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Keyser_Soze

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AbsolutSurgen

AbsolutSurgen

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The Buffalo Bills’ patience wore thin with Stefon Diggs. Now he’s gone (https_theathletic.com)

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Stefon Diggs wore out the Buffalo Bills.

For a long time, they put up with the passive-aggressive comments, with the All-Pro little brother insulting them and Josh Allen, with other NFL friends proclaiming he deserved better than Buffalo. They endured Diggs’ refusal to ever push back on the chirping. When I asked him about Trevon Diggs shoveling shade last season, Stefon took offense that anybody would dare question his family and altogether ignored the concept of defending the Bills. They hadn’t said anything when Stefon Diggs dragged a team employee whom a hot mic had caught chiding him for being difficult to work with.

As recently as Tuesday night, Diggs seemed to take another shot at Allen’s wherewithal. Replying on social media to someone who opined a “top-tier receiver” is not “essential” to the franchise quarterback’s success, Diggs said: “You sure?”

Folks at One Bills Drive once again saw a player who’s as likely to jab co-workers in public as defend them.

Teams tolerate micro-aggressions from a superstar talent who makes opponents quake — not for a player you can trade, along with a 2024 sixth-round draft choice and 2025 fifth-rounder, for a second-round pick that’s 13 months away, which is precisely what the Bills did in a deal with the Houston Texans on Wednesday. And not for a guy you’d rather shoo from your locker room for the joy of absorbing a massive dead-cap hit.

Stefon Diggs stopped being “HIM” halfway through 2023, right about the time Trevon Diggs, a Dallas Cowboys cornerback, once again took to social media to declare, “Man 14 (his big brother’s jersey number) gotta get up outta there,” followed by the exhausted and crying emojis.

Also around that time, Buffalo’s offense started to operate like it didn’t care whether No. 14 got up outta there or not.

Many pundits and Bills fans believed Diggs’ place on the roster was pinned by a mammoth contract that, given the salary-cap implications, made it counterproductive for the team to trade or release him. The decision by owner Terry Pegula, general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott to make the move illustrates how motivated the club was to part with Diggs, a pivotal character in transforming NFL chumps into perennial Super Bowl contenders.

For the past couple seasons, there was turbulence. After the Cincinnati Bengals bounced the Bills from the 2022-23 playoffs, an emotional game in which a gesticulating Diggs seemed to wear out Allen and then-quarterbacks coach Joe Brady on the bench, Diggs infamously stormed out of the locker room so fast the pressbox assistant coaches hadn’t gotten inside for McDermott to deliver his postgame speech. Practice squad running back Duke Johnson tracked down Diggs in the Highmark Stadium tunnel and begged him not to leave.

All was rationalized — same as two months earlier, when Diggs screamed at McDermott on the sideline — as Diggs being the ultimate competitor for the most part, although Hall of Fame targets Michael Irvin and Shannon Sharpe, with three Super Bowl rings apiece, found Diggs’ act to be contemptuous to the team ideal.

Competitiveness, however, morphed into a lengthy rift last offseason. When the Bills convened for mandatory minicamp, Diggs wasn’t on the practice field. McDermott said he was “very concerned” about the absence, but he and Diggs have refused to divulge what the problem was.

We still don’t know the reason, and that’s the Diggs dichotomy. He presents himself in news conferences as a transparent yet misunderstood figure. He’ll answer any question — just ask — until the information is nobody’s business, like why McDermott was “very concerned” last June or what all those cryptic tweets mean or why he defends his brother’s right to mock Buffalo.

Trevon Diggs did his town crier impersonation after the Bills’ 24-22 home loss to the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football.” The Bills’ fourth defeat in six games floored them to 5-5, three spots out of the playoff picture.

Then, over the remaining seven regular-season games, Stefon Diggs caught only 34 passes for 315 yards and one touchdown, while Allen accounted for 1,896 yards of total offense, ran for 10 touchdowns and threw for eight more. Two sophomores, tailback James Cook and receiver Khalil Shakir, and rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid emerged as trustworthy weapons.

The Bills went 6-1, their lone loss at the Philadelphia Eagles in overtime.

Nobody at One Bills Drive could – or simply felt compelled to – elucidate Diggs’ unmistakable evaporation.

