Stefon Diggs is a player that’s viewed as the cherry on top for the Bills. As an elite talent that seemingly cannot be stopped, Diggs has helped the Bills beat up on opponents all throughout the 2020 season.
Now the two forces have helped the club advance to the AFC Championship game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
But in just landing Diggs in general, Buffalo won a separate battle.. one against the New England Patriots.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, when the Minnesota Vikings decided to trade Diggs, the bidding came down to two teams: Buffalo and New England. The Bills won.
Per Rap Sheet:
Sources say that when the Minnesota Vikings were poised to deal star receiver Stefon Diggs on March 16 in a blockbuster trade that included a first-round pick, it was the Bills and New England Patriots as the two final suitors.
The final went down as such: The Vikings sent Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Bills for draft picks in rounds six, five, four and Buffalo’s first-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft at No. 22 overall. That selection ended up being wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Evidently the Pats were given an opportunity to match or best that. Bill Belichick declined.
In the end, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane paid the asking price and the Vikings sent him over. In terms of the Bills and Vikings, it seems like a nice win-win scenario since Diggs has clearly paid dividends and Jefferson has played well as a rookie, too.
Beane admitted that he tried to trade for Diggs a year prior at the trade deadline, but it didn’t happen. He certainly showed over the long haul that he was serious about his pursuit.
Many in western New York will certainly appreciate this report’s added nugget… that Beane beat out the Patriots for Diggs.
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