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WR Rashard Higgins, LB Christian Kirksey To Retire As Browns

By | at April 16, 2024 8:49 am

Both wideout Rashard Higgins and linebacker Christian Kirksey have officially decided to hang up their cleats, but they will do so as members of the team which drafted them. Both players will sign one-day contracts with the Browns, the team announced on Tuesday.

Higgins spent his first six years in Cleveland, serving as a complementary receiver along the way. His best campaign came in 2020, when he posted 37 catches for 599 yards and four touchdowns. His 16.2 yards per catch average demonstrated his ability as a vertical threat, but by 2022 signs pointed to a free agent departure.

Indeed, the former fifth-rounder signed with the Panthers on a one-year deal that offseason. Higgins, 29, appeared in only three games that year, however. He was out of the league for the past campaign, and instead of pursuing a comeback, he will end his NFL run with roughly $8.3MM in career earnings.

Kirksey signed with the Bills ahead of the 2023 season, aiming to join a contender. His time in Buffalo proved to be very short-lived, though, and in September he informed the team of his intention to retire. That move was not officially made during the campaign, as evidenced by today’s news, but the former third-rounder was not on the field with any team last season.

Over the course of six years with the Browns, Kirksey started 54 of 73 games. He eclipsed 100 tackles twice in that span (2016 and ’17), doing so again during his 2022 performance with the Texans. In both Cleveland and Houston, the Iowa product earned his team’s nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Kirksey remained a full-time starter during his single season with the Packers in 2020, as well as his two campaigns as a Texan. The 31-year-old spent much of his career on rebuilding teams, and he was released halfway through his most lucrative pact (a four-year, $38MM Browns extension signed in 2017). Still, he made an NFC championship game appearance with Green Bay and accumulated just over $39MM during his career.

“We are thrilled that Rashard and Christian wanted to come back and retire as Cleveland Browns,” a team statement reads. “Both players obviously made an impact on the field, but they each made a lasting impression in the Cleveland community as well. It’s a testament to who they are as individuals, and we are honored to have them retire as part of our Browns family.”

0 comments Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Cleveland Browns Green Bay Packers Houston Texans

DL Marshawn Kneeland Adds Six Pre-Draft Visits, To Close With 16

By | at April 15, 2024 6:12 pm

As Marshawn Kneeland logs a spring flight schedule that would potentially impress George Clooney’s Up in the Air protagonist, the Western Michigan alum is viewed as a rising prospect ahead of the draft.

The MAC product has scheduled pre-draft visits with half the NFL. His Chiefs, Colts, Commanders, Jaguars, Jets, Saints and Vikings meetings became known weeks ago, but other teams have since entered the fray. The Buccaneers, Panthers and Texans met with the edge rusher prospect last week, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. Not stopping there, Kneeland also has meetings scheduled with the Bills, Lions and Packers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds.

More teams may have stepped in here, with Garafolo indicating Kneeland booked 16 “30” visits during one of the busiest pre-draft itineraries in recent NFL history. Teams have until Wednesday to conduct “30” visits, and Kneeland will presumably be setting foot in a number of new cities before that deadline arrives.

Generally, prospects with notable questions generate the most visits. Kneeland has become a coveted D-end prospect despite playing at a mid-major program and never topping 4.5 sacks in a season. But coaches are certainly intrigued by the versatile performer. As ESPN.com’s Matt Miller points out, Kneeland generated 36 pressures last season. The 6-foot-3, 267-pound edge player posted 26 tackles for loss from 2021-23, and Miller adds his profile has reached the point where a fall out of the top 50 is unlikely.

Kneeland has generated this profile despite never being a first-team All-MAC performer; though, he did play in only nine games as a senior. His mileage count this spring has reflected the curiosity his profile brings. For the teams that do not land a player on the Dallas Turner–Jared Verse–Laiatu Latu level, someone like Kneeland — who profiles as more of a power player capable of sliding inside situationally — would stand to be appealing on Day 2.

1 comment Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WR Notes: Adams, Aiyuk, Bills

By | at April 14, 2024 4:05 pm

Davante Adams has been mentioned in trade speculation on a number of occasions, but new Raiders general manager Tom Telesco has made it clear the team is not looking to find him a new home. Adams himself has offered a similar commitment.

