Stefon Diggs' end to 2023 sets up a fascinating offseason for Bills

Then, on second-and-9, just two plays before kicker Tyler Bass gave us the sequel to “Wide Right,” Allen threw an incompletion into the end zone instead of hitting a wide-open Diggs for a potential first down.

In a way, it was a fitting conclusion to the season for Diggs and a reflection of how disappointing his second half had been.

On the surface, Diggs' 107 receptions for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season may still seem respectable, even if they are slightly below his usual standards. However, over half of his yardage total came across the first six games of 2023, during which he posted five 100-yard outings. 

Over his next four games -- a stretch where Buffalo went 1-3 -- Diggs' production plummeted and hit what would prove to be a turning point for his season in Week 10's loss to Denver. Diggs caught just three passes for 34 yards in the dramatic 24-22 loss, prompting his brother Trevon of the Dallas Cowboys to share on X that "14 Gotta get up outta" Buffalo. 

Considering Diggs forced his way out of Minnesota in 2020 and missed part of Buffalo's mandatory minicamp last offseason to internally address a non-football-related issue, his brother's post was particularly noteworthy. Ultimately, Diggs downplayed the cryptic post, telling reporters he's “fully invested from a professional aspect," which makes his subsequent performance all the more puzzling.

Buffalo’s Week 10 loss also marked the last game with former OC Ken Dorsey, who was fired as the team's play-caller and replaced by Joe Brady. Under Brady, the Bills adopted a run-first mentality, resulting in Diggs being largely a non-factor over the final seven regular season games, averaging just 45 yards and only scoring one touchdown.

The drop in production wasn't a way to save energy for the playoffs either, as Diggs caught 10 passes for 73 yards in two contests, extending his postseason TD drought to seven games. 

It's tough to say whether Diggs' decline is primarily due to his abilities or usage, but either way, it's not an ideal situation, especially since it pertains to someone unhappy with his role before. 

Buffalo could benefit from some changes this offseason after getting bounced out of the playoffs by the Chiefs once again, though how drastic should the adjustments be? While Diggs has established himself as one of the league's top wideouts during his time in Buffalo, if his role under Brady is here to stay, a trade might make sense for all parties. 

Sure, the Bills don't have another pass-catcher nearly as talented as Diggs, but they've proven they can win without him making much of an impact. Even so, the 30-year-old has four seasons remaining on his current deal, and we would likely have to wait a while before any trade occurs, given how the contract is structured. 

According to Over the Cap, Diggs carries a $27.9 cap hit for 2024, and should he get cut or traded before June 1, Buffalo would incur $31.1M in dead money. But if Diggs were released or traded after June 1, he'd only leave an $8.8M dead cap hit, and the Bills would save just over $19M. 

At this point, getting an extra $19M to spend along with draft capital in exchange for Diggs to help build around Allen and his rising cap hit might be too good of a deal to pass up. Although any potential trade would be a ways away, Buffalo could hypothetically start preparing for one by drafting Allen a new weapon in the wide receiver-heavy 2024 NFL Draft. 

Nevertheless, regardless of what happens on the Diggs front, this should be a long and fascinating offseason in Buffalo.