|
The trade ends Diggs' sometimes rocky tenure in
Buffalo, where he has earned Pro Bowl honors all four seasons.
It also comes hours after a social media back-and-forth with
Robert Griffin III, who asserted that Diggs was not essential to
the success of Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
"You sure?" Diggs replied.
Buffalo entered the offseason $47 million over the salary cap
and has lost multiple starters from the division championship
roster.
Diggs turns 31 in November but has produced at a high level
since the Bills acquired him from the Minnesota Vikings in 2020.
Houston's financial commitment could be just one season because
of the structure of guaranteed cash payouts. The Texans can part
with Diggs after the 2024 season if desired without a cap hit
because his $18 million salary for 2025, $19.1 million for 2026
and $14.5 million in 2027 isn't guaranteed.
Diggs and the Bills were at odds multiple times since he signed
a four-year, $96 million contract with $70 million guaranteed in
April 2022. Almost exactly two years later, Buffalo hit reset at
the wide receiver position.
Khalil Shakir, a fifth-round pick in 2022, is the top returning
wide receiver from the 2023 season with 39 receptions for 611
yards and two touchdowns. In addition to Diggs, No. 2 receiver
Gabe Davis (45 receptions, seven TDs in 2023) signed with the
Jaguars in free agency.
Buffalo has added two receivers -- Commanders free agent Curtis
Samuel and former Falcons receiver Mack Hollins.
Samuel has four career 50-plus-catch seasons and had 126 total
receptions the past two seasons. Diggs caught 215 passes for
3,613 yards and 19 touchdowns since he signed the new deal with
the Bills on April 6, 2022.
Diggs has 810 career catches for 9,995 yards and 67 touchdowns
in 136 games (128 starts) with the Minnesota Vikings (2015-19)
and Bills.
Diggs joins an offense that also now includes running back Joe
Mixon, whom the Texans also traded for to bolster weapons for
second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud. Tank Dell and tight end
Dalton Schultz are also in place for 2024.
--Field Level Media
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