“If I wanted to be gone, I’d be gone by now,” the three-time All-Pro said Sunday during an appearance at his youth camp (h/t Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). Adams has been connected to the Jets in particular given New York’s addition of Aaron Rodgers last offseason, but the team has made other veteran WR plans. The Jets added Mike Williams on one-year deal after his Chargers release, leaving the Raiders in place to make Adams the focal point of their passing game for a third season.

Adams was among the members of Vegas’ core who endorsed giving Antonio Pierce – after finishing the 2023 campaign as interim head coach – the full-time gig for 2024. That wound up being the case, and the Raiders will no doubt lean heavily on the 31-year-old on offense with running back Josh Jacobs no longer in the fold and, potentially, a rookie quarterback competing for playing time with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Three years remain on Adams’ deal (although no guaranteed salary is in place for 2025 or ’26).

Here are some other WR-related notes from around the league:

  • 49ers standout Brandon Aiyuk has seen his future questioned recently, despite comments from general manager John Lynch confirming the team’s willingness to get a new deal done. With little progress being made on extension talks, the former first-rounder unfollowed the 49ers on Instagram, as noted by NFL Network’s Clayton Holloway. While such a move has become increasingly common over the years during contract disputes, Aiyuk is not eyeing a deal sending him elsewhere. The 26-year-old has not requested a trade, per his agent. Aiyuk is set to earn $14.12MM on his fifth-year option in 2024 absent a more lucrative San Francisco agreement being worked out.
  • General manager Brandon Beane included edge rusher Von Miller as part of the Bills‘ party at least year’s Combine, and the latter intends to become a general manager once his playing days are over. Beane and Miller were linked once again on Friday when the future Hall of Famer posted a video with the caption reading in part: “Brandon Beane arriving to the 2024 NFL draft to trade up for a WR.” The Bills have been named as a team to watch on the receiver front in the draft, with Gabe Davis departing in free agency and Stefon Diggs being dealt to the Texans. While Buffalo has signed Curtis Samuel, the team could use a Day 1 rookie addition. The Bills currently own the 28th overall pick, and a move up the board could give them access to a number of highly-rated wideouts from the celebrated 2024 class.
5 comments 2024 NFL Draft Buffalo Bills Las Vegas Raiders San Francisco 49ers

WR Notes: Allen, Bolts, Colts, Bills, Browns, Falcons, Jets, Panthers, Saints, Bears

By | at April 12, 2024 12:36 pm

Nearly dealt to the Texans, Keenan Allen will soon team with D.J. Moore on the Bears. Only Malcom Floyd enjoyed a longer WR tenure with the Chargers, who surprised Allen (per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) by requesting a pay cut after a 1,243-yard season (career-high 95.1 per game). The process that ended with Allen shipped to Chicago for a fourth-round pick stunned the 11-year veteran, whose camp presented the Bolts with a counteroffer that would have made the 31-year-old talent one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts. The team quickly rejected that proposal, Rhim adds.

Cutting Mike Williams to move under the cap, the Chargers had already restructured the deals of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The team asking Allen for a pay cut despite moving well under the salary ceiling surprised the wideout’s camp, per Rhim, though the Bolts wanted more room to work in free agency. Because of a 2023 restructure, Allen was due to count more than $34MM on Los Angeles’ cap. The Bears, who paid Allen’s $5MM roster bonus shortly after acquiring him, have the six-time Pro Bowler on the books at $23.1MM. As of now, Allen is due for free agency in 2025.

