The New York Giants have reportedly been “poking” around the trade market for veteran wide receivers this offseason. Big Blue has had an interest in players like DeAndre Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy, some of the top players on the trading block this spring. But a new name might soon be added to the mix as Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Stefon Diggs seems to be entertaining the idea of switching teams.
Diggs recently took to Twitter to hint at a desire to leave Buffalo, saying “Comeeeeee anddddd rescue me…” to his 613.6k followers. Stefon’s brother Trevon Diggs (Dallas Cowboys CB) then added fuel to the fire, Tweeting, “We could play each other twice a year ?,” to which Stefon responded with a popcorn-munching gif.
Stefon then seemingly clarified that his brother Trevon was indeed referring