Diggs traded to Texans for picks

[Mango]

35 minutes ago, nedboy7 said:

 

Diggs is better than any rookie until proven otherwise, which is a complete unknown.  With 30 mil dead cap next season.  It was a bad decision. 

I do not believe this is true. Right now Spotrac is showing that we take Diggs $27M cap number off the books for 2025. That could change as this whole thing gets finalized, but it won't be $30M regardless. 

[AZSanta]

1 hour ago, bkep32 said:

lets call cole beasly, maybe he still wants to play

I think Sammy Watkins is available

 

2 hours ago, Nineforty said:

reset almost complete. I'm good with this. 

Can we reset the head coach? Ill be ecstatic! 

[BullBuchanan]

58 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

why is everyone acting like we're taking an additional 31 million?  It's an additional 3-4 million hit.  That's it. 

 

57 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

Because most people don't know how the cap works.

Or, it's because you still have to pay for the player you don't have anymore while going out and getting another one. It's money you flushed down the drain with no return. In other words, you could have had Diggs for free had you just kept him and it would have saved you $3m.

[Bruffalo]

Just now, Mango said:

I do not believe this is true. Right now Spotrac is showing that we take Diggs $27M cap number off the books for 2025. That could change as this whole thing gets finalized, but it won't be $30M regardless. 

There is no dead cap on a traded player the season after. All dead cap gets moved to the year they were traded. It's one of the reasons people thought he couldn't be traded, the Bills have taken on a massive dead cap hit but have cleared the books (saving 25ish mil) next season. 

[Gregg]

1 minute ago, AZSanta said:

I think Sammy Watkins is available

 

 

At this point bring in Jerry Butler and Frank Lewis

[Bruce200]

I think it’s a good trade. Diggs gave us some good years. We’re taking a step back this year. The second round pick is a good return for a player around 30. 

[Sweats]

Honestly, i could see Diggs getting all pissy when finding out were drafting a WR in the first round, knowing that he will have to split the limelight with someone else.

 

Diva and drama queen?.....absolutely

Aging and self-centered?........yep

Missed?.........we won't miss a beat

 

Bravo Beane.........bravo.

 

[BillMafia716ix]

I don’t think this was originally the plan. That tweet from Diggs had to have been the last straw. No way you just let your top two WR’s walk out the door. The fact that they didn’t get more for Diggs and traded him within the conference says they just wanted to be done with him. 
 

 

Edited April 3 by BillMafia716ix

[Don Otreply]

43 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Were we winning with McDermott with the last four playoff performancesby his defense? 

I mean really it is past time especially with Belichick available. 

If you have read any of my posts concerning the defense…, 

[biggerdaddynj]

22 minutes ago, Sweats said:

 

 

 

 

 

Boo hoo......like Beane is going to leave the team with no legit WR?!?

 

....need a tissue?

No, I’m a mature adult, 45 year fan, who uses metrics.  I’m not a sycophant like you who relies on a generalized statement not even on point.

 

I use information and past performance to render my opinion.  You clearly just drink some Beane WR Kool Aid (Jim Jones did too).  I’m just a realist.  Beane isn’t the second coming and look at his WR picks.  Aside from the Diggs trade (which could have beenJefferson) and Shakir I remember the great Kelvin Bryant trade, Harry, Sherfield and those draft picks Zay Flowers gone ASAP, Ray-Ray McCloud (who is PR but not good WR), Hodgins (gone) and Proehl.

 

Yeah, I’m the one who’s wrong.  And, grow up and act like a mature adult who can discuss matters.  

[LabattBlue]

31 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

i agree, the plan was not to trade Diggs. But if Josh said" that's enough, cant take the ***** anymore from this dude"..then he gots to go. Josh way more important than 14

IMO, this played a large part in it. 

[Mango]

Just now, Bruffalo said:

There is no dead cap on a traded player the season after. All dead cap gets moved to the year they were traded. It's one of the reasons people thought he couldn't be traded, the Bills have taken on a massive dead cap hit but have cleared the books (saving 25ish mil) next season. 

 

That is what I thought, but was waiting for spotrac to finalize it. 

It isn't all that massive. It is $3M more than his cap hit on the roster. 

Basically the Bills spent $3M in 2024 cap dollars today in order to free up $25M in 2025 cap dollars. 

