One of the Buffalo Bills' biggest offseason needs was adding a receiver for young quarterback Josh Allen, and they accomplished that late Monday night by trading for the – the second big-name wideout dealt Monday after Houston shipped out DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona.
Diggs reportedly wanted out of Minnesota during most of the 2019 season and earlier on Monday tweeted something rather cryptic: "it's time for a new beginning." Even though it appeared Diggs and Vikings QB Kirk Cousins weren't always on the same page, Diggs had a career-high 1,130 yards in 2019 to go with 63 catches and six scores. However, Diggs' targets were down from 149 in 2018 to 94 last year. Adam Thielen had essentially passed him as Cousins' top target.
Minnesota gets Buffalo's 2020 first-round pick (No. 22 overall), a fifth- and sixth-round pick this year and a fourth in 2021. The Vikings, who frankly did better in this trade than the Texans did for Hopkins, incurred $9 million in dead money against their cap but cleared another $4.9 million in cap space. They are sending a 2020 seventh-round pick back to the Bills along with Diggs, who has four seasons left on a contract worth $45 million.
Minnesota probably will take a receiver now fairly early in the 2020 draft. It also has the No. 25 overall pick in Round 1, and this class of receivers is considered excellent.
Buffalo's top receivers last season were John Brown, who had 72 catches for 1,060 yards and six scores, and Cole Beasley (67-778-6). Neither of those guys is a legitimate No. 1, however. The Bills reportedly were targeting free agent Amari Cooper, but he's re-signing with the Cowboys. ESPN is reporting Cooper's deal is five years for $100 million.
The SportsLine Projection Model has Buffalo improving from 9.4 wins in 2020 to 9.7 with Diggs. Minnesota drops from 9.6 to 9.4.
| BILLS | WIN | WIN% | DIVISION | PLAYOFF | CONF | CHAMP |
| Before | 9.4 | 58.80% | 34.70% | 60.60% | 4.90% | 1.90% |
| w/ Diggs | 9.7 | 60.60% | 38.70% | 65.10% | 5.60% | 2.20% |
| Diff. | 0.3 | 1.90% | 4.00% | 4.50% | 0.70% | 0.30% |
| VIKINGS | WIN | WIN% | DIVISION | PLAYOFF | CONF | CHAMP |
| w/ Diggs | 9.6 | 60.00% | 53.00% | 67.60% | 8.80% | 3.50% |
| w/o Diggs | 9.4 | 58.80% | 49.40% | 63.90% | 7.50% | 2.70% |
| Diff. | -0.2 | -1.30% | -3.60% | -3.70% | -1.30% | -0.80% |
