Why Buffalo Bills Must Go All In to Acquire No. 1 WR After Stefon Diggs Trade

With the Stefon Diggs saga officially in the rearview mirror, the Buffalo Bills must now turn their attention toward replacing him.

Nov 5, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) turns downfield after completing a catch vs. the Buffalo Bills. / Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

After months of speculation. Stefon Diggs' tumultuous tenure with the Buffalo Bills has come to an end.

Buffalo traded the star receiver plus a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick via the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday. For Houston, the trade helps make it one of the top contenders in a crowded AFC, while for Buffalo the move leaves it with more questions than answers.

A trade appeared more realistic than ever after this season after his production dipped mightily. In the Bills' final five games in the regular season, he caught 25 passes for 214 yards and didn't have a touchdown. Between that and Diggs becoming more active on social media in a similar fashion to when he forced his way out of Minnesota, the writing appeared to be on the wall for him and the Bills, and them being willing to take on a record $31 million in dead money for a receiver is proof the relationship had reach a point of no return.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14). / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Now, Buffalo has to focus on replacing one of the better receivers in football. While Curtis Samuel has proven to be solid, it's tough to believe he'll be the top option on a franchise with its sights still set on a Super Bowl. As long as the Bills have Josh Allen, they'll have a shot against anyone in the AFC, but they need to be aggressive in replacing his former No. 1 option with someone who can be that caliber of player, whether it be through the draft or a trade.

Rookie receivers have proven to be better than ever when they initially enter the league, so standing pat with the No. 28 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft or trading up for one makes plenty of sense as well for Buffalo. Regardless, the Bills will need them to step in and become a No. 1 receiver immediately.

With an extra second round, Buffalo can use its draft capital to get a more proven commodity to replace Diggs. Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins was franchise-tagged earlier this offseason and may be available for the right price, though ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Bills "can't afford" Higgins after trading away Diggs.

San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk is entering the final year of his rookie contract and could also be available if they can't agree on a new contract.

Higgins had back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022 before injuries limited him to just 12 games last season. He had one of his better games of the season against the Bills last season with eight catches for 110 yards. His production is also impacted by playing alongside Ja'Marr Chase, who is one of the best receivers in football.

Aiyuk is coming off a career season with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns en route to making the second-team All-Pro. He also played well in the playoffs with nine catches for 149 yards and a touchdown.

Regardless of whether Buffalo prefers Higgins' ability to go above the rim and make contested catches or Aiyuk's route running and explosiveness, the Bills would be remiss not to go all in on either receiver and signing them to a contract extension. Trading for either player while still targeting a receiver in the draft shouldn't be off the table as well.

For as bad as the end of Diggs' tenure appeared to end, replacing a player who had over 100 catches, 1,100 receiving yards and at least eight touchdowns in his four seasons with the Bills won't be easy. Making a trade for Higgins or Aiyuk likely won't be easy, but if Buffalo wants to give itself a chance with Allen in a stacked AFC, it has to be willing to do whatever it takes to land either player to give themselves a shot to finally get over the hump.