[Coach Tuesday]

4 minutes ago, Magox said:

 

No offense CT, but you and over half the board went nuts when Beane traded away Watkins and it ended up being a tremendous move.

 

Diggs did play at an underwhelming level through the last half of the season and has not played at a high level through the playoffs throughout his career.   

 

No doubt that replacing Diggs regular season production will be tough, but the Bills did play their best football when Diggs went virtually absent.  He is turning 31, he is not on the upswing, he is on the decline.

 

Will he play at a pro bowl caliber level this next year?  I wouldn't bank against that possibility, he will be highly motivated and Stroud will want to get him the ball, but I think it's evident that he didn't want to be a Bill any longer.

 

The Bills have a very good TE in Kincaid who from my perspective will be a pro bowl level TE who could very well see 100 receptions this year.  Shakir has shown lots of great signs of being a quality receiver, Curtis Samuel is a nice player plus Cook is a weapon from the backfield.   So there is a solid young nucleus of weapons who are all on the upswing.

 

I have no doubt that the Bills will obtain another high quality prospect and possibly two more to round out the receiving room.

 

This Diggs move will free up $27 Million in cap space in 2025, which means that Beane will have money to go after another high end FA next year.

 

 

Look at the weapons Brady had in some of his super bowl years, Gronk and Welker and a bunch of system JAGS and Brady was able to distribute the ball around for years.   Look at Mahomes the past two years, Kelce and JuJu were his best weapons the year before and last year it was Kelce and a rookie in Rasheed.

 

The point is that Elite QB's make receivers look good and the nucleus of weapons that are already on the team and the draft ahead of the Bills should be able to put up more offensive weapons than Mahomes has had the past two years.

 

 

I am sure I didn’t go “nuts” about the trade itself but I am sure I was angry about the lack of investment in the position.  Same as now.  They’ve known who this guy is for several years and they should’ve been loading up on young talent to replace him instead of chasing to fill the gap when we’re weeks away from rookies reporting.

[Blank Stare]

😐

 

[ColoradoBills]

2 minutes ago, Mango said:

I do not believe this is true. Right now Spotrac is showing that we take Diggs $27M cap number off the books for 2025. That could change as this whole thing gets finalized, but it won't be $30M regardless. 

 

Spotrac already has the $31M.  Also, 2025 cap (after Beane lets Von go will be about $40M in cap space.

 

This move was smart and it all depends on what kind of WR room Beane gives Allen and how he and Brady

can make it work.  NO ONE is going to know this till the fall.

[Beast]

Just now, BullBuchanan said:

 

Or, it's because you still have to pay for the player you don't have anymore while going out and getting another one. It's money you flushed down the drain with no return. In other words, you could have had Diggs for free had you just kept him and it would have saved you $3m.

Every single team in the NFL does this at some point with a big contract guy. Every single one.

 

It was either this off-season or next off-season when the Bills were unloading Diggs.

 

End of story.

[The Wiz]

2 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

 

Or, it's because you still have to pay for the player you don't have anymore while going out and getting another one. It's money you flushed down the drain with no return. In other words, you could have had Diggs for free had you just kept him and it would have saved you $3m.

They are going to go out and add players in the draft either way and were going to have to pay for them.  It's 3m extra on this years cap.  Not that big of a deal to be honest and it's not like they were going to go out and find someone better than anyone currently on the team for that amount of money.

[Beck Water]

1 minute ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

Ehh, only if you count 2025 because the team loses 3 million this year. Which, if you want to make a case for 2024 being a hard rebuild I could have swallowed it, but if that was the case Beane should not have bothered bringing in street free agents. Why gobble up more cap room if the point is to purge the old guard and draft fresh?

 

The only thing I can imagine is Diggs did something Antonio Brown crazy that somehow was out of the news, and Beane had to ship him out for pennies on the dollar.

 

Yes, I count 2025.  The cap is a multidimensional game where one dimension is time, and Beane has shown in the past he's willing to take a near-term hit for long term cap gains.

I don't think Diggs did anything close to "Antonio Brown Crazy" to the extent we know now, but I think it's worth revisiting the start of the AB drama in Pittsburgh

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/nfl-steelers-antonio-brown-ben-roethlisberger-trade-beef-history

 

Quote

Roethlisberger did not see Brown running wide open, and the receiver was visibly upset on the sideline. Those things happen in the heat of the game. No big deal, right?