Shifting to the draft, here is the latest wide receiver news:

  • The Bills and Colts are taking a close look at this draft’s fastest player. Xavier Worthy recently visited Buffalo and is now in Indianapolis for a meeting, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Blazing to a Combine-record 4.21-second 40-yard dash, Worthy is coming off a 75-catch, 1,014-yard season. The ex-Texas speedster added 12 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2021. Buffalo certainly needs receiving help, after losing Gabe Davis in free agency and trading Stefon Diggs to Houston, while Indianapolis has been Michael Pittman Jr.-dependent for a while. The Colts did see intriguing rookie-year work from Josh Downs (771 yards), but the 5-foot-8 wideout profiles as a slot player.
  • Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey has now met with the Browns and Falcons, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. McConkey has spoken with at least 14 teams, Rapoport adds. Several teams have placed a first-round grade on McConkey, who also fared well in his Combine 40 (4.39). The 5-foot-11 target took a backseat to Brock Bowers at Georgia, never eclipsing 800 yards in a season. While McConkey totaled 762 in 2022, that number came in 15 games. Debuting late because of a back injury last season, McConkey finished with just 30 catches for 478 yards. Viewed as a strong route runner with untapped potential, McConkey could be an outside or inside option for his NFL team.
  • The Jets, Panthers and Browns are among the teams to have hosted Oregon wideout Troy Franklin on a “30” visit, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Franklin had previously met with the Bills and Patriots. Franklin broke through for a 1,383-yard season alongside Bo Nix last year; the 6-3 target should be on the radar as a second-round pick in this deep WR class.
  • The Saints are the latest team connected to Western Kentucky target Malachi Corley, Rapoport adds. Corley will make a Saturday trip to New Orleans for a “30” visit. The Saints made an effort to trade up in last year’s first round but did not make a major investment at receiver in the draft. They have since signed Stanley Morgan and Equanimeous St. Brown, but considering the Michael Thomas release, it would not surprise to see New Orleans make a bigger move in the draft. Corley is expected to be a second-round pick.
  • Bears GM Ryan Poles has broken the front office and coaching staff into pods debating the merits of choosing a wide receiver, tackle or defensive end at No. 9, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. This makes for an interesting behind-the-curtain look for a team that has done some work on wideouts pre-draft. Worthy, Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze appeared on Chicago’s docket of “30” visits. Odunze or Nabers being available at 9 would certainly be tempting for the Bears, though the Allen trade provides the team some flexibility following Darnell Mooney‘s free agency exit.
4 comments Atlanta Falcons Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Chargers New Orleans Saints New York Jets

Hall Of Fame RB O.J. Simpson Dies At 76

By | at April 11, 2024 10:06 pm

O.J. Simpson died Thursday after a battle with prostate cancer, his family announced. He was 76. Simpson rose to prominence as a running back, broadcaster and actor before seeing his legacy irreparably altered upon being tried for murder. Simpson was acquitted on charges he killed his ex-wife and her friend but was later found liable in a civil trial.

One of the NFL’s greatest running backs, Simpson was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1985. He played 11 NFL seasons — nine with the Bills, two with the 49ers — and was the first player to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a season. The former Heisman winner eclipsed the 2,000-yard barrier in 1973, when the NFL schedule remained at 14 games. He is the only player to have surpassed 2,000 in the 14-game era.

The No. 1 overall pick in 1969, Simpson became the centerpiece of the Bills’ offense for many years. Buffalo made the playoffs just once during Simpson’s nine-season tenure, losing a divisional-round game to eventual champion Pittsburgh in 1974, but its elusive back led the league in rushing four times from 1972-76.

While Simpson peaked with 2,003 rushing yards in 1973, he bettered his yards-from-scrimmage total from that season (2,073) with 2,243 in 1975. Simpson’s ’75 season included a career-high 23 touchdowns; despite his prolific stretch, Simpson only topped 10 TDs in a season twice. Simpson’s 141.3 rushing yards per game in 1973 remains the NFL single-season record; his 1975 scrimmage yards total stood as the NFL mark until Eric Dickerson broke it by a yard in 1984. Simpson joined Walter Payton as the first-team All-Decade running backs for the 1970s.

“O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio.”

The Bills moved on from their workhorse back in 1978, sending Simpson — a San Francisco native — to the 49ers for a considerable haul. The 49ers sent the Bills a first-round pick, two second-rounders, a third and a fourth for the aging back. The first-rounder (a 1979 pick) became No. 1 overall. Moved to the 49ers at 31, Simpson battled multiple injuries with his second team and did not surpass 600 rushing yards in either of his San Francisco seasons. San Francisco had already sent three first-round picks for quarterback Jim Plunkett under GM Joe Thomas in 1976; Thomas was out by 1979, leading to the Bill Walsh era.

