The Bills have started their offseason program, and there's a notable absence. Stefon Diggs isn't in attendance. Usually these things are related to contract dissatisfaction, which is possible, but Diggs is currently the league's 6th-highest paid wideout at $24 million per year.
There was also some drama in Buffalo's playoff loss to Cincinnati last year, with Diggs yelling at Josh Allen and disappearing quickly after the game.
We'll get more information about this moving forward, no doubt, but certainly he's a critical component of the team. It's quite a drop from him down to the team's next-best wideout, Gabe Davis, and a greater level of uncertainty after that -- Khalil Shakir, signings Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield, KeeSean Johnson. Whatever may be eating Diggs, Buffalo needs to work it out quickly.
“I’m just looking forward to getting back with him and working on things and continuing to get better,” Josh Allen said yesterday. “Because he is the best receiver in the league and he helps us out a lot on this team. Looking forward to continuing our relationship on and off the field and him continuing to make plays for us.”
Diggs may not be the best receiver in the league, but he's up there, and has been for the past three seasons he's been with the team. One good metric showing this is yards per target; the amount of yards generated by every pass thrown his way, both completions and incompletions. Diggs has two of the top seasons by any wideouts over the past three years, right up there with any elite receiver you want to name.
Table shows all wideouts with at least 120 targets from 2020-2022, sorted by yards per target. Buffalo will figure out what's eating Diggs and make him happy, I think.
WIDE RECEIVER YARDS PER TARGET (120+), LAST THREE YEARS | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tgt | No | Rec | Avg | TD | Y/Tgt |
2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 121 | 77 | 1405 | 18.3 | 14 | 11.6 |
2021 | JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 128 | 81 | 1455 | 18.0 | 13 | 11.4 |
2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 125 | 88 | 1400 | 15.9 | 7 | 11.2 |
2022 | A.J. Brown, Phil. | 145 | 88 | 1496 | 17.0 | 11 | 10.3 |
2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 191 | 145 | 1947 | 13.4 | 16 | 10.2 |
2020 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 129 | 83 | 1303 | 15.7 | 10 | 10.1 |
2022 | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 170 | 119 | 1710 | 14.4 | 9 | 10.1 |
2022 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 120 | 77 | 1191 | 15.5 | 5 | 9.9 |
2022 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 184 | 128 | 1809 | 14.1 | 9 | 9.8 |
2021 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 167 | 108 | 1616 | 15.0 | 10 | 9.7 |
2020 | Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 143 | 90 | 1374 | 15.3 | 9 | 9.6 |
2020 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 135 | 87 | 1276 | 14.7 | 17 | 9.5 |
2022 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 154 | 108 | 1429 | 13.2 | 11 | 9.3 |
2020 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 166 | 127 | 1535 | 12.1 | 8 | 9.2 |
2020 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 149 | 115 | 1374 | 12.0 | 18 | 9.2 |
2021 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 169 | 123 | 1553 | 12.6 | 11 | 9.2 |
2021 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 120 | 79 | 1102 | 14.0 | 6 | 9.2 |
2021 | Mike Williams, LAC | 129 | 76 | 1146 | 15.1 | 9 | 8.9 |
2022 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 127 | 77 | 1124 | 14.6 | 6 | 8.9 |
2022 | DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 136 | 95 | 1196 | 12.6 | 7 | 8.8 |
2020 | DeAndre Hopkins, Ariz. | 160 | 115 | 1407 | 12.2 | 6 | 8.8 |
2022 | Amari Cooper, Cle. | 132 | 78 | 1160 | 14.9 | 9 | 8.8 |
2022 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 156 | 107 | 1359 | 12.7 | 9 | 8.7 |
2021 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 127 | 98 | 1103 | 11.3 | 6 | 8.7 |
2020 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | 130 | 92 | 1114 | 12.1 | 5 | 8.6 |
2022 | Davante Adams, L.V. | 180 | 100 | 1516 | 15.2 | 14 | 8.4 |
2021 | Michael Pittman, Ind. | 129 | 88 | 1082 | 12.3 | 6 | 8.4 |
2020 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 134 | 87 | 1118 | 12.9 | 4 | 8.3 |
2022 | Christian Kirk, Jac. | 133 | 84 | 1108 | 13.2 | 8 | 8.3 |
2020 | Allen Robinson, Chi. | 151 | 102 | 1250 | 12.3 | 6 | 8.3 |
2021 | Hunter Renfrow, L.V. | 128 | 103 | 1038 | 10.1 | 9 | 8.1 |
2021 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 130 | 77 | 1053 | 13.7 | 5 | 8.1 |
2020 | Robby Anderson, Car. | 136 | 95 | 1096 | 11.5 | 3 | 8.1 |
2020 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 132 | 100 | 1054 | 10.5 | 10 | 8.0 |
2022 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 146 | 106 | 1161 | 11.0 | 6 | 8.0 |
2020 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 124 | 92 | 974 | 10.6 | 3 | 7.9 |
2022 | JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 134 | 87 | 1046 | 12.0 | 9 | 7.8 |
2021 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 159 | 111 | 1239 | 11.2 | 9 | 7.8 |
2021 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 134 | 90 | 1037 | 11.5 | 6 | 7.7 |
2021 | Darnell Mooney, Chi. | 140 | 81 | 1055 | 13.0 | 5 | 7.5 |
2022 | Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 147 | 83 | 1103 | 13.3 | 4 | 7.5 |
2021 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 129 | 75 | 967 | 12.9 | 12 | 7.5 |
2021 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 164 | 103 | 1225 | 11.9 | 10 | 7.5 |
2022 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 141 | 90 | 1048 | 11.6 | 6 | 7.4 |
2020 | Robert Woods, LAR | 129 | 90 | 936 | 10.4 | 8 | 7.3 |
2021 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 140 | 104 | 1015 | 9.8 | 7 | 7.3 |
2021 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 157 | 106 | 1138 | 10.7 | 6 | 7.2 |
2022 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 142 | 104 | 1023 | 9.8 | 3 | 7.2 |
2021 | DJ Moore, Car. | 163 | 93 | 1157 | 12.4 | 4 | 7.1 |
2021 | Marvin Jones, Jac. | 120 | 73 | 832 | 11.4 | 4 | 6.9 |
2021 | Marquise Brown, Balt. | 146 | 91 | 1008 | 11.1 | 6 | 6.9 |
2021 | Jakobi Meyers, N.E. | 126 | 83 | 866 | 10.4 | 2 | 6.9 |
2021 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 169 | 107 | 1161 | 10.9 | 8 | 6.9 |
2022 | Zay Jones, Jac. | 121 | 82 | 823 | 10.0 | 5 | 6.8 |
2020 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 147 | 100 | 992 | 9.9 | 8 | 6.7 |
2022 | Michael Pittman, Ind. | 141 | 99 | 925 | 9.3 | 4 | 6.6 |
2020 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 128 | 97 | 831 | 8.6 | 9 | 6.5 |
2020 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 144 | 88 | 923 | 10.5 | 7 | 6.4 |
2022 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 147 | 86 | 882 | 10.3 | 0 | 6.0 |
--Andy Richardson