 

Big Ben then called AB out on causing a distraction:
 

Quote

“He got upset because he was open, which I can understand, sometimes that happens. I was disappointed because it’s not like I intentionally missed him, it’s not like I intentionally didn’t throw it to him. I was doing what my reads tell me to do, I don’t even want to say I made a mistake, because I was reading the side I was supposed to read. It’s just unfortunate that it happened, and it’s unfortunate that he acted and reacted that way … [Brown] is causing a distraction that none of us really need.”

 

AB later opined he made Big Ben as a QB and said something eerily similar to Diggs recent tweet:

Now in this case, Diggs is going to a team with a legitimate, very very promising young passer.  So his future looks bright.

And Allen doesn't call out teammates publicly.  

 

But there are more similarities here than I initially thought.

 

 

[RyanC883]

C.  can move up if we get cap relief in the trade (if possible to trade dead cap)

[TheBrownBear]

I think this is going to end up somewhere between an "A" grade and Ditka trading an entire draft for Ricky Williams, Minnesota trading an entire draft for Herschel Walker, and the Browns trading away all of their draft capital for Deshaun Watson.

[Sweats]

2 minutes ago, biggerdaddynj said:

No, I’m a mature adult, 45 year fan, who uses metrics.  I’m not a sycophant like you who relies on a generalized statement not even on point.

 

I use information and past performance to render my opinion.  You clearly just drink some Beane WR Kool Aid (Jim Jones did too).  I’m just a realist.  Beane isn’t the second coming and look at his WR picks.  Aside from the Diggs trade (which could have beenJefferson) and Shakir I remember the great Kelvin Bryant trade, Harry, Sherfield and those draft picks Zay Flowers gone ASAP, Ray-Ray McCloud (who is PR but not good WR), Hodgins (gone) and Proehl.

 

Yeah, I’m the one who’s wrong.  And, grow up and act like a mature adult who can discuss matters.  

 

 

 

 

I'm just saying relax, brother.

I see great things coming from this franchise this year.

[Buffalo Boy]

2 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

This blows a huge hole in the hull of the ship here.  

   Nope!!! I’ve been assured by multiple reputable posters on this here Wall, people in the Know, that we are fine. 
   Nothing to see or question! The Bills got this😉

[Toomstone.Part.Duex]

https://x.com/KyleBrandt/status/1775551549428679026?s=20

[The Jokeman]

19 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

In this thread alone, the Bills RB has been named both Cooke and Cooks. It's almost as bad as Burrough/Burroughs/Burrows.

Quick typing and not editing is my fault for the extra s lol

[BillsShredder83]

1 hour ago, WotAGuy said:

So I guess we can assume the Bills heard they are going to be on Hard Knocks this year and McDermottt didn’t want Diggs to embarrass him, so he told Beane to give him the boot. 
 

If the cap hit is minimized, this is a huge win for the Bills. They need guys that are going to step up in the playoffs, and hopefully they will draft someone - anyone - that will do that other than Josh. 

might be the3 dumbest thing ive read in a sea of dumb takes in this thread lol

was this posted from a HS computer lab

[without a drought]

As long as they still have 2 punters. 

[Beck Water]

52 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

Gave it a B. I think Beane did very well to get Minnesota’s 2025 2nd round pick. That team has talent, but no QB. Barring another move they will be rolling with Sam Darnold or a rookie. 

 

I didn't realize it was Minnesota's 2nd round pick.  That makes me feel a bit more positive.

[JMM]

1 minute ago, LabattBlue said:

IMO, this played a large part in it. 

I doubt this happened with Josh. What I can see is Diggs just saying I want a trade I'm done here. He gave us some great years but the Viking posters were right back then, in a few years he'll become a cancer

[BBFL]

3 minutes ago, BillMafia716ix said:

I don’t think this was originally the plan. That tweet from Diggs had to have been the last straw. No way you just let your top two WR’s walk out the door. The fact that they didn’t get more for Diggs and traded him within the conference says they just wanted to be done with him. 
 

 

Which tweet would that be?

[Putin]

5 minutes ago, Beast said:

Probably not but this years and next years 1sts can do it.

 

Throw in one of our two seconds next season and you are talking in the top 10 and one of the big 3.

This is what has to be done  at least I’m hoping , I would even swing for a HR and go get MHJ and we would probably forget about Diggs after week one 

[MJS]

16 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Something I pointed out prior to this is that there are two ways to look at the cap impact. One is the immediate, where Diggs’ cap hit is about $4M higher this season if traded. The other is that the overall cap impact would be $19M higher to keep him in 2024. It hurts this season but opens up things next. 

 

Side note: The Bills aren’t paying Diggs anything this season. The cap hit is from money they already paid him. 

I just meant from a cap perspective, not that they will be paying him anything extra.

[Thurman#1]

4 minutes ago, HomeskillitMoorman said:

 

They had a smothering defense and a great D coordinator to supplement a lesser offense though. We have McD. We know our D's going to get blown up in the playoffs like it always does.

 

With McD in charge of the D, we know we have to put together an offense that can score 30+, possibly 40+ in most of these games to make up for McD's shortcomings to have a shot to win it. Our offense doesn't have the luxury to do what Mahomes just did. 

 

 

Oh, please! Last year by the time the playoffs rolled around, the D was starting - what? - four to five of the guys they wanted to start? And the injured included probably four of their best five defenders. And at least two of those who still played- Poyer and DaQuan - were not close to their usual selves due to injury.

 

 

[WotAGuy]

Just now, BillsShredder83 said:

might be the3 dumbest thing ive read in a sea of dumb takes in this thread lol

was this posted from a HS computer lab

I love you too! ❤️❤️❤️

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

I gave it a D, and that's just grading the trade in a vacuum and not looking at the dead cap from the ludicrous extension.

 

Diggs cooled off in the 2nd half of the season, but he still finished 13th in yards and 8th in TDs for the league. That's a really good season and he's had 4 straight really good seasons for the Bills. There's no reason to think his production will fall off a cliff, although it's fair to say he doesn't have much time left as an elite WR.

 

Diggs+ 5th + 6th for a 2nd is a really poor return. If you net the picks we essentially traded Diggs for a 3rd. Trading a bona fide WR1 for a 3rd rd pick is not good value. 

[Bruffalo]

5 minutes ago, Mango said:

 

That is what I thought, but was waiting for spotrac to finalize it. 

It isn't all that massive. It is $3M more than his cap hit on the roster. 

Basically the Bills spent $3M in 2024 cap dollars today in order to free up $25M in 2025 cap dollars. 

It's massive because that dead cap would be paying Diggs (minus 3 mil), and now you don't have that on a player. 

 

That being said, I don't think it's wrong if all this reporting is true. Diggs is a great player but we need guys on the same page as Allen. Whatever falling out they might have been unfixable. 

 

Hopefully we move up a draft a top 3-4 WR this draft and continue to invest in the room.  

Edited April 3 by Bruffalo

[L Ron Burgundy]

26 minutes ago, boyst said:

i'm calling it a retool. it's not a rebuild.

 

our benchmarks are set. the cabinets and infastructre is there.

 

they can trade back from the 1st and get 2 2's this year for a WR and an OL, with 3 picks in the 2nd or some other configuration. 

Who knows?  Maybe they can pull out a 1st in 2025 plus another decent 2024 pick.  Some team falls in love with potential.....

[Beck Water]

14 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

Perhaps a deal with his buddy Joe Schoen for #6 ?   

 

We've had this discussion before.  Adding a 2025 2nd rounder to our draft picks is no where near enough offer to move from #28 to #6.

Edit: Virgil just posted Draftek's pick trade value chart.  While none of these trade value charts 100% pass muster as a guide to what actually happens, please look at it and do some maths on what it would actually take us to move up, in addition to a "willing buyer"

 

Edited April 3 by Beck Water

[Logic]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, as I have no desire to wade through 56 pages of hand wringing, but...

Known Bills supporter and Allen defender Dave Portnoy (I say with tongue firmly in cheek) has this to say:
 

 

[Don Otreply]

42 minutes ago, nedboy7 said:

 

Diggs is better than any rookie until proven otherwise, which is a complete unknown.  With 30 mil dead cap next season.  It was a bad decision. 

Look around the league, rookie WRs are doing very well, Diggs is still good, but he is an azs hole, and nobody likes azs holes, especially when they fall flat in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, it had to be done, next year he worth even less, 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

10 minutes ago, TheBeaneBandit said:

He's also about to take up a giant chunk of cap space with a new contract. 

Future cap space.