Simpson’s NFL career became an afterthought following the events of 1994. A widely viewed June 1994 police chase ended with Simpson in custody; more than a year later, a jury found him not guilty in connection with the knife slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The 1997 civil case found Simpson liable and ordered a $33.5MM payment to Brown Simpson and Goldman’s families.

More than a decade later, a confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room involved two Simpson associates carrying guns. Simpson served nine years in prison for armed robbery, kidnapping and other felony charges.

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Traded NFL Draft Picks For 2024

By | at April 10, 2024 10:21 pm

As the 2024 draft nears, numerous picks have already changed hands. A handful of picks have already been moved twice, with a few being traded three times. Multiple deals from 2021 impact this draft. Here are the 2024 picks to have been traded thus far:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

14 comments 2024 NFL Draft Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Bills To Sign T La’el Collins

By | at April 4, 2024 3:22 pm

The Bills hosted La’el Collins on a visit during last season, but the veteran tackle — whom the Bengals released from their reserve/PUP list in September — did not end up signing. After briefly catching on with the Cowboys last year, Collins is coming back to New York.

Collins has a one-year deal in place with Buffalo, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. After working out for the Bills in late December, Collins will have a chance to resume his career. The veteran right tackle has not played in a game since December 2022.

[RELATED: Bills Trade Stefon Diggs To Texans]

Sent to free agency as a Dallas cap casualty in 2022, Collins wound up in Cincinnati on a three-year, $21MM deal. But ACL and MCL tears in late December of that year changed his Bengals path. Cincy changed up its tackle plan in 2023, signing Orlando Brown Jr. and kicking three-year left tackle Jonah Williams to the right side. This did not end up bringing a Williams-Collins competition, with the latter starting the season the PUP list. The Bengals soon cut Collins from the PUP list, and he did not catch on anywhere for months.

The Bengals were not exactly pleased with Collins’ form in 2022, but the veteran earned two extensions with the Cowboys for his work as a right tackle. After beginning his career at guard, the Cowboys kicked him outside opposite Tyron Smith. Collins worked as Smith’s primary bookend from 2017-21. That said, Collins missed all of the 2020 season due to injury and incurred a PED ban in 2021. This did not deter the Bengals, who needed O-line help after seeing teams tee off on Joe Burrow the previous year. But Collins did not prove a multiyear solution.

Collins, 30, has made 86 career starts. He missed only one game from 2017-19 and started in 15 Bengals contests in 2022. More than a year removed from his knee injury, Collins should have a better chance of bouncing back compared to where he was in 2023. The Cowboys added Collins in early January but never ended up using him in a game.

The Bills are set to return four of their five starters from one of the NFL’s healthiest O-lines. The team has Spencer Brown in place at right tackle. A 2021 third-round pick, Brown has started 41 games as a pro. This includes a 17-game 2023 season. After grading Brown outside the top 70 at tackle in 2022, Pro Football Focus slotted him 32nd last season. Collins could conceivably compete with the incumbent here, but he also may be a swingman. That said, Collins does not have NFL experience at left tackle.

Buffalo’s good health up front did not make a swingman relevant last season, but the team will give Collins a shot. It will be interesting to see if the four-time reigning AFC East champs open a right tackle competition or if the longtime starter will be relegated to a backup role early.

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Bills Trade WR Stefon Diggs To Texans

By | at April 3, 2024 10:19 pm

The Stefon Diggs era in Buffalo will end after four seasons. The AFC East champions are trading the star wide receiver to the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. Both teams have since announced the trade.

The Bills will receive a 2025 second-round pick, according to Schefter, who adds the Texans will pick up Diggs, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth. This will bring a decorated but mercurial period to a close for the Bills and Diggs. The 2025 second-rounder originally belonged to the Vikings, who packaged it in a deal to acquire the Texans’ No. 23 overall pick this year.

[RELATED: Texans’ Offer Changed Bills’ Stefon Diggs Plan]

It will also arm C.J. Stroud with a high-end weapon. With Stroud on a rookie contract, the Texans are bringing in one of the NFL’s most lucrative receiver deals. This move comes after the Texans had considered trading for Keenan Allen. Both high-end wideouts have six 1,000-yard seasons on their respective resumes, but Diggs — at 30 — is more than a year younger.

