in a toxic relationship where I constantly gaslight her. 

If you already answered her saying you love her and want to be with her for rest of life and she continued to ask the same questions over and over again like you already didn’t answer them, yes. I’d leave because she’s nuts, insecure and needs constant reassurance. That wears on people.
 

But Diggs can’t leave the media if he wants to be an NFL player as stupid as their requirement to talk to them is. He has already answered these questions. They keep asking him trying to piss him off and get a quote they can run with and get clicks to their page 

[26TrapDraw]

He’s too expensive to move period. Would it be wrong to go get a complimentary rookie that becomes 1a by seasons end with Diggs Shakir Kincaid Cook out of the backfield ? Brady can have a worse stable of receivers to work the offense for sure.

point is Diggs goes nowhere.

 

Edited February 10 by 26TrapDraw

[PayDaBill$]

My biggest issue with Diggs is that he pulled a Houdini last season.  Is that really what a WR1 does?  
 

We’ve seen no evidence of injury so it’s either attitude or he’s on an age related slide.

 

Personally I’m looking to move on from him just based on the last part of the season. Roster evolution doesn’t bother me a lick.  It’s never hurt KC.

[Peter]

25 minutes ago, PayDaBill$ said:

My biggest issue with Diggs is that he pulled a Houdini last season.  Is that really what a WR1 does?  
 

We’ve seen no evidence of injury so it’s either attitude or he’s on an age related slide.

 

Personally I’m looking to move on from him just based on the last part of the season. Roster evolution doesn’t bother me a lick.  It’s never hurt KC.

 

Indeed he did pull a Houdini.

 

Houdini

 

But not in a good way.

[jahnyc]

I know there are other ways to get there with releases and extensions, but I am wondering if Beane will need to do the simple restructure of Diggs' contract to get under the cap this offseason and have limited space to sign and re-sign free agents.  $13 million in cap savings for a restructure (according to Over the Cap) is significant when the team is $50 million plus over the cap and the only other easy restructure is Allen.

[Mr. WEO]

19 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Oh joy! You've found your ErieCountyBulls for this season and he's a poster on this board. Wonderful. I can't wait to hear "BuffaloBaumer said" up until the Draft, like it's some sort of proof positive smoking gun to this nonsense.

 

Houston makes very little sense. They have Nico Collins, Tank Dell, John Metchie, and Robert Woods. They've spent a 2nd and two 3rds over the past 3 Drafts to acquire them and are in really good shape in that room. Now they're going to pay for Diggs' massive bag of money and spend a 1st as well on top of all of that, when their room is already very good and growing/developing?

 

Now let's look at the next part of it that makes no sense - why would we help Houston? They, like us were one of the final 4 teams in the AFC. We're in direct competition with them. So now we're going to give them a final piece to help push them over the top? In our own path? In exchange for a lottery ticket and paying money out of pocket to do so? No f'n way.

 

Even if you were to entertain the idea that trading him is possible or likely, which it absolutely isn't - we wouldn't trade him to an AFC contender.

 

Who would trade a 1st at this point for Diggs and his contract?

 

One answer is certainly not a team that clearly knows how to draft WRs....

[The Firebaugh Kid]

22 hours ago, Tim Tindale said:

Honestly, while I have no idea if this rumor has merit, identifying Houston as a landing spot isn’t crazy at all:

 

1). Nico Collins is on the last year of his rookie deal in 2024.  He’s going to want 1a WR money. Is that the WR you want to pair with Stroud and pay 1a money to? I would be questioning that. 
 

2) Tank Dell is a 5’8” 165-pound slot receiver on a rookie contract coming off a major injury. It’s irrelevant to whether you want to bring in an expensive WR1 to pair with Stroud.

 

3) Metchie is one year removed from leukemia with two years left on a rookie deal.  He caught 16 balls this year for 160 yards. I mean, WR4 perhaps?

 

4) Robert Woods will be 32 next year coming off a 40-catch season with one year left on his contract. He’s maybe a JAG, at best, at this point in his career.

 

5) If I’m Houston, I’m trying to find my Jamar Chase, Tyreek Hill, Ceedee Lamb, or dare I say, Steph Diggs to pair with my franchise QB. A Ferrari at WR1 that I’m willing to pay.  Tee Higgins fits the bill but he is probably going to get franchised, and then you have to outbid other suitors after 2024. You can go the draft, but you have to hit the pick correctly.

