Breaking; Bills Trade Proposal Lands Bengals $22 Million WR for 2 Draft Picks
The departure of Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans has left the Buffalo Bills in a difficult situation, necessitating an urgent search for their next top-rated wide receiver.
Alex Key from Bleacher Report suggested that the Bills should trade with the Cincinnati Bengals for Tee Higgins to fill their “massive void.” The Bengals had placed a franchise tag on Higgins in late February, which is valued at $21.816 million for one year. Kay wrote on April 8th that there’s still a possibility of him playing for another team in 2024.
The Bills propose to trade Higgins by offering Cincinnati a fifth-round pick (No. 163) in the year 2024 and a second-round pick in the year 2025.
The Bengals are short on cash with Ja’Marr Chase potentially qualifying for an extension and their quarterback Joe Burrow having secured a record-breaking 5-year, $275 million deal last year.
Kay explained that while the Bills only have two selections (Nos. 28 and 60) in the first two days of the draft, they could still use their acquired second-rounder from the Diggs trade to potentially obtain Higgins. Additionally, she noted that there is a possibility for negotiation with Cincinnati on one of Buffalo’s seven picks between Nos. 128 and 204 as an added bonus for acquiring another prospect this year.
Simply acquiring Higgins may not suffice to maintain Buffalo’s passing game as one of the top-performing in the league, but it certainly constitutes an excellent initiation. With him on board, star quarterback Josh Allen would possess a reliable weapon to lean on while incorporating any fresh rookies into the offensive mix.
In order to accommodate Tee Higgins financially, the Bills must think outside of the box when it comes to making necessary budget cuts.
Though it may sting financially in the short-term, parting ways with Diggs has provided Buffalo a significant boost of $27.3 million in cap space for 2025. Presently sitting on roughly $3.44 million in available funds, the Bills will require some portion of that to cover costs associated with the upcoming NFL draft. Luckily, they can expect an additional influx of cash amounting to $10 million following Tre’Davious White’s slated June 1 release designation.
According to Kay, in order to deal with the team’s restricted cap space, Buffalo’s management may need to take innovative measures such as cuts and restructures while also extending Higgins’ contract. By releasing Diggs for extra room against the 2025 cap, there could be potential opportunity for a feasible multi-year extension of Higgins.
Higgins requested a trade after NFL insider Jordan Schultz revealed last month that Cincinnati had not made him a suitable, extended offer.
According to Kay, Higgins is in his prime and seems like the perfect candidate to replace Diggs despite his lack of Pro Bowl experience. This assessment comes after weighing the limited options available from other potential replacements on the market.
Higgins produced 257 receptions, accumulating 3,684 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns over his initial four seasons with the Bengals. Additionally, he made an impact in seven playoff games where he gathered a total of 31 catches for approximately 457 yards while tallying three touchdowns.
Bills GM Suggested They Wouldn’t Solely Rely on the 2024 NFL Draft for a New WR
There’s a significant gap at wide receiver that needs to be addressed by Buffalo, and this is not lost on Bills GM Brandon Beane. Presently, the team has Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir as its primary receivers with Mack Hollins also in the mix along with Dalton Kincaid who plays tight end.
After trading Diggs, Beane addressed reporters and said, “It’s a process. We’re not necessarily better off today than we were before the trade. But we won’t give up that easily. I have a competitive spirit and will continue to push us forward with confidence in our roster and staff.”
The Bills had plans of selecting a receiver with their 28th overall pick, but having lost Diggs, analysts speculate that they might trade up to secure the services of one of the best prospects. Nevertheless, Beane hinted at enhancing talent through sources other than draft picks. He stated that he would leave no stone unturned in adding depth and increasing competition as games don’t commence until September.