This, of course, marks the second time Diggs has been dealt in his career. The first such trade changed the Bills’ trajectory. Josh Allen‘s path to stardom reached a clear pivot point when the Bills acquired Diggs during the 2020 offseason. They landed the five-year Vikings wideout for a package headlined by a first-round selection. With Diggs set to turn 31 later this year and tied to a big-ticket contract, his price tag dropped.

Buffalo kept Diggs on his Minnesota-constructed contract for two seasons but handed out a four-year, $96MM deal during the 2022 offseason. Four years remain on that contract. While Diggs’ deal sits fifth in terms of wide receiver AAV, the Texans do not have too much money allocated to their skill positions. Diggs’ contract will overlap with Tank Dell and Nico Collins‘ rookie pacts. In clear rebuilding mode to start Nick Caserio‘s GM tenure, the Texans went into last year without any payment north of $7MM at the skill positions. They have now re-signed Dalton Schultz (three years, $36MM) and signed up to add Diggs, who will join Joe Mixon as a trade pickup in Houston.

For Buffalo, this will certainly mark a sea change. Diggs ripped off four straight 1,100-plus-yard seasons with the Bills. That included two 1,400-yard years. The elite route runner gave the Bills a bona fide No. 1 target after they had lacked one for the better part of the 21st century. The addition rocketed Allen onto the superstar tier. The Bills ventured to the AFC championship game in Diggs’ first year in New York, winning their first playoff games since 1995. Diggs, of course, was not the sole reason for Buffalo’s resurgence. But he played one of the central roles.

While the Texans are set to roll out a Diggs-Dell-Collins receiver trio, the Bills have now lost Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason. Buffalo did add Curtis Samuel and saw Khalil Shakir make key contributions down the stretch, but it appears likely the AFC power will need to come out of the draft with a major WR pickup. Fortunately, this year brings another deep crop at the position. Considering their Super Bowl window ahead of Allen’s age-28 season, this trade certainly ramps up the pressure on the Sean McDermott–Brandon Beane duo.

Diggs’ Bills relationship both traversed rocky terrain and ended on a low note. A confusing situation developed at minicamp last year, with Diggs leaving the team’s facility unexpectedly. McDermott referred to the exit as an excused absence, but he also called the Diggs situation “very concerning.” Allen attempted to downplay the matter, and Diggs soon said he wanted to finish his career in Buffalo. This all came after Diggs stormed out of the Bills’ locker room and needed to be brought back following the team’s divisional-round loss to the Bengals last year. A report indicated Diggs was frustrated by his role in Buffalo’s offense, one that had consistently featured him as the lead weapon. Diggs later denied that was the case.

As last season progressed, Diggs also became a lesser part of the Bills’ offense. As the team regrouped following a 5-5 start — one that led to Ken Dorsey‘s firing and Joe Brady‘s elevation to OC — Diggs did not offer WR1-level production. Allen needed to rely on Shakir and a James Cook-powered run game to drag the Bills to their fourth straight AFC East title. Diggs finished with 1,183 yards but only eclipsed 50 in two of Buffalo’s final seven games. Diggs added a crucial drop late in the Bills’ narrow divisional-round loss to the Chiefs; he caught just three passes for 21 yards in that 27-24 defeat.

This move will also be financially punitive for the Bills. Due to signing bonus proration, the team will be hit with more than $31MM in dead money. While the second-round pick being acquired will be important, Buffalo will see this money accelerate onto its 2024 salary cap due to the deal being finalized before June 1. In terms of single-season dead cap hits, Diggs’ ranks fifth in NFL history (h/t Spotrac). For non-QBs, the $31MM hit sets a record.

Rather than restructure Diggs’ deal to create cap space, the Bills are taking on considerable pain now. That will increase an uphill battle for a Bills team that has also moved on from Mitch Morse, Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White this offseason. Diggs’ $18.5MM 2024 base salary is guaranteed. Beyond that, Houston has some flexibility.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Texans are spending in a way they have not under Caserio. The Bill Belichick disciple has greenlit this Diggs deal following the Schultz re-up, Mixon trade and a few defensive augmentations — headlined by the near-fully guaranteed Danielle Hunter accord. With Stroud and Will Anderson tied to rookie deals through at least 2025, the Texans are operating with urgency.