 

I don’t view that WR room as loaded at all and Diggs makes a lot of sense there, particularly if the WR1 is not in the building.  Niko Collins may not be the guy you want to pay top 10 WR money to after next season. 
 

They have the room because Collins and Stroud are on rookie contracts.

 

I mean, it’s not a crazy rumor at all from Houston’s side. 
 

If you are Beane/Bills, you make the deal because you think Houston believes Diggs is still a top 10 WR while you are convinced he’s on the decline with a massive contract.

 

Seems like a reasonable rumor to me. 

 

At least then he would be in close proximity to his annoying ass brother

[JoPoy88]

23 hours ago, Tim Tindale said:

Honestly, while I have no idea if this rumor has merit, identifying Houston as a landing spot isn’t crazy at all:

 

1). Nico Collins is on the last year of his rookie deal in 2024.  He’s going to want 1a WR money. Is that the WR you want to pair with Stroud and pay 1a money to? I would be questioning that. 
 

2) Tank Dell is a 5’8” 165-pound slot receiver on a rookie contract coming off a major injury. It’s irrelevant to whether you want to bring in an expensive WR1 to pair with Stroud.

 

3) Metchie is one year removed from leukemia with two years left on a rookie deal.  He caught 16 balls this year for 160 yards. I mean, WR4 perhaps?

 

4) Robert Woods will be 32 next year coming off a 40-catch season with one year left on his contract. He’s maybe a JAG, at best, at this point in his career.

 

5) If I’m Houston, I’m trying to find my Jamar Chase, Tyreek Hill, Ceedee Lamb, or dare I say, Steph Diggs to pair with my franchise QB. A Ferrari at WR1 that I’m willing to pay.  Tee Higgins fits the bill but he is probably going to get franchised, and then you have to outbid other suitors after 2024. You can go the draft, but you have to hit the pick correctly.

 

I don’t view that WR room as loaded at all and Diggs makes a lot of sense there, particularly if the WR1 is not in the building.  Niko Collins may not be the guy you want to pay top 10 WR money to after next season. 
 

They have the room because Collins and Stroud are on rookie contracts.

 

I mean, it’s not a crazy rumor at all from Houston’s side. 
 

If you are Beane/Bills, you make the deal because you think Houston believes Diggs is still a top 10 WR while you are convinced he’s on the decline with a massive contract.

 

Seems like a reasonable rumor to me. 

 

so they wouldn’t pay Collins but gladly pay up for Diggs who’s 7 years older? Sure

Edited February 10 by JoPoy88

[Tim Tindale]

18 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

so they wouldn’t pay Collins but gladly pay up for Diggs who’s 7 years older? Sure

 

1) You have no idea how they grade out their own players, especially after only one good year in Nico’s case (after two below average years without Stroud). 
 

2) They are $60MM under the cap currently in 2024 and over $100MM+ in 2025, with a franchise QB already in place on the cheap.  That affords them an awful lot of flexibility. 
 

I don’t why I’m pushing this, honestly. I just hate the implicit “zero percent probability” comments.  We have no idea how either GM might attack this when you have lighter skill talent, a cheap stud QB, and a ton of cap flexibility on one side and the other side is more aged and in cap hell. These types trades happen in the NBA quite often. I just don’t see why it’s just so impossible in this case.  

[JoPoy88]

5 minutes ago, Tim Tindale said:

 

1) You have no idea how they grade out their own players, especially after only one good year in Nico’s case (after two below average years without Stroud). 
 

2) They are $60MM under the cap currently in 2024 and over $100MM+ in 2025, with a franchise QB already in place on the cheap.  That affords them an awful lot of flexibility. 
 

I don’t why I’m pushing this, honestly. I just hate the implicit “zero percent probability” comments.  We have no idea how either GM might attack this when you have lighter skill talent, a cheap stud QB, and a ton of cap flexibility on one side and the other side is more aged and in cap hell. These types trades happen in the NBA quite often. I just don’t see why it’s just so impossible in this case.  

None of us know how they grade out players. Not sure that even needs mentioning. Beyond that though I actually agree with you - I don’t see it as a zero percent possibility either. Just very very close.

Edited February 10 by JoPoy88

[Low Positive]

5 minutes ago, Tim Tindale said:

 

1) You have no idea how they grade out their own players, especially after only one good year in Nico’s case (after two below average years without Stroud). 
 

