Bills GM: Josh Allen Wasn't Alerted to Stefon Diggs Trade; QB Knew It Was Possible
Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRT
Featured Columnist IVApril 3, 2024
The Buffalo Bills made a stunning trade on Wednesday, dealing wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans alongside a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 second-rounder (originally via Minnesota).
And the team's general manager, Brandon Beane, told reporters that he hadn't spoken to Josh Allen since pulling the trigger on the deal but that the superstar quarterback knew it was a possibility this offseason.
"I did alert him that had been some inquiries and that it wasn't 100 percent off the table," he told reporters.
Beane noted that Allen—who owns a pair of homes in California—likely woke up to the news on the West Coast.
As for the Bills, the team has basically been a yard sale this offseason.
Alongside the trade of Diggs—which will include the team eating a massive $31 million in dead cap, though it will free up cap space in 2025 and beyond—the team let wideout Gabe Davis and defensive end Leonard Floyd walk in free agency and released running back Nyheim Hines, center Mitch Morse and defensive backs Tre'Davious White and Jordan Poyer, among other departures.
The Bills also restructured the contracts of Allen and tight end Dalton Kincaid in an effort to get under the cap and add flexibility this season and beyond. And they have brought in other players in free agency, including wideout Curtis Samuel.
But the wide receiver room went from the dynamic one-two puch of Diggs and Davis to one highlighted by Samuel, Khalil Shakir and Mack Hollins. While the Bills likely will address the position at the draft, Allen suddenly has markedly less weapons.
"Are we better today? Probably not, but we're a long way from September," Beane told reporters on Wednesday. "I hope people know I'm as competitive as they come and I don't give in. I have a lot of confidence in the men we have on the roster and we'll work to add to this roster going forward."
Andrew Siciliano @AndrewSicilianoBrandon Beane: "I don't think it's fair to assess [right now] what the 2024 Bills are going to look like...<br><br>It's April 3rd. We play in September...<br><br>This organization and our fan base needs to trust that we're going to trot out a damn good team in September."
Chris Brown @ChrisBrownBillsBeane on addressing WR: it's about making our offense as dynamic as we can and whether that's in the draft or what we can acquire in FA before or after the draft we'll look everywhere. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bills?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bills</a>
It remains unclear why the Bills chose to move on from Diggs this offseason, though. The 30-year-old had 107 catches for 1,183 yards and eight scores in 2023, but he fell off a bit down the stretch.
There had been buzz in the past that Diggs perhaps wasn't happy in Buffalo and wanted a change of scenery, though publicly the star wide receiver denied it.
He also raised some eyebrows on Tuesday with the following post on social media:
Either way, Diggs will now join a Texans offense that looks absolutely stacked around Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback C.J. Stroud. And Allen and the Bills are left to piece together a contender after an offseason of major upheaval.