As this represents a risk for a Bills team attempting to stay near the AFC’s top tier, the dead money here certainly suggests the organization believed this relationship had run its course. The Texans are not giving up too much for the 10th-year veteran, but they are acquiring a player with some baggage — Diggs clashed with Vikings brass during his final Minnesota year as well — and one coming off an unremarkable finish to last season. Still, Diggs brings an impressive pedigree to Houston. He will now join younger brother Trevon Diggs in Texas; the Texans play both the Bills and Cowboys in 2024.

118 comments Buffalo Bills Houston Texans Newsstand Transactions

Texans’ Offer Changed Bills’ Stefon Diggs Plan

By | at April 3, 2024 2:57 pm

Cutting the cord on a productive but stressful Stefon Diggs period, the Bills are eating the most dead money ever brought on by a wide receiver. They accepted a Texans offer centered around a 2025 second-round pick, effectively resetting at wide receiver during an offseason that had already seen the AFC power part with a few veteran pieces.

The Bills, however, were believed to be planning to keep Diggs for the 2024 season. Despite the headaches the talented wideout had been known to cause, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia and Dianna Russini indicate GM Brandon Beane had Diggs in his plans — as he had said previously this offseason (subscription required). While decision-makers often backtrack on such statements via subsequent trades, the Bills were still aiming to retain Diggs as his extension years started.

Given the $31.1MM in dead money hitting Buffalo’s 2024 cap sheet, it makes sense the team was moving forward with the perennial Pro Bowler. But the Texans called about the nine-year veteran Tuesday, per The Athletic, and the Bills discussed the deal to the point ownership was brought in on the matter. Buffalo agreed to the terms this morning, sending Diggs to Houston to team with Nico Collins and Tank Dell around C.J. Stroud‘s rookie contract. As the Texans load up around a rookie contract, the Bills are retooling around their veteran QB accord.

While the structure of Diggs’ 2022 extension will put the Bills in a tough spot this year, the team looks to have viewed a future second-rounder — initially a Vikings pick obtained by the Texans last month — as sufficient value for a player who would have been less likely to fetch such an asset as he aged. Diggs will turn 31 this season. Considering Keenan Allen commanded only a fourth-rounder last month, Diggs bringing back a second-round choice — one tied to a Minnesota team that just lost Kirk Cousins — brought decent value for a player who struggled down the stretch of his age-30 season.

Beane said (via the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran) the Bills are “by no means” taking a step back, but the four-time reigning division champs have moved on from several longtime starters this offseason. They released seven-year safety starter Jordan Poyer, five-year center bastion Mitch Morse and injury-prone All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White. Buffalo also has Micah Hyde, who joined Poyer in being part of Sean McDermott‘s first free agency class, unsigned. The team has a new safety plan, and David Edwards is poised to take over at center. But wide receiver has gone from a top need to a glaring deficiency.

Other Diggs inquiries have come in, Beane said (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg), but the Bills — who parted with a package fronted by a 2020 first-round pick — viewed this one as enough to move on. The calls on Diggs date back to last year, with Beane declining to confirm (via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi) if the wide receiver requested a trade. The eighth-year GM informed Josh Allen about the prospect of a trade before it was finalized, Getzenberg adds.

This move guts Allen’s receiving corps. Although the Bills saw promising early returns from 2023 first-round tight end Dalton Kincaid, Diggs and Gabe Davis operated as Allen’s Nos. 1 and 2 wideouts for the past two seasons. That came after Davis’ four-TD game in the 2021 divisional round. Diggs delivered two 1,400-plus-yard seasons as a Bill, leading the NFL in receiving yards upon being acquired in 2020. A notable slump took place to close last season.

