For the second time in his career, Stefon Diggs has been traded.
The Buffalo Bills are trading Diggs to the Houston Texans along with a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 189 overall) and a 2025 fifth-rounder in exchange for a second-round selection in 2025, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday, per sources informed of the situation. The Bills have since announced the deal.
Following a 2020 trade from Minnesota, Diggs breached the 1,100-plus-yard receiving mark in each of his four seasons in Buffalo, including leading the NFL with 127 catches and 1,535 yards in his first season alongside Josh Allen.
"I can't begin to express the amount of love and respect I have for the city of Buffalo. Four of the best years of my life, the city welcomed me with open arms. I'm forever grateful for you all and the [Bills] organization!," Diggs wrote on Instagram Wednesday evening. "Something special was built over these years with some very special men, that will always have a place in my heart. Billsmafia, so many great memories created throughout the years. Those games were crazy because of you. Sadly good things come to an end until we meet again. 14."
Adding Diggs is a massive move for the Texans, who add another weapon for quarterback C.J. Stroud. The 30-year-old wideout joins Nico Collins and Tank Dell to form one of the best receiver trios in the NFL. Diggs' ability to win one-on-ones and get open off the line will give Stroud a reliable veteran to count on. All three receivers should complement each others well, giving offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik the ability to threaten defenses at every level.
Diggs' presence should also help ensure that new running back Joe Mixon sees light boxes for most of the season. Toss in tight end Dalton Schultz and a good offensive line, and the Houston offense is looking dyn-o-mite heading into the 2024 campaign.
Credit general manager Nick Caserio for making moves this offseason to take advantage of his young Pro Bowl quarterback. Stroud is set up to continue his upward trajectory after an award-winning rookie campaign.
In Buffalo, the club seemed ready to move on from the mercurial receiver.
For much of his run in Buffalo, Diggs was a target hog, with Allen looking his way often as Diggs churned out 5,372 yards and 37 TDs over four campaigns.
However, following the firing of Ken Dorsey and elevation of Joe Brady to offensive coordinator last season, Diggs saw his role diminish. In the final seven regular season games and two playoff tilts, the wideout never hit the 100-yard mark, and his playtime went from consistently around 90% to dipping into the 60s.
There was also last offseason's drama to consider, including Diggs missing part of mandatory minicamp, which led to Sean McDermott's comments that he was "very concerned" about the wideout's absence. The club and Diggs moved forward from that offseason kerfuffle, but things never seemed comfortable.
Trading Diggs leaves Buffalo with north of $31 million in dead cap, per Over The Cap, and given the little return on the trade (not even a 2024 pick), the Bills clearly were motivated to move on.
"I think we just want to appreciate when we had Stef here, the years we did, and again, you don't want to get into every reason you make every move," Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters on Wednesday. "It's not one thing with any player, we've traded other players here, we've acquired players, him being one. Everything you do, you think is the best decision, and you weigh the pros and the cons of every decision like this, and you don't take it lightly. But you're always making it in the best interest of the Bills, and that's what we're trying to do here, and you know, we made the move."
Shipping Diggs to Houston leaves a massive gaping hole in Buffalo's receiver corps, which also lost Gabe Davis in free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen's top targets are currently Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, K.J. Hamler and Justin Shorter.
Most prognostications pegged the Bills adding a first-round receiver. Following the Diggs news, those mocks will only heighten.
Jettisoning Diggs continues the offseason overhaul in Buffalo that saw the Bills move on from Diggs, Davis, Mitch Morse, Jordan Poyer, Tre'Davious White among others.
We knew we'd see a different Bills club in 2024. Shipping out Diggs underscores that fact with an exclamation point.
