Along with losing a star player, the Buffalo Bills made a short-term financial sacrifice by trading Stefon Diggs this offseason.
Buffalo will assume a $31 million dead cap hit after sending the All-Pro to the Houston Texans. Bills general manager Brandon Beane explained why he felt compelled to make the move.
On The Athletic Football Show, Beane said he deemed it necessary to get Diggs’ contract off the books to improve their cap outlook in 2025 and beyond.
“I would say, from a cap standpoint, we decided just to go ahead and eat it out now. We think we can compete and do what we need to do by eating it now,” Beane said, via CBS Sports. “Because if we didn’t, if we tried to come up with some way to split it up too many different ways, now it’s just like that albatross hanging on your neck all year.”
Beane called himself “super-competitive” and said his goal is to contend every season with Josh Allen under center. After moving Diggs, they’ll save approximately $19 million next year.
“I’m gonna be ripping myself the minute we have to walk into a year and I feel like we gotta play with one arm tied behind our back because the cap is what it is,” Beane said.
Buffalo will look to replace Diggs with a group effort. Along with signing Curtis Samuel and Marquez-Valdes Scantling, the Bills drafted Keon Coleman to start the second round.
Beane likened the Bills wide receivers to Baskin-Robbins because they “got a lot of flavors.” He also noted that tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are “heavily involved” in the passing offense.