Diggs did not score a touchdown over the Bills’ final seven regular-season games and averaged just 41.0 yards per game in that span. He closed the year with a three-catch, 21-yard showing against the Chiefs — a game Davis missed — and dropped a well-placed Allen pass on a potential game-winning drive. This may well have convinced Bills management their top wide receiver was no longer worth the trouble.

Diggs’ antics in the past wore on the Bills, per The Athletic’s Tim Graham, who adds the team’s power brokers were ready to move on. Diggs’ various social media posts were an issue in Minnesota as well; hours before the trade, he also fired off a tweet questioning Allen’s value compared to his own. The mercurial receiver has been seen griping on the sideline, and after he stormed out of the team’s locker room following the Bills’ upset loss to the Bengals in last year’s divisional round, a still-unsolved minicamp controversy surfaced after Diggs left the team’s facility last June. That required some careful management from McDermott, Beane and Allen.

Still, the Bills lost a No. 1 target and cap space. Before the savings from the White post-June 1 cut hit, the Bills are down below $4MM in cap space. The team holds the No. 28 overall pick in this year’s draft. After using its top draft asset to acquire Diggs four years ago, the team will almost definitely dive into another WR-heavy draft to address the position with a cheap contract to align with Allen’s $43MM-AAV deal.

38 comments Buffalo Bills Houston Texans

Colts To Re-Sign S Julian Blackmon

By | at April 2, 2024 8:55 pm

8:55pm: Blackmon’s one-year deal is worth up to $7.7MM, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The one-year pact features $3.2MM in guaranteed money.

4:00pm: Another Colts defensive starter is staying. An Indianapolis offseason filled with re-signings will now include a Julian Blackmon re-up. The four-year starter is coming back, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.

Blackmon landed on the Bills and 49ers’ radars, but the Colts resumed negotiations with the talented safety recently. That will lead to Blackmon joining a host of Colts free agents who have agreed to stay put. Blackmon is sticking around on a one-year deal. One of the others to re-sign, Kenny Moore offered some news-breaking chops regarding the Blackmon development.

The Colts have now reached agreements to retain Moore, Blackmon, Grover Stewart, Tyquan Lewis and Zaire Franklin this offseason. These moves came after Indianapolis extended Michael Pittman Jr. after franchise-tagging its top wide receiver. The Blackmon news continues a massive retention effort for GM Chris Ballard, who has regularly signed homegrown players to second (and now third, in some cases) contracts.

The Bills and 49ers did make offers, Schultz adds, but this has not been the best market for non-Xavier McKinney safeties. The Packers’ $17MM-AAV McKinney pact became an earlier outlier, with no other safety signing for more than $7.5MM per year this offseason. This resembles what went down last year, with Jessie Bates signing the only big-ticket contract among free agents. Kamren Curl needed to accept a two-year, $9MM Rams deal. Blackmon, who joined Curl as part of PFR’s top 50 free agents list, will also attempt to reestablish his value on what will likely be a modest agreement.

In the days leading up to free agency, however, the safety market expanded thanks to the Broncos and Seahawks’ transactions. Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs remain on the market. They join Eddie Jackson and Marcus Maye at a position that presented a running back-like landscape — though, with a higher top end — over the past two years.

The safety market crashing represents good news for the Colts, who will keep another of their Gus Bradley charges in the fold. Blackmon, 25, delivered his best season in 2023. The former second-round pick intercepted four passes, broke up eight more and recovered two fumbles in a solid contract year. He and Moore will continue to anchor Indy’s secondary, which still could use upgrades at outside cornerback.

Blackmon visited the Bills and 49ers last month, but the Utah alum will attempt to execute a quality “prove it” year in familiar surroundings. Playing in the slot, around the line of scrimmage and as a deep safety under Bradley, Blackmon made a career-high 88 tackles in 2023. Blackmon came back from a 2021 Achilles tear in 2022; he moved well past that injury last season. Pro Football Focus had never rated Blackmon as a top-50 safety prior to last season; the advanced metrics site slotted him 38th at the position in 2023.

It is certainly worth questioning if the Colts’ strategy to retain this many pieces from a defense that ranked 28th (24th in yards allowed) is wise, but the team has gone through with an all-out retention effort. Counting the Pittman contract, Indianapolis has shelled out more than $200MM in re-signings this offseason.

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