The Buffalo Bills suffered another disappointing postseason defeat on Sunday, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in the divisional round. No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs was particularly quiet. Diggs recorded just three receptions for 21 receiving yards and dropped a late deep pass that could have positively changed Buffalo's outcome. Diggs' future with the team now hangs in the balance as general manager Brandon Beane prepares to enter a critical offseason.
Touted as annual contenders, the Bills have yet to advance to an AFC Championship Game in the Josh Allen and Sean McDermott era. Change is undeniably coming to a squad that's yet to get over the hump. Additional help at the receiver position is undeniably required.
Diggs’ disappearing act has become an all-too-familiar theme. Diggs posted 100-plus receiving yards in five of Buffalo's six opening contests but didn't record triple digits again this season, a stretch spanning three months and 13 games. Perhaps the relationship between Buffalo and Diggs has worn out its welcome. Moving Diggs' lucrative contract would be a challenging task for Beane this offseason, however.
Beane signed Diggs to a four-year extension worth $96 million ahead of the 2022 campaign. It was a premature extension, as Diggs was still under contract when signing the add-on deal. Diggs is under contract with Buffalo through 2027.
The Bills are currently scheduled to enter the offseason approximately $43 million over the cap, according to Spotrac. If Beane attempted to trade Diggs pre-June-1, he'd inherit a dead cap charge of $31 million. That's unmanageable and unrealistic for a Bills franchise already facing significant cap-related difficulties before creating additional headaches for themselves.
If the Bills are hellbent on exiting the Diggs contract, a post-June-1st trade or release qualifies as more realistic. Buffalo would save approximately $19 million towards the cap while inheriting $8.8 million in dead cap charges in 2024, and $22.2 million in 2025. Trading Diggs post-June would limit Beane's options to maximize those financial savings, however. Most quality players are on NFL rosters in June, and you can't designate a trade post-June before its arrival date. Who could Beane possibly acquire in June to replace Diggs?
No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis, who missed the Chiefs defeat with injury, is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency. Davis has suffered through an uneven career in Buffalo and isn't expected to return in 2024. Davis' inevitable departure will create another hole for Buffalo at wideout, making retaining Diggs the likelier outcome.
The 2024 NFL Draft offers Beane an opportunity to revise his receiver room. Featuring a deep class of receivers, Beane could draft an instant difference-maker with the No. 28 overall selection. Buffalo may even double-down at receiver with another mid-round pick spent on the position. Ascending talents like Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir offer hope that Buffalo's pass-catching unit could be more productive next season.
Beane wanting to rid himself of the Diggs contract would be understandable. He's expensive and entering his age 31 campaign and just experienced a career-worst season in Buffalo. But the financial-related fallout, paired with the timing of actual financial savings, makes it difficult to turn dreams into reality. The Bills are facing a Diggs-related conundrum this offseason.