2) They are $60MM under the cap currently in 2024 and over $100MM+ in 2025, with a franchise QB already in place on the cheap.  That affords them an awful lot of flexibility. 
 

I don’t why I’m pushing this, honestly. I just hate the implicit “zero percent probability” comments.  We have no idea how either GM might attack this when you have lighter skill talent, a cheap stud QB, and a ton of cap flexibility on one side and the other side is more aged and in cap hell. These types trades happen in the NBA quite often. I just don’t see why it’s just so impossible in this case.  

There is nothing like dead cap in the NBA. 

[BillsFanForever19]

6 hours ago, Tim Tindale said:

 

1) You have no idea how they grade out their own players, especially after only one good year in Nico’s case (after two below average years without Stroud). 
 

2) They are $60MM under the cap currently in 2024 and over $100MM+ in 2025, with a franchise QB already in place on the cheap.  That affords them an awful lot of flexibility. 
 

I don’t why I’m pushing this, honestly. I just hate the implicit “zero percent probability” comments.  We have no idea how either GM might attack this when you have lighter skill talent, a cheap stud QB, and a ton of cap flexibility on one side and the other side is more aged and in cap hell. These types trades happen in the NBA quite often. I just don’t see why it’s just so impossible in this case.  

 

I suppose nothing is a 0% possibility in the NFL. But this is as close as it gets.

 

Your main argument is they have money. And we don't. But it would cost us money to move on from Diggs and we'd have to replace him on top of it. And if money is no object for them, why not just go out and pay for Texas A&M hero Mike Evans, who wouldn't cost them any Draft compensation?

 

You also completely ignore one of the biggest issues at play here - why would we help 1 of the 3 other teams in the AFC who made it to the Divisional Playoffs?

 

Brandon Beane is someone who is careful and looks at all possibilities. And it's easily possible if he made that trade that he'd have to stand up at a Podium at the end of the year and explain why he handed the Texans a weapon that helped eliminate us from the Playoffs.

 

If he paid money to give a competing team a player that booted us from the Playoffs - that's a fireable offense. 

 

Your argument that maybe they look at Nico Collins as someone they wouldn't want to pay is dubious at best. If you Draft a guy, who at 24 years old is #8 in the NFL in Yardage, no GM would evaluate that and say "not worth paying". You don't see Top 10 WR's at that age on the market, like ever. Teams don't do that. Especially when your young QB became a star using that player as his #1 option and they're growing together.

 

At 24, he could still get even better than he was this year. No GM is going to make it harder on themselves to bring back an ascending 24 year old star to bring in a 31 year old star. This whole concept you're arguing is a myriad of malpractice by both Brandon Beane and Nick Caserio. And comparing trades in the NFL to trades in the NBA really doesn't help the validity of your arguments.

Edited February 11 by BillsFanForever19

[Thrivefourfive]

We have to be real serious about what a true WR1 is and level our expectations. Almost every top WR has weaknesses except like three.. Jefferson, Chase, Hill, in that exponentially descending order. 
 

It’s obvious, the draft is where these guys are found. Not free agency, and not second/third contracts. Diggs is not a true WR1 anymore. His peak is in the past and I feel he’s an overachiever. Best-for-best, Thielen was better. JA17 and Thielen would have been a better combo in Buffalo. I still think if you take the 15th best WR in the league, JA17 can get top five production from him/her. 
 

Higgins and Collins are prime examples of a very good receiver that will be featured as a WR1 and depending on their QB, very well could disappoint a fanbase. Higgins is more gifted, Collins has more heart, both are slow but long. 
 

OBD should add another wing to the building just for finding potential WR superstardom in each and every draft. You need a steady flow of these guys to truly contend for a title every season. It’s a sure fire way to get there. 
 

The game is 60-65-70% passing. To neglect this position in anyway is minor league stuff. Good luck making McBeane follow through on that. 

[Beck Water]

10 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Who would trade a 1st at this point for Diggs and his contract?

 

One answer is certainly not a team that clearly knows how to draft WRs....

Diggs contract isn’t that bad to a trade partner.  It slots him in about 15-17 in average value.  
 

But yeah. that’s not the performance you trade a 1st for either

[transplantbillsfan]

Watched a couple Diggs interviews.

