3 Realistic Destinations if Bills Trade WR Stefon Diggs
Death, taxes and Stefon Diggs seemingly hinting during the offseason that he may want to go elsewhere.
The latest in the ongoing saga with the Buffalo Bills receiver took to X on Friday, as Diggs posted that he's "Ready for whatever.' Along with that post, Diggs was noncommital when speaking about his future with the Bills at the Pro Bowl.
"I don't know," Diggs said at the Pro Bowl when asked if he'll be with Buffalo next season. "I feel like as far as with the money and all that type of stuff, I can't control none of that. It's a long offseason in front of me. As far as what the future holds, I don't have any surprises for you right now."
Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) runs the ball defended by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Terrell Lewis (52) in the second quarter at SoFi Stadium.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Diggs had a solid 2023 season, though his production dipped considerably in the second half. He finished the year with 107 catches for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns. In the final eight games of the regular season, Diggs caught 37 passes for 349 yards and one touchdown.
Trading Diggs wouldn't be a streamlined process though. Buffalo would incur a $3.24 million penalty against the cap and just over $31 million in dead money. The Bills would also have to find a team that can take on his salary of $27.854 million. That number would likely keep a team like the Dallas Cowboys from trying to make a move to unite Diggs with his brother, Trevon Diggs.
With those constraints, trading Diggs is difficult, but not impossible. Here are three teams that could make a trade and make it work financially.
Houston Texans
When the Bills traded for Diggs in 2020, it was to get Josh Allen the weapon he desperately needed to take the offense to another level.
The deal lived up to expectations and then some, as Allen turned into one of the best quarterbacks in football, Diggs has made four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team and Buffalo has won the AFC East four straight seasons. After a stellar season from rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and a Divisional Round appearance after they won the AFC South, the Texans are positioned to go all-in like the Bills did four years ago.
Houston has weapons at receiver, as Nico Collins led the team with 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. Rookie receiver Tank Dell also had a solid first season with 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games before a fractured fibula ended his season.
The Texans have just over $20 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap. They could make more space by restructuring multiple contracts, namely left tackle Laremy Tunsil's. They also have two second-round picks, and one along with a mid-round pick could be enough to get the deal done.
If the Texans are going to be a bonafide contender in the AFC, they'll have to be able to go toe-to-toe with teams like the Bills, Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. A rejuvenated Diggs could be the piece that catapults Houston from a playoff team to a contender.
Los Angeles Rams
Few coaches get more out of their players on offense than Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. That alone should pique Diggs if he has his choice of where he could go in a trade.
The Rams already have a budding star at receiver in Puka Nacua, as he set the rookie record for receiving yards with 1,486 in 2023. Cooper Kupp, the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year, has been one of the more reliable receivers in football when he's healthy. Adding Diggs to that duo could form one of the best receiving corps in football, and in a wide-open NFC, that could be enough to make Los Angeles a favorite in the conference.
The Rams have also shown they're not afraid to part with draft picks for players they believe can put them over the top. They may be willing to part with their first-round pick if they believe Diggs is the missing piece they need to become bonafide Super Bowl contenders. Los Angeles could make space for his contract by restructuring quarterback Matthew Stafford's contract, as it currently has just over $27.42 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.
If Los Angeles is indeed in the market to add a receiver, Diggs would make sense. And for Diggs, playing for McVay and the Rams may be his best option if he gets traded.
Washington Commanders
If Diggs had his choice, he'd probably be joining his brother on the Cowboys. Unfortunately for him with their cap space situation and the players they have to pay soon, a trade to Dallas seems highly unlikely.
There is another team in the NFC East though who is close to where he played college and has the draft picks and cap space to make a trade work, and that's the Washington Commanders.
With nearly $64 million in cap space and six picks in the top 100 of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Commanders have the easiest path toward making a deal for Diggs. They're also just 20 minutes away from the University of Maryland, which is where Diggs played collegiately.
Along with being close to where Diggs played collegiately, the duo of him and Terry McLaurin could be one of the more formidable in the NFL. Diggs and McLaurin with a rookie quarterback like Jayden Daniels can quickly turn the Commanders' offense into a promising one compared to last season.
With Washington having the picks and cap space, it could be a prime destination for a Diggs trade as it looks to set a rookie quarterback up for success next season. And for the Bills, the multiple draft picks could go toward landing one or multiple receivers in the draft or packaging them to trade for a proven weapon like Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
