Does The Diggs’ Trade Put Miami In Pole Position In AFC East?
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins haven’t won an AFC East title since 2008. For most of the last 2 1/2 decades they have remained a relatively irrelevant competitor on the Super Bowl stage. But the arrival of Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill has shifted things a bit and now a blockbuster trade could tilt the division even more.
All-world wide receiver and rumored diva Stefon Diggs is now officially a Houston Texan.
Blockbuster: Bills are finalizing a trade to send four-time Pro-Bowl WR Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans for draft-pick compensation, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5tIJGkve6t
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2024
Since the beginning of the 2000s the AFC East has run through two teams. The New England Patriots dominated through the Brady era and that coasted directly into Diggs arrival in Buffalo as Josh Allen and the Bills took the reins. On the surface the trade seems like obvious good news for Dolphins fans, but let’s take a closer look and see if it truly shifts the division?
On one hand the move seems to make absolutely no sense. Buffalo, seemingly in a contention window and with Gabe Davis out of the picture, trades one of the league’s best wide receivers for just a second round pick? Seems bizarre. When put in context with how Allen’s play elevated after Digg’s arrival, it’s downright perplexing. The potentially obvious conclusion is that the discontent behind-the-scenes was beyond even what we speculated it to be publicly.
It’s not unreasonable to think that way as the pattern in Buffalo very closely mimicked what happened in Minnesota. Diggs made one of the iconic plays in Vikings’ franchise history only to be so soured within two years that he forced his way out of the organization. Buffalo immediately elevated to Super Bowl contenders upon his arrival, but within a few years are we seeing the exact same? If that was the case and they had no other chance, perhaps a second rounder in return and taking a $30 million cap hit this year was the best they could do? If so, it’s time to buy stock in Miami. No matter how Buffalo wants to spin, if this was due to a personality issue, it is good news for everyone in the division except the Bills.
But perhaps the move was more calculated. Yes, Diggs’ attitude was a problem, but maybe Brandon Bean and the front office saw how much easier it had become to transition from college to pro at the wide receiver position and, combined with the outrageous salaries of star receivers, thought they could build a better roster if they moved the superstar and took a one-year hit. You get rid of somebody who seems to be disgruntled at times, but more importantly you, within a year, create the space to have a better roster. With the receivers in this year’s draft, they might be able to quickly replace a decent portion of his production if they want to trade up or hit on their first round pick.
Additionally, a more pessimistic view could argue that this move couldn’t have come in a worse off-season. With the Dolphins losing significant portions of their roster due to cap issues, and Buffalo only taking a one year dead cap hit, it’s not a great time for Miami to surge as Buffalo pulls back. If that’s the case, it is unfortunate that it timed up with Miami’s roster reconstruction.
Add in to all of this that Aaron Rodgers will be back and may have a new monster rookie tight end in Brock Bowers by his side, and there’s no guarantee that this move puts the Dolphins in the pole position.
All of this will continue to play out as we go through the draft and get into the off-season, but at least in this moment the AFC East and the Buffalo Bills are weaker than they were yesterday. That’s a good thing. If they are truly weaker long-term, and if the Dolphins can take advantage of it remains to be seen.
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