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The Buffalo Bills have made public assurances that the situation with Stefon Diggs is under control, but a new report claims that team may be privately willing to consider trading the star wide receiver if the circumstances are right.
Diggs stirred up drama when he skipped out on the first day of the team’s mandatory minicamp on June 13, with head coach Sean McDermott saying he was “very concerned” about the situation. McDermott made an about-face the next day, saying that Diggs’ absence was excused and chiding reporters for blowing the situation out of proportion.
While some of Diggs’ teammates have downplayed the situation, the public disconnect sparked new rumors that the Bills may be open to the idea of trading Diggs. In a June 19 episode of Broncos Country Tonight, NFL insider Benjamin Albright said sources close to the team confirmed that the front office may now be open to the idea.
Bills Would Trade Stefon Diggs ‘Under the Right Circumstances’
While there are no solid reports that the Bills have engaged in any talks about trading Diggs or fielded offers, Albright noted that it is not out of the question.
“I talked to some people in Buffalo on the condition of anonymity and they said that, ‘Publicly, we’re not moving him. Privately, we would consider it under the right circumstances,’” Albright said.
It was not clear what circumstances would convince the Bills to trade Diggs, who has consistently been the top weapon for quarterback Josh Allen. Despite the tensions off the field, Diggs has not seen a dip in his performance on the field and has ranked in the top five in the NFL for targets, catches, yards and touchdowns since joining the team in 2020.
Source of Team Tensions Remains Unclear
In the days after Diggs missed the first day of minicamp, a number of players and coaches offered assurances that the team would be able to work through the issues with the start receiver. Center Mitch Morse stressed that he did not know the root of the tensions but was confident it would be resolved.
“I don’t know what’s going on so I can’t answer it, but I’m sure they’ll work something out one way or another,” Morse said, via a video shared on Twitter by reporter Dan Fetes.
Has Stefon Diggs been a distraction in the #Bills locker room?
Mitch Morse: “I got sh*t to do.”
Exactly what is being worked out between Diggs and the team remains unclear. Neither Diggs nor the coaching staff has identified any specific issue, though the receiver did say he was unhappy with the way last season ended with a blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs.
Insider Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported that the situation centers on Diggs’ role in the offense. Volin wrote that Diggs wanted to play a bigger part, with that discontent coming to a head during the playoff loss to the Bengals when Diggs was seen yelling in frustration on the sidelines.
“Diggs’s frustration is with his role in the offense and his voice in play-calling, per a league source close to the Bills’ locker room,” Volin wrote. “He was visibly agitated at Allen during the 27-10 playoff loss to the Bengals, stormed out of the locker room almost immediately after the game, and didn’t attend any voluntary workouts this offseason.”
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New Report Suggests Bills ‘Privately’ Open to Trading Stefon Diggs