Getty Vikings wide receiver Adam Theieln is the team's nominee for the 2022 Walter Peyton Man of the Year award.
The Buffalo Bills are expected to bolster their wide receiver room this offseason, and could do it by bringing on a former teammate of Stefon Diggs.
The Minnesota Vikings released wide receiver Adam Thielen on March 10, freeing up cap space and sending the former Pro Bowler to free agency. Zach Dimmitt of SI.com’s Bills Central believes he could be a target for the Bills, filling the gap at No. 2 receiver behind Diggs.
Adam Thielen to Buffalo?
As Dimmitt noted, the Bills struggled to find reliable production behind Diggs at wide receiver. Gabe Davis failed to live up to the expectations set with his four-touchdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs two seasons ago, but Dimmitt believes Thielen would be a good fit alongside his former Vikings teammate.
“Thielen, who went undrafted in 2013, has since made two Pro Bowls and totaled 55 career receiving touchdowns,” Dimmitt wrote. “Even better, he’s comfortable in the No. 2 receiving role, playing second fiddle well behind superstar receiver Justin Jefferson in Minnesota. … just as he once did with Diggs, who as Bills fans know worked his way out of the Vikings to join Buffalo a couple of seasons ago.”
If the #Bills want compensatory picks in 2024 for Tremaine Edmunds & Jordan Poyer, signing recently released players in free agency is the route to go.
Here are five players I’d pursue and three I’d avoid. t.co/IR8PDiNIGS #BillsMafia
Dimmitt added that the 32-year-old Thielen could be one of the more affordable options at receiver given his age. Thielen had a productive season in 2022, making 70 catches for 716 yards and six touchdowns.
Ryan Talbot of NewYorkUpstate.com joined in encouraging the Bills to sign Thielen, though suggested he would be a No. 3 or No. 4 wide receiver for the Bills. Talbot suggested that the Bills could be one of the most attractive destinations for Thielen, putting him on a Super Bowl contender and pairing him with quarterback Josh Allen.
“Playing for Buffalo could also be high on Thielen’s list,” Talbot wrote. “It would reunite him with one of his best friends, Stefon Diggs. It has also been reported that Thielen wants to join a contender with a top quarterback. Buffalo certainly checks those boxes.”
Bills Could Seek Younger, Cheaper Options
While many insiders agree that upgrading the wide receiver position is an offseason priority for the Bills, not all share the same ideas on how they will achieve it. While there has been speculation of blockbuster trades or splashy free-agency signings, some believe the Bills prefer to build through the draft to bring an infusion of youth at a more cap-friendly price.
NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah pegged Ohio State Buckeyes pass-catcher Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a strong fit in Buffalo, noting that he could still be available by the time the Bills pick at No. 27.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba showed OUT today at the NFL Combine.
Njigba recorded a 6.57 second 3-Cone Drill, which is currently the best of all combine participants this year.
Njigba recorded a 3.93 20-Yard Shuttle, which is also the best of all combine participants this year.
The…
“Smith-Njigba would probably be one that I would think would be a nice complement there,” Jeremiah said. ” … That would be one I would think that would be a really good fit there as a really good player.”
Jeremiah added that Smith-Njigba would fit in well alongside Diggs and Davis, giving the team’s receiving corps a new wrinkle.
“If you’re looking for somebody who can do some of that in the middle of the field, he gives you that,” Jeremiah said. “Gabe can play more over the top and Diggs kind of does everything.”