What’s Next for the Buffalo Bills?
Photo Credit: 33rd Team
(Buffalo, NY) Former Buffalo Bills star wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, was traded to the Houston Texans in a massive move last week. The Bills sent over Diggs, a 2024 6th round pick, and a 2025 5th round pick for a 2025 second round pick from the Texans. However, the Bills now take on a $31 million dead cap hit from this trade.
For many, this move had been a long time coming but not a surprise. Since last offseason, the cloud of whether Diggs truly wanted to stay in Buffalo loomed over the Bills’ head the entire offseason leading into the regular season.
Many recall Bills head coach, Sean McDermott, saying he was “very concerned” after it was reported Diggs was absent from mandatory minicamp early in the offseason until the Bills later came out to say he was told to leave. The air was later cleared by both the team and Diggs. He still found success during the first half of the season with at least 100 yards receiving in five out of the six games. That was until the wheels came off the wagon midway through the season and Diggs’ production statistically dropped. After Week 6, Diggs did not record more than 100 yards in any game including the postseason. Diggs also only had three touchdowns and didn’t break 30 yards in 5 out of his last 13 games as a Bill.
The dip in production could be attributed to the change in offensive coordinator after Ken Dorsey, who started the season as the OC for the Bills, was fired after the team’s Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. This led to then quarterbacks coach, Joe Brady, taking over as the interim offensive coordinator.
With that being said, the connection between quarterback Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs on the field to the naked eye just didn’t look the same. After Week 6, there were many times Allen began to force throws to Diggs. Diggs only had 4 games with double-digit targets, and didn’t record a double-digit target game during the postseason.
All things considered, Diggs just wasn’t fitting with what the Buffalo offense was morphing into. With the emergence of first-round rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid, second-year wide receiver Khalil Shakir, and running back James Cook, all three players down the stretch became focal points of the Bills offense. This led to Buffalo’s re-emergence after being 7-7 just before Thanksgiving. They later rallied on to win the AFC East and make the playoffs, all without a 100-yard receiving game or touchdown from Diggs after the bye week.
Now, Diggs is a Texan and the Bills need to try and find a way to replace his production in this Bills offense. Buffalo has not only lost their number one wide receiver this offseason, but also their number two, Gabe Davis, who left during free agency and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This now opens up a lot of targets in the Bills offense. In free agency, the Bills brought in both Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins to compete for spots on the depth chart, as well as complement the pass catchers they have in-house. As of right now, it is unclear who is the leader in the clubhouse at the wide receiver position.
To fill a Diggs-sized hole, it takes a player with similar talents to allow the offense to hardly skip a beat. The 2024 Draft class may have one of the deepest and most talented wide receiver classes many have yet to see in a long time. The Bills currently have 10 picks in this year’s upcoming draft, with their first-round pick currently sitting at the 28th selection.
Furthermore, Buffalo has a valuable second-round pick given to them via the Stefon Diggs trade with Houston that they could parlay into a very big bag full of draft compensation to a team sitting either in or just outside the top 10. However, to really fill this role in their wide receiver room, the Bills would be better off trading into the top 10. The likes of Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, and Brian Thomas Jr are all names that the Bills could be targeting at the top of the draft.
The most likely option for Buffalo will most likely be Rome Odunze. He is the safest option when it comes to route running and big play ability. Odunze could fill the role of the deep threat or work the intermediate part of the field with his combination of speed and agility in his arsenal. Taking all of that into consideration, the Bills also hold the 60th pick in the second round. This selection could be used on guys like Javon Baker out of UCF, Troy Franklin out of Oregon, or even Ladd McConkey out of Georgia. Regardless, any receiver who slips out of the first round would be ideal for Buffalo to snag if their plan is to focus both days on getting another pass catcher to be number two on the depth chart.
Buffalo is a team that always seems to surprise everyone in the best ways possible. The Bills’ general manager, Brandon Beane, is a guy who likes to keep things close to his chest. Nevertheless, their focus right now is trying to replace what they have just lost not only in the receiver room but on all sides of the football.
On top of the Bills’ list of to-do’s is to get their franchise quarterback a game-changing weapon, along the same lines as the one they just traded away in Stefon Diggs. All things considered, Diggs’ focus is getting situated with his new team and environment. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s focus should be on who’s going to be the number one receiver in Orchard Park to help them compete in a stacked AFC conference.