Diggs’ presence will also help ensure that new running back Joe Mixon will see the light box for most of the season. Toss in tight end Dalton Schultz and a good offensive line, and Houston’s offense looks headed for a promising 2024 campaign.
General manager Nick Caserio is credited for making moves this offseason to take advantage of his young Pro Bowl quarterback. Stroud is set to continue his upward trend after an award-winning rookie campaign.
In Buffalo, the club seemed ready to move on from the mercurial receiver.
For most of his run in Buffalo, Diggs was a target hog, with Allen often looking his way as Diggs churned out 5,372 yards and 37 TDs over four campaigns.
However, following the firing of Ken Dorsey last season and the promotion of Joe Brady to offensive coordinator, Diggs saw his role reduced. In the final seven regular season games and two playoff tilts, the wideout never reached the 100-yard mark, and his playing time steadily dropped from 90% to the low 60s.
There was also last offseason’s drama to consider, including Diggs missing part of mandatory minicamp, which led to Sean McDermott’s comment that he was “very concerned” about the wideout’s absence. The club and Diggs moved on from that offseason kerfuffle, but things never felt comfortable.
According to Over the Cap, trading Diggs left Buffalo with $31 million in dead cap, and given the low return on the trade (not even a 2024 pick), the Bills were clearly motivated to move on.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters on Wednesday, “I think we just want to appreciate the time that we had Steph here, the years that we did, and again, there’s every reason why you don’t make every move.” want to go.” “It’s not a thing with any player, we’ve traded other players here, we’ve acquired players, that’s one too. Whatever you do, you think it’s the best decision, And you consider the pros and cons of every decision like this one, 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 You know, we have taken this step.”
Sending Diggs to Houston left a major hole in Buffalo’s receiver corps, which also led to the loss of Gabe Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Allen’s top targets are currently Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, KJ Hamler and Justin Shorter.
Most forecasts had the Bills adding a first-round receiver. After the news of Diggs, this joke will only increase further.
Jettisoning Diggs continues the offseason overhaul in Buffalo that has seen the Bills move on from Diggs, Davis, Mitch Morse, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, among others.
We knew we would see a different Bills club in 2024. Sending Diggs out underlines that fact with an exclamation point.