The Bills insisted Diggs was not hurt, and he never appeared on the injury report. Diggs bemoaned being double-teamed, but Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid tweeted, “Crazy part is … we didn’t double him” after Diggs played 37 percent of the snaps in a crucial Week 14 victory at Arrowhead Stadium. McDermott and Brady noted how packages dictated Diggs’ usage, but they declined to explain why Shakir and deep reserve Trent Sherfield saw more snaps than a four-time Pro Bowler some games. Bills cornerback Josh Norman told the Associated Press that Diggs had been taking himself off the field.

“It’s rough, man,” Diggs told reporters before catching four passes for 48 yards in the Week 15 victory over Dallas. “Even earlier in the year, I saw a lot of the doubles, but they’ve been doing a great job, especially when you put those first seven to eight games on tape of what you like to do. They’ve been doing a good job.

“For me, personally, I’ve been trying, bro. I promise you I’ve been trying. It’s not because of me.”

Drops aren’t an official NFL stat, so there can be discrepancies. Pro Football Reference charted Diggs for eight drops in the regular season, tied for sixth-worst in the league. His 5 percent drop percentage ranked 14th among NFL wideouts with at least 80 targets.

Diggs’ fade from Buffalo’s offense was so stark that three-time Lombardi Trophy safety and “Football Night In America” studio analyst Devin McCourty told me before the regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins: “I think there’s bigger issues going on there. I think their offense is trying to prove to Diggs that they don’t need him.”

Either way, to answer Diggs’ social media question from Tuesday night, Buffalo’s offense already did prove he’s unessential to Allen’s success down the homestretch.

Further, Diggs’ miscues when called upon in January hurt their chances to win when it mattered most.

In two playoff games, Diggs added 10 catches for 73 yards and no TDs. In the three-point elimination loss to Kansas City, he fumbled on the first play and dropped a pass on the second play. Buffalo’s final drive began with a pinpoint Allen bomb that should’ve gone for at least a 55-yard gain if not the go-ahead touchdown. The ball went through Diggs’ arms.

Diggs trotted back toward the huddle and made a gesture with his thumb and forefinger to let Allen and the millions watching on TV know the desperately needed play was “this close” to happening.

Or, as another campaign was about to conclude in heartbreak, maybe that’s how much patience enough important people in Highmark Stadium had left for Diggs.

Frustrated World Cup GIF

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Biggie

Biggie

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3 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Just thinking.  Maybe, it was the starting offence that had an issue with Diggs?  Rather than the backups?

It’s happened so many times. Receiver gets drafted. Becomes an excellent receiver. Gets big contract. Crosses over the line of good teammate to wide out diva. 

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AbsolutSurgen

AbsolutSurgen

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3 minutes ago, Biggie said:

It’s happened so many times. Receiver gets drafted. Becomes an excellent receiver. Gets big contract. Crosses over the line of good teammate to wide out diva. 

He’s also going to be 31 this season. Doesn’t have that much time left. 

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sblfilms

sblfilms

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11 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Just thinking.  Maybe, it was the starting offence that had an issue with Diggs?  Rather than the backups?


Case was the starter for 14 of 16 games when they played together in Minnesota. More likely Diggs just doesn’t get along with some people but gets along fine with others :p It also seems pretty clear from the track record now that he is fine early on and whatever his issues are tend to crop up down the line a bit. 
 

I just want one good season out of him 😂

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Biggie

Biggie

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8 minutes ago, sblfilms said:


Case was the starter for 14 of 16 games when they played together in Minnesota. More likely Diggs just doesn’t get along with some people but gets along fine with others :p It also seems pretty clear from the track record now that he is fine early on and whatever his issues are tend to crop up down the line a bit. 
 

I just want one good season out of him 😂

I guess the good news is it only cost you 1 draft pick. Biggest concern would be does he get in the ear of your rising star quarterback about throw me the ball. 
 

 

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AbsolutSurgen

AbsolutSurgen

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16 hours ago, Biggie said:

I guess the good news is it only cost you 1 draft pick. Biggest concern would be does he get in the ear of your rising star quarterback about throw me the ball. 
 

 

2 teams have made the decision to move on from him with reports of missing team meetings, being late to practice and being extremely difficult to work with.

His production fell off a cliff after week 6 last season.

The Bills decided to accept a $30M dead money hit in return for a 2nd round pick.  That is really telling about how problematic they found him.