 

Honestly... I think he's just sick of people asking about it. I think he believes he clearly squashed any thought of him wanting out of Buffalo when in Training Camp he spoke glowingly of the Bills and said he wanted to retire a Bill.

 

Even his interviews now he says he doesn't want to be traded. He says he and Josh are family and Josh has done so much for him.

 

The whole "where there's smoke there's fire" statement came in the middle of him riffing.

 

We can't move Diggs.

 

We won't move Diggs.

 

Diggs will continue to be evasive all offseason because that's just how he is.

 

#/thread

[TheWeatherMan]

Another factor to consider is that if McDermott thinks/knows he’s on the hot seat do you think he’s trading his #1WR?  If I’m him, I’m not.  I’m focused on the short term!  

[without a drought]

"Where there's smoke there's fire."

 

It looks like he's either heading to California with their wild fires or he's leaving to become a fireman.

 

 

[billsfan_34]

On 2/3/2024 at 10:54 PM, SoonerBillsFan said:

Meh,whatever.  Show up in the fall and perform.  

Or….find a trade partner that takes a lot of his cap hit, make a push for Tee Higgins and draft a stud WR in the first. Tall order for sure!!!

[Beck Water]

58 minutes ago, billsfan_34 said:

Or….find a trade partner that takes a lot of his cap hit, make a push for Tee Higgins and draft a stud WR in the first. Tall order for sure!!!

 

Not just directed at you, but I get a bit frustrated at people who don't learn the basics about how NFL contracts are structured and how they work with regard to the cap in the case of a trade or cut.  So they say something like this, and other people "like" or agree with them.

 

There is no way that I know of (and I have tried to learn about this) to decrease Diggs cap hit to the Bills in the case of a trade.

 

Diggs cap hit this season is $27.9M. 

 

Of that cap hit, 2/3 is Diggs salary of $18.4M, which is not guaranteed until 5 days into the new league year in March.  The salary would go to the trade partner, although there have been deals where the trading team agrees to pay part of the salary.

 

BUT the Bills cap hit from Diggs would INCREASE not decrease if Diggs were traded.  This is because teams are allowed to pro-rate or amortize up-front bonus payments over the length of the contract (and even beyond it, by adding on "void years").  This is money Diggs has already been paid up-front, and per the collective bargaining agreement he can not be asked to return any part of it to the Bills, (unless he retires).  It all accelerates into 2024 if he is traded or cut, totalling $31.1M.

 

The Bills could trade Diggs post-June 1, and divide his cap hit into $8.85M of amortized bonus payments due this year, and $22.25M due next season.  BUT, that would mean the Bills must account for all $27.9 of Digg's cap until after June 1, AND his $18.5M salary would guarantee - so if the trade partner backed out or Diggs didn't pass their physical, the Bills would owe it all.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/stefon-diggs-16872/

Edited February 11 by Beck Water

[billsfan_34]

1 hour ago, Beck Water said:

 

Not just directed at you, but I get a bit frustrated at people who don't learn the basics about how NFL contracts are structured and how they work with regard to the cap in the case of a trade or cut.  So they say something like this, and other people "like" or agree with them.

 

There is no way that I know of (and I have tried to learn about this) to decrease Diggs cap hit to the Bills in the case of a trade.

 

Diggs cap hit this season is $27.9M. 

 

Of that cap hit, 2/3 is Diggs salary of $18.4M, which is not guaranteed until 5 days into the new league year in March.  The salary would go to the trade partner, although there have been deals where the trading team agrees to pay part of the salary.

 

BUT the Bills cap hit from Diggs would INCREASE not decrease if Diggs were traded.  This is because teams are allowed to pro-rate or amortize up-front bonus payments over the length of the contract (and even beyond it, by adding on "void years").  This is money Diggs has already been paid up-front, and per the collective bargaining agreement he can not be asked to return any part of it to the Bills, (unless he retires).  It all accelerates into 2024 if he is traded or cut, totalling $31.1M.

 

The Bills could trade Diggs post-June 1, and divide his cap hit into $8.85M of amortized bonus payments due this year, and $22.25M due next season.  BUT, that would mean the Bills must account for all $27.9 of Digg's cap until after June 1, AND his $18.5M salary would guarantee - so if the trade partner backed out or Diggs didn't pass their physical, the Bills would owe it all.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/stefon-diggs-16872/

Thanks my friend. I totally get this, and why I said “tall order…”. I believe Diggs is on the Bills roster next year because of exactly what you point out in a much more thorough way. I was too lazy to do all that lol 😂. Enjoy the super bowl too bad its not our Bills.

