NFL writer says Stefon Diggs and Chiefs trade could be ‘disastrous’ for Bills

There is a saying often used in professional sports that is almost as old as organized athletics itself:control the controllable elements. Whether you’re an athlete, an executive, or an owner, you can’t worry about what a competitor is doing to improve. You can only focus on,i.e. controlyour habits and decisions in your quest for personal development.

The cliché, put simply, tells people to worry themselvesnot their competitors.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay apparently disagrees with that sentiment.

In a recent article for the outlet describing the NFL’s 2024 offseason moves “which will look the worst in three years,” the analyst suggested the Buffalo Bills will soon regret not only their spring decision to trade the wide receiver perennial Pro Bowl Stefon Diggs against the Houston Texans, but also their choice to trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Kay’s argument comes from the fact that the Bills, despite qualifying for the playoffs in each of the last five seasons, have failed to overcome the obstacle, not once reaching the Super Bowl in during their recent period of competition. Instead of improving in the offseason, Buffalo helped two prominent AFC foes – one ascendant and one established – improve, creating what Kay says is a double-edged sword for the team .

He wrote the following about Buffalo’s decision to trade Diggs, which he called a “blatant misstep”:

“For just a 2025 second-rounder in return, the Houston Texans received a higher score after four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances,” Kay wrote. “Buffalo even had to give up fifth and sixth round selections to facilitate the deal. Although Diggs showed signs of decline in the second half of 2023 and struggled in some playoff games, he still surpassed the 1,000 receiving yard mark for the sixth straight year.

“Diggs also scored eight touchdowns, totaling an impressive 37 scores over the four seasons he spent in Western New York. “The 30-year-old will likely add upside to the Texans’ already deep receiver group and could come back to haunt his former team in the playoffs.”

It would be disingenuous to suggest that Diggs’ absence won’t be felt in Western New York; The wide receiver was dominant throughout his four years in Orchard Park, catching 445 passes for 5,372 yards and finishing his stint as the franchise’s fourth all-time wide receiver. That said, it’s also disingenuous to criticize the team’s decision to trade Diggs without acknowledging it. Why they pulled the trigger; the receiver – who, according to Kay himself, “showed signs of decline” last season – was expected to account for approximately $25 million of the team’s salary cap for the next three seasons. Rather than handing over about 10 percent of its salary cap to a seemingly disgruntled player, Buffalo took its proverbial remedy now, opening up long-term financial flexibility.

It’s true that Diggs will likely help out a growing Texas team, but the Bills should benefit from the financial breathing room his omission provides. This is a decision made with the future in mind: Unless general manager Brandon Beane simply forgets how to do his job, they will hardly regret this decision in “three years”, as the title of the article suggests. ‘article.

Kay also took issue with Buffalo’s decision to trade with the Chiefs on the first night of the 2024 NFL Draft; the Bills moved up from the No. 28 pick to the No. 32 pick in the deal, simultaneously improving their position in other parts of the draft. Kansas City used the selection of Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, who broke the 40-yard dash record at the 2024 NFL scouting combine by completing the drill in 4.21 seconds.

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“Not only did the Bills pass up the opportunity to sign a blue-chip prospect on day one, they also traded up from 28th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs and allowed the back-to-back Super Bowl champions to secure Xavier. Worthy,” Kay wrote. “Although the Bills got their own rookie in Keon Coleman on Day 2, it would hardly be a shock if Worthy — who set the scout group record with a blistering 4.21-second 40-yard dash — was one of the best. 2024 freshman pass catchers.

“Worthy’s game-changing speed and playmaking abilities could even be a reason why Kansas City knocks Buffalo out of the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the last half-decade, an outcome that would make it one of the most disastrous offseason.”

Criticizing the Bills for “passing up the opportunity to sign a blue-chip prospect on day one” seems, for lack of a better term, ridiculous considering they selected the Florida State wide receiver , Keon Coleman. with first choice on day two. Coleman was a player that several prognosticators had a first-round grade on, and Buffalo apparently had the same grade assigned to Worthy, hence their comfort in giving up the opportunity to select the Texas wide receiver – Coleman he suddenly asks himself. lose his blue chip status because he wasn’t selected among the first 32 picks in the draft?

Additionally, criticizing a team for executing a move that they believe made them better because it allowed a competitor to add a flashy player is flawed logic; it dates back to control the controllable elements cliché: you can’t help but improve because you’re afraid of what another club might do. Beane spoke about this idea shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 draft:

“You don’t really know who someone is going to select when you trade with them,” Beane said. “They’re not going to call and say, ‘Hey, we’re trading up and we’re going to take this player. And if you don’t trade with them and you take another player, they can always trade with someone ‘other. I never understood this narrative; I’m sure they didn’t just call the Buffalo Bills to trade, they probably called other teams as well.

Kay’s analysis seems alarmist, but he’s not wrong from a 30,000-foot perspective: Buffalo, objectively, has allowed the Texans and Chiefs to add talented playmakers to their rosters while doing little to immediately improve. However, claiming the team will regret these decisions three years from now — when their only goal was to extend the Bills’ championship window and better position them for the future — seems a bit disingenuous.