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Biggie

Biggie

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1 hour ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

2 teams have made the decision to move on from him with reports of missing team meetings, being late to practice and being extremely difficult to work with.

His production fell off a cliff after week 6 last season.

The Bills decided to accept a $30M dead money hit in return for a 2nd round pick.  That is really telling about how problematic they found him.

But Case Keenum loves him!

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AbsolutSurgen

AbsolutSurgen

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I don't think the Texans are a Super Bowl favourite this year (I would guess they're in the 6-8 range with Diggs).  Playoff contender, absolutely.  [Particularly in 2024, when they don't get to play a 4th place schedule and beat up on the NFC South.]

Stefon Diggs wasn't a top 10 receiver last year, despite being paired with a top 5 QB.

You spend draft capital on 1-year rentals of an elite problematic player when you are on the cusp of a championship, not when that contract gives you a 3-4 year window to really go for it.

I'm certainly not an expert on the Texans roster, but it sure looks like they are at risk of not having much cap room over the next few years as well.

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BuckFly

BuckFly

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On 4/3/2024 at 1:00 PM, Biggie said:

Bills trading Diggs to the Texans @BuckFly

 

On 4/3/2024 at 1:12 PM, Biggie said:

Diggs is a cancer. 

 

 

Diggs on the field was so much about winning and it is what I love about him.  I was always a Forever Diggs guy because of it.

 

However, you knew it had to be untenable with them willing to eat so much cap.

 

Also, and most importantly, during the last nine games under the new coordinator which includes the two playoff games he had 44 receptions, with a 55 catch %, for 388 yards, at 8.81 yards per reception, and 1 TD. 

 

...and during those 9 games the team went 7-2, including a huuuugggge drop by Diggs late in the playoff game against KC.

 

Knowing that the Bills were looking for another #1WR (1A, 1 B if he stayed) in this draft does anyone here think Diggs was going to play nice with a new wideout taking some of his receptions and ten years his younger? 

 

Early in March the Bills were $52 million over the cap for 2024.  As of today they are $45 million under the cap for 2025, $53 million if Von goes after 2025 and they've gotten younger everywhere.

 

Do I love everything?  No, but sometimes you have to pull the band aid off quickly.

 

I have no allusions about division titles and we will see.  I would consider 10-7 a good season, but the real focus is what I believe to be the last half of Allen's prime years, which I believe he is halfway through them now at 6 years.

 

That said it is a good pick up for Houston and they are likely to get the best out of him (that is possible) because A) new location, and B) now apparently a 1 year deal so he will be motivated.

 

 

 

 

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Brian

Brian

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You gotta love the “he will behave because it’s a contract year” type of guys. The minute he isn’t getting enough catches to get a big contract next year, I guarantee he won’t be quiet. Add that his brother likes to add his input, good luck to Houston. 

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Keyser_Soze

Keyser_Soze

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1 hour ago, BuckFly said:

Knowing that the Bills were looking for another #1WR (1A, 1 B if he stayed) in this draft does anyone here think Diggs was going to play nice with a new wideout taking some of his receptions and ten years his younger?

 

Bills trading up to get Marvin Harrison Jr. confirmed?

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BuckFly

BuckFly

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9 hours ago, Brian said:

You gotta love the “he will behave because it’s a contract year” type of guys. The minute he isn’t getting enough catches to get a big contract next year, I guarantee he won’t be quiet. Add that his brother likes to add his input, good luck to Houston. 


You could be right, but it is also his first year there and his M.O. is to behave.  They might not feed him the rock as much as he wants but they should be good and he should help them so that will bring him a modicum of decorum.

 

 

8 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Bills trading up to get Marvin Harrison Jr. confirmed?


 

Keyser, I think there is a chance the big three might be gone in the top 10 in this draft, with Thomas Jr. shortly thereafter.

 

It’s just too pricey to get up that high.  Anyone should be happy to get any of those guys.  I’m not sure the Bills 24 and 25 (1)along with their 24 and 25 (2) gets them in the top 10, although knowing the true value of those picks is not in my wheelhouse.

 

I love Jr., but if he is gone the others around WNY like AD Mitchell and I believe the Bills may have met with him the most.  I like him, but they need a 1…a solid and true 1.  I think that is Thomas Jr. or the top three, which obviously includes Harrison.

 

 


 

 

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