[Tim Tindale]

19 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

I suppose nothing is a 0% possibility in the NFL. But this is as close as it gets.

 

Your main argument is they have money. And we don't. But it would cost us money to move on from Diggs and we'd have to replace him on top of it. And if money is no object for them, why not just go out and pay for Texas A&M hero Mike Evans, who wouldn't cost them any Draft compensation?

 

You also completely ignore one of the biggest issues at play here - why would we help 1 of the 3 other teams in the AFC who made it to the Divisional Playoffs?

 

Brandon Beane is someone who is careful and looks at all possibilities. And it's easily possible if he made that trade that he'd have to stand up at a Podium at the end of the year and explain why he handed the Texans a weapon that helped eliminate us from the Playoffs.

 

If he paid money to give a competing team a player that booted us from the Playoffs - that's a fireable offense. 

 

Your argument that maybe they look at Nico Collins as someone they wouldn't want to pay is dubious at best. If you Draft a guy, who at 24 years old is #8 in the NFL in Yardage, no GM would evaluate that and say "not worth paying". You don't see Top 10 WR's at that age on the market, like ever. Teams don't do that. Especially when your young QB became a star using that player as his #1 option and they're growing together.

 

At 24, he could still get even better than he was this year. No GM is going to make it harder on themselves to bring back an ascending 24 year old star to bring in a 31 year old star. This whole concept you're arguing is a myriad of malpractice by both Brandon Beane and Nick Caserio. And comparing trades in the NFL to trades in the NBA really doesn't help the validity of your arguments.

Honestly, the parallels between where the Chiefs were (Tyreek was getting disenchanted, the Chiefs were strapped for cash, though Hill was two years younger than Steph) and where the Dolphins were (wanted more skill players around a cheap, promising Tua and a young Waddle and had cap room) are notable.  No one would have called that trade before it happened either, especially because the Chiefs were trading in conference. One might say that Veach had goodwill to burn after winning the Super Bowl three years before this trade, but the Chiefs had just blown a lead at home in the AFCCG and lost big to the Bucs the year before that. Then they turn around and trade The Cheetah.  I’m sure Chiefs’ fans were apoplectic, especially because it was theoretically creating competition within conference. And Tyreek is more of a game-wrecker than Steph. 
 

I just think something is possible here and the odds are higher than “near-zero/impossible”.  It doesn’t have to be Houston, but yes, a similar situation where the other franchise has plenty of cap room and a cheap QB in the place where they want to add more talent to the WR room.
 

Incidentally, I re-looked up some articles written in the immediate aftermath of that Hill-to-the-Dolphins deal.  Tyreek was pushing his way out of Kansas City behind the scenes in part because he was unhappy with the number targets he was getting in Reid’s offense. He actually called his agent mid-season and told him he isn’t playing in Kansas City in ‘22.  It’s not inconceivable that Steph may be doing the same with the change to Brady. To be fair, he also wanted more money. Steph’s contract is trickier with the dead cap (I think 27MM after June 1st) on Buffalo’s side, though I do wonder if there is restructuring that can be done to work around it.  

 

I’m not saying it’s absolutely going to happen, but I do think the odds are higher than others in this discussion.  I think when it comes down to humans and incentives are aligned, things can get done that might seem shocking to outsiders. Anyway, good offseason debate and go Bills!!! Let’s hope Beane pulls off some magic and both improves the cap situation and Josh’s weapons.  

[Tim Tindale]

38 minutes ago, Tim Tindale said:

Honestly, the parallels between where the Chiefs were (Tyreek was getting disenchanted, the Chiefs were strapped for cash, though Hill was two years younger than Steph) and where the Dolphins were (wanted more skill players around a cheap, promising Tua and a young Waddle and had cap room) are notable.  No one would have called that trade before it happened either, especially because the Chiefs were trading in conference. One might say that Veach had goodwill to burn after winning the Super Bowl three years before this trade, but the Chiefs had just blown a lead at home in the AFCCG and lost big to the Bucs the year before that. Then they turn around and trade The Cheetah.  I’m sure Chiefs’ fans were apoplectic, especially because it was theoretically creating competition within conference. And Tyreek is more of a game-wrecker than Steph. 
 

