During the first part of free agency, the Bills’ receiving room was expected to change as Gabe Davis was slated to leave on a free agent signing. The blockbuster trade that sent Stefon Diggs to the Texans was Buffalo’s response to that.
Since the 30-year-old Diggs was still viewed as a No. 1 player, the Bills had originally planned to keep him around for at least one more season. But Buffalo’s strategy changed when the Texans agreed to trade for Diggs, including a 2025 second-round pick. In exchange for Diggs, the latter team had to pay a little over $31MM in dead money. Buffalo may have dispersed the cost over a few seasons, but doing so would have reduced their ability to make offseason purchases. General manager of the Bills Brandon Beane stated during the deal that the organization preferred to be forthright about dead money as soon as Diggs was decided to move on.
During an appearance on The Athletic Football Show, Beane noted, “A player of his caliber, you weigh a lot of things in those situations” (video link). But in the end, all we discussed was the cap. I don’t have to list every justification for our decision to move forward with that. From a cap perspective, I would say we just decided to consume it right away. By eating it now, we believe we can stay competitive and accomplish our goals. not the following year either.
“Because if we didn’t, if we attempted to divide it up in an excessive number of ways, then it would now resemble the albatross that hangs around your neck all year.” You say to yourself, “Look how much money we still have dead,” as you glance at your hat. During the offseason, the Bills added Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Chase Claypool to their receiver roster. Josh Allen, the quarterback, supported Buffalo’s selection of Keon Coleman, who they added after trading out of the first round. Diggs and Davis’ output will be replaced by those rookies and Khalil Shakir, who is returning.
Evidently, Diggs is now expected to be available for free agency in the upcoming summer, since Houston has eliminated the years after 2024 from his contract. The four-time Pro Bowler’s performance with the Texans and the trade’s financial ramifications for the Bills—or lack thereof, in terms of upcoming seasons—will be major plot points.
