The Dallas Cowboys could be an ideal offseason landing spot for one of the top receivers in the game.
As part of a list of proposed trades from Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, a trade scenario would see the Cowboys land Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for 2024 first and third-round draft picks.
While the Cowboys aren’t lacking in featuring a true No. 1 receiver — CeeDee Lamb is one of the top receivers and just broke single-season franchise records for receptions and receiving yards — they could use more top-heavy depth behind Lamb, as Kay argues.
“Despite Lamb’s dominance, the Cowboys aren’t even a top-five total offense heading into Week 18,” writes Kay. “One of the team’s few deficiencies on that side of the ball is at the No. 2 receiver spot, a hole it should look to plug as soon as possible. Dallas attempted to rectify this issue by becoming the latest team to trade for Brandin Cooks back in March. While Cooks has managed to stay relatively healthy, he has only mustered a pedestrian 618 yards on 48 receptions.”
Why Stefon Diggs Would Be Perfect Running Mate for CeeDee Lamb
In fairness, the Cowboys are still an elite offensive unit, ranking sixth in total yards, fourth in passing yards and third in points per game. However, adding a legitimate receiving option who is arguably just as good as Lamb would give Dallas the top receiving duo in the NFL.
While much has been made of Diggs’ up-and-down season — he has just one touchdown reception over his past seven games — he’s still having one of the best years of any wide receiver, posting 100 receptions for 1,096 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Diggs ranks within the top 10 in both receptions and touchdowns.
According to Pro Football Focus, Diggs still has posted a stellar 80.5 offensive grade this season. While it’s a clear decline from the 90.1 offensive grade he posted last season, he still ranks 19th among all receivers.
Why Stefon Diggs Trade Won’t Be Easy to Pull Off
Diggs still has four years left on his contract at nearly $70 million in base salary owed. He’s owed at least $18 million in salary in each of the next three seasons. That’s also not including potential per game roster and workout bonuses that he would also be due.
Furthermore, the Bills would absorb a massive cap hit — over $31 million in dead cap money — for the 2024 season if they trade Diggs before June 1. However, if they trade Diggs after June 1, the dead cap hit for the 2024 season is just a shade under $9 million.
While the contract is fair considering Diggs’ production and status as a three-time Pro Bowl receiver, the Cowboys may be hesitant to pair the highly-paid Diggs with Lamb, who is on the verge of signing a huge contract extension himself. Lamb is still under his rookie deal and will play under an $18 million option for the 2024 season, with OverTheCap giving his contract valuation — based upon his play this season — nearly $26 million per season.
Furthermore, the idea of any Diggs trade would have to be as a result of the veteran receiver basically forcing himself out of Buffalo. It’s been no secret that Diggs has previously voiced his frustration regarding his role in the offense. If the Bills have another quick exit in the playoffs this time around, this may finally lead to Diggs wanting out of Buffalo.
This is a trade that makes sense as far as on-the-field fit, but the salary gymnastics needed to make this deal a reality is something that may prevent it from happening.
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