I just think something is possible here and the odds are higher than “near-zero/impossible”.  It doesn’t have to be Houston, but yes, a similar situation where the other franchise has plenty of cap room and a cheap QB in the place where they want to add more talent to the WR room.
 

Incidentally, I re-looked up some articles written in the immediate aftermath of that Hill-to-the-Dolphins deal.  Tyreek was pushing his way out of Kansas City behind the scenes in part because he was unhappy with the number targets he was getting in Reid’s offense. He actually called his agent mid-season and told him he isn’t playing in Kansas City in ‘22.  It’s not inconceivable that Steph may be doing the same with the change to Brady. To be fair, he also wanted more money. Steph’s contract is trickier with the dead cap (I think 27MM after June 1st) on Buffalo’s side, though I do wonder if there is restructuring that can be done to work around it.  

 

I’m not saying it’s absolutely going to happen, but I do think the odds are higher than others in this discussion.  I think when it comes down to humans and incentives are aligned, things can get done that might seem shocking to outsiders. Anyway, good offseason debate and go Bills!!! Let’s hope Beane pulls off some magic and both improves the cap situation and Josh’s weapons.  

Just read that the Chiefs only took a $2.65MM cap hit by trading Tyreek. Puts somewhat of a vat of cold water on that comparison.  

[Johnnyp566]

Careful what you wish for dude. You may just wind up in Carolina. 

[zow2]

I've seen enough Diggs interviews now that it's plainly obvious.  He would very much welcome a trade to another team...probably somewhere in a larger market where he can oversee his upcoming clothing line and post NFL fashion career.

 

His heart in not in Buffalo anymore.  The best he can say about Allen is he will "always be fam the way they welcomed him in".  But that's about it.  Diggs' drop in the biggest moment will be the culmination of his Bills career.  He acted like his disappearing act in the 2nd half of the season, was not his doing. 

[ndirish1978]

I'm tired of his drama. Diggs and Miller are just cap millstones around this team's neck next year - they are both declining and not helping our team much next year. 

[Peter]

It is amazing how some people know how to say the right words and how easy it is to do so. It is not hard and takes less time than coming up with cryptic responses:

 

 

Edited February 14 by Peter

[BarleyNY]

On 2/11/2024 at 11:45 AM, Beck Water said:

 

Not just directed at you, but I get a bit frustrated at people who don't learn the basics about how NFL contracts are structured and how they work with regard to the cap in the case of a trade or cut.  So they say something like this, and other people "like" or agree with them.

 

There is no way that I know of (and I have tried to learn about this) to decrease Diggs cap hit to the Bills in the case of a trade.

 

Diggs cap hit this season is $27.9M. 

 

Of that cap hit, 2/3 is Diggs salary of $18.4M, which is not guaranteed until 5 days into the new league year in March.  The salary would go to the trade partner, although there have been deals where the trading team agrees to pay part of the salary.

 

BUT the Bills cap hit from Diggs would INCREASE not decrease if Diggs were traded.  This is because teams are allowed to pro-rate or amortize up-front bonus payments over the length of the contract (and even beyond it, by adding on "void years").  This is money Diggs has already been paid up-front, and per the collective bargaining agreement he can not be asked to return any part of it to the Bills, (unless he retires).  It all accelerates into 2024 if he is traded or cut, totalling $31.1M.

 

The Bills could trade Diggs post-June 1, and divide his cap hit into $8.85M of amortized bonus payments due this year, and $22.25M due next season.  BUT, that would mean the Bills must account for all $27.9 of Digg's cap until after June 1, AND his $18.5M salary would guarantee - so if the trade partner backed out or Diggs didn't pass their physical, the Bills would owe it all.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/stefon-diggs-16872/

 

Well said. I’ve been studying the NFL cap for about 20 years now. I do not expect everyone to know the finer details, but the basics are pretty easy to understand, especially with Spotrac and OTC. 

 

If the Bills trade Diggs they can manage his cap hit with some other moves. I’ve worked through it on OTC and it’s doable. Beyond restructures, releases and pay cuts (White) they they can kick some cap hits from expiring contracts into next season with void years. Here’s a link if you want to mess around with OTC’s interactive cap calculator. Just click on the Cut (pre 6/1) buttons for options:

https://overthecap.com/calculator/buffalo-bills

Edited February 14 by BarleyNY