Diggs' Drama

[Doc Brown]

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

I never thought it was impossible for us to cut Diggs like some fans argued, but I at least understood that viewpoint. What I didn't understand was the fans who acted like there was nothing wrong with Diggs. A lot of people buried their heads in the sand. The constant whiny tweets, the offseason podcasts where he openly criticized the  team, the reports of him falling out with Allen, him going AWOL from mandatory minicamp. Even after all that there were a lot of fans saying it was just "Diggs being Diggs" and that the media was creating a controversy out of nothing. Now with each passing story since we traded him we find out he was even more toxic than the media made him out to be. When people tell you who they are, believe them, even if they happen to play for your favorite team.

I never brushed it off as nothing and you'd have to be Hellen Keller not to see that his relationship with the team hadn't deteriorated at least a little as soon as the "very concerned" first day of mandatory mini camp opened.  Especially the relationship between him and Josh.  I assumed they got through 2022 with duct tape and thought they'd have to again in 2023 before it made more sense both on the field and financially to move on.  The first time I thought it was actually more likely than not he was getting traded was the "you sure" comment on Twitter.   I thought after that tweet that you needed to rip the band-aid off and get what you could for him which Beane ended up doing.  The biggest shock to me was that he didn't wait until after June 1st so he could spread out the dead cap hit.

 

Some fans did argue there was nothing wrong with Diggs though like you said and it's pry just the classic defense mechanism of denial for most.  I can't get inside their heads though. 

[Orlando Buffalo]

The timing of the pink powder couldn't have been better, that morning one of my coworkers was giving crap because Diggs is always at his best when he is new, so I was quickly able to ask where it goes from here. 

[Nihilarian]

21 minutes ago, BearNorth said:

Would the better move have been to draft Justin Jefferson with that pick and created arguably one of the Legendary QB/WR1 pairs in history with JA 17 and JJ 18. Looking back is always what coulda shoulda.

The thing is that this team hadn't had a great score in the WR area of the draft or free agency. Beane went and got Kelvin Benjamin and everyone thought he might be that kid who the Panthers drafted in 2014, that 1000 yard WR. Instead they got a bum who didn't care about his craft. 

 

This isn't all on Beane because he has his scouts/trainers input too and they let him down. Diggs was a no brainer in the 2019 offseason as Minnesota was moving towards running the ball more and he wanted out! Buffalo gave up their #1 in 2020 and things worked out. Beane got a #2 in trade to remove that cancer from the team and that was brilliant. 

 

Looks to me like the 2024 Buffalo Bills did alright without that #1 WR ball hog being the top scoring team in the league.

[extrahammer]

If he does get cut, does he play another down of football? I feel like with his ego and toxicity, he would crash out. 

[uticaclub]

3 minutes ago, extrahammer said:

If he does get cut, does he play another down of football? I feel like with his ego and toxicity, he would crash out. 

Sounds perfect for KC

[Beck Water]

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

I never thought it was impossible for us to cut Diggs like some fans argued, but I at least understood that viewpoint. What I didn't understand was the fans who acted like there was nothing wrong with Diggs. A lot of people buried their heads in the sand. The constant whiny tweets, the offseason podcasts where he openly criticized the  team, the reports of him falling out with Allen, him going AWOL from mandatory minicamp. Even after all that there were a lot of fans saying it was just "Diggs being Diggs" and that the media was creating a controversy out of nothing. Now with each passing story since we traded him we find out he was even more toxic than the media made him out to be. When people tell you who they are, believe them, even if they happen to play for your favorite team.

 

I guess I must have missed the "off season podcasts where he openly criticized the team" while Diggs was still a Bill, but i focus on field.  It was pretty clear to me that Diggs and Allen were not on the same page as of the end of 2022 and that Diggs was not taking accountability/ responsibility for anything.  The Facts are the Facts: Diggs had 6 games over 100 yds in the first 9 games, but only 1 game over 100 yds in the last 7 regular season games, despite having 55 targets in those games (avg 8 targets per game).  I did wonder if part of it was Allen's UCL injury, but I remember more than one commentator remarking that Diggs and Allen were clearly not on the same page or "Diggs should have had that".  It wasn't just the Bengals game where Diggs was 4 receptions on 10 targets with at least 2 balls it looked as though he should have had.   Meanwhile, Diggs was ducking his league mandated media responsibilities, in contrast to his assertion of leadership on the team.  

Then, after the mandatory minicamp fiasco, there were the September hot mic comments from Maddy Glab and her subsequent forced penance at the hands of Diggs media team.  Whatever you think of Glab as a reporter, she doesn't come across as having a conniving bone in her body so I took her comments as speaking the literal truth about the Diggs she knew behind the scenes.  And it wasn't a pretty picture.

Then the 2023 season was a repeat of 2022: Diggs 5 games with over 100 yds in the first 6 games but the Bills were 4-2.  Next games, Bills lost 3 out of 4 despite Diggs attracting 12, 12, 7 and 5 targets.  Moved away from Diggs towards the run game (guy still got his targets, 8 targets per game in the last 7 games).  It seemed as though for whatever reason Diggs had become a half-season guy who couldn't get it done in the 2nd half of the season - that seems to be common as players age, they start strong after an off season of healing up, but the beating their body takes every game starts to accumulate.  Diggs, of course, attributed that to Joe Brady.  Greg Cosell said he no longer had the physical skills to function as a #1 receiver (based on his film analysis)

 

But you can 100% count me in the camp of people who felt that Diggs was functionally un-cuttable or un-tradeable in 2024 because of his contract and the huge dead cap hit it would create, and because of the dearth of other WR options on the team at the time and the fact that the Bills hadn't demonstrated much ability to run the ball consistently in previous seasons.  I wasn't unhappy to see Diggs gone, but the move made me think that "Big Baller Beane" is actually an apt nickname and I thought "wow, our D is gonna have to be carrying our offense" going into the season.

Edited Saturday at 06:03 PM by Beck Water

[hondo in seattle]

All this makes me wonder what Beane knew when he cut Diggs.  Essentially paying him $31M to play on another team is a big decision and must have been based on considerations beyond the sideline antics.  

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

You're the GM and you have a QB that is still very raw and not even in the top half of the league yet.  You go get him that true #1 WR in the middle of his prime.  Beane didn't have the benefit of hindsight.  You don't wait until the draft and hope you get lucky.  No offense, but this is the absolute dumbest takes on this board that's been made repeatedly since the trade.  

 

Doc, c'mon man.  First of all, it's unkind to say a take is "dumb" and violates the do-no-harm principle of the Hippocratic Oath.  

 

Second, you have a very short memory if you rate this the dumbest take on this board.  I've personally made dumber takes although I think my dumbest take pales in comparison to some others.   There have been some doozies over the years.

[Mr. WEO]

37 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

All this makes me wonder what Beane knew when he cut Diggs.  Essentially paying him $31M to play on another team is a big decision and must have been based on considerations beyond the sideline antics.  

 

the better question is what didn't Beane understand about Diggs before he traded for him?  

 

Diggs's early end in Buffalo was completely predictable to many.......

[Doc Brown]

1 hour ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Doc, c'mon man.  First of all, it's unkind to say a take is "dumb" and violates the do-no-harm principle of the Hippocratic Oath.  

 

Second, you have a very short memory if you rate this the dumbest take on this board.  I've personally made dumber takes although I think my dumbest take pales in comparison to some others.   There have been some doozies over the years.

Beane didn't get that message calling into WGR.  LOL.  I'll qualify.  Dumbest take that's been repeated over and over again over a five year period.  Lol.  There always seems to be a "who won the trade" argument no matter the transaction but I can't remember such a win win trade 

 

The dumbest take either on this board or the old board (don't remember) is someone said that Trent Edwards would've been just as successful as Brady in the Pats offensive system.

45 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

the better question is what didn't Beane understand about Diggs before he traded for him?  

 

Diggs's early end in Buffalo was completely predictable to many.......

Look at the thread when he signed.  People were ecstatic.  Diggs fooled us all.

 

 

Edited Saturday at 07:21 PM by Doc Brown

[Low Positive]

2 hours ago, BearNorth said:

Would the better move have been to draft Justin Jefferson with that pick and created arguably one of the Legendary QB/WR1 pairs in history with JA 17 and JJ 18. Looking back is always what coulda shoulda.

Does Brandon Beane have a crystal ball? How was he to know that the Eagles would make one of the biggest draft errors by picking Reagor before Jefferson? 

[dancing_joker]

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/scott-zolak-patriots-may-cut-stefon-diggs

 

Pats may actually cut Diggs

[hondo in seattle]

31 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

Beane didn't get that message calling into WGR.  LOL.  I'll qualify.  Dumbest take that's been repeated over and over again over a five year period.  Lol.  There always seems to be a "who won the trade" argument no matter the transaction but I can't remember such a win win trade 

 

The dumbest take either on this board or the old board (don't remember) is someone said that Trent Edwards would've been just as successful as Brady in the Pats offensive system.  Maybe the Chargers trading their first pick to the Falcons?  Chargers got Tomlinson and the Falcons got Vick.

Look at the thread when he signed.  People were ecstatic.  Diggs fooled us all.

 

 

 

I missed or don't recall the Trent Edwards-as-Successful-as-Tom-Brady-in-the-Pats-Offense Take.  Yikes! 

 

We all recall We-Drafted-the-Wrong-Josh argument. Some Bills fans had to eat a little humble pie after the dust settled on that one - though did so happily.     

 

As evidenced on this board, sometimes even smart people promote really bad ideas.  I'd personally be amused if someone started a bad take Hall of Fame.  

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

Beane didn't get that message calling into WGR.  LOL.  I'll qualify.  Dumbest take that's been repeated over and over again over a five year period.  Lol.  There always seems to be a "who won the trade" argument no matter the transaction but I can't remember such a win win trade 

 

The dumbest take either on this board or the old board (don't remember) is someone said that Trent Edwards would've been just as successful as Brady in the Pats offensive system.

Look at the thread when he signed.  People were ecstatic.  Diggs fooled us all.

 

 

 

No not all of us...

[MiracleAtRich1393]

50 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

Does Brandon Beane have a crystal ball? How was he to know that the Eagles would make one of the biggest draft errors by picking Reagor before Jefferson? 

The picks he traded for Diggs along with the 1st rounder would have been enough to move into the 13-ish range, didn't have to sit there crossing his fingers that a stud would fall. Tee Higgins & Michael Pittman Jr. would have been options if he had stayed at 22 regardless of whether Jefferson was still there.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

Beane didn't get that message calling into WGR.  LOL.  I'll qualify.  Dumbest take that's been repeated over and over again over a five year period.  Lol.  There always seems to be a "who won the trade" argument no matter the transaction but I can't remember such a win win trade 

 

The dumbest take either on this board or the old board (don't remember) is someone said that Trent Edwards would've been just as successful as Brady in the Pats offensive system.

Look at the thread when he signed.  People were ecstatic.  Diggs fooled us all.

 

 

 

@BADOLBILZ nailed it:

 

 

Posted April 9, 2022

 

 

 

Literally, you can look at Diggs then existing contract and say there was no need to act..............not  just "technically".

 

You can't keep everyone at their happiest as a GM.........sometimes players are going to want for things.

 

I think Beane did a pretty good job keeping Diggs at bay on an extension for a couple years.........but ultimately the objective should have been to get him to the offseason before his walk year and see where he stood going into his age 30 season.

 

Beane blew all of his gains by having him at 3/4 of the market by re-inking him at the top of the market, IMO.

 

People can disagree but I think this deal ends with 2-3 years left and a lot of dead money.

 

Edited Saturday at 08:03 PM by Mr. WEO

[Doc Brown]

16 minutes ago, MiracleAtRich1393 said:

The picks he traded for Diggs along with the 1st rounder would have been enough to move into the 13-ish range, didn't have to sit there crossing his fingers that a stud would fall. Tee Higgins & Michael Pittman Jr. would have been options if he had stayed at 22 regardless of whether Jefferson was still there.

He could've just as easily picked Henry Ruggs or Jalen Rheagor if he moved up that far.  Josh needed a veteran #1 WR to develop as a passer.  Diggs was a better WR than everybody in that draft class besides Justin Jefferson in 2020.

2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

@BADOLBILZ nailed it:

 

 

Posted April 9, 2022

 

 

 

Literally, you can look at Diggs then existing contract and say there was no need to act..............not  just "technically".

 

You can't keep everyone at their happiest as a GM.........sometimes players are going to want for things.

 

I think Beane did a pretty good job keeping Diggs at bay on an extension for a couple years.........but ultimately the objective should have been to get him to the offseason before his walk year and see where he stood going into his age 30 season.

 

Beane blew all of his gains by having him at 3/4 of the market by re-inking him at the top of the market, IMO.

 

People can disagree but I think this deal ends with 2-3 years left and a lot of dead money.

 

He tends to do that.  That's why I'm not salivating over Elijah Moore or Josh Palmer right now.  The majority of us were happy at the time.

[Mr. WEO]

6 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

He could've just as easily picked Henry Ruggs or Jalen Rheagor if he moved up that far.  Josh needed a veteran #1 WR to develop as a passer.  Diggs was a better WR than everybody in that draft class besides Justin Jefferson in 2020.

He tends to do that.  That's why I'm not salivating over Elijah Moore or Josh Palmer right now.  The majority of us were happy at the time.

 

Beane's draft day ineptitude drafting WRs, he probably would not have picked Jefferson.

[Doc Brown]

3 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Beane's draft day ineptitude drafting WRs, he probably would not have picked Jefferson.

Which is why you go for the sure thing instead of rolling the dice.  Howie "best Gm of the league" Roseman took Jalen Reagor one pick before Jefferson.

[Mr. WEO]

15 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

Which is why you go for the sure thing instead of rolling the dice.  Howie "best Gm of the league" Roseman took Jalen Reagor one pick before Jefferson.

 

Oh Diggs was a "sure thing" all right lol!

 

If Roseman had not also put together a roster that played in 2 of the last 3 SBs, destroying a 15 win Chiefs team, you might have a point.   They could shrug of a bad decision at WR.  He quickly rebounded by drafting Smith and then traded for AJ Brown.  Beane brought in his usual minibus load of week old bread bin guys who end their careers in Buffalo soon after their 1 year paper expires....

 

Diggs never moved the needle for the Bills--zero impact: with or without Diggs, Bills win the division, lose to the Chiefs in the playoffs.  It cost a potential top rookie WR on a 5 year contract and 31 million in dead cap, plus all the predictable immaturity/headaches.

Edited Saturday at 08:34 PM by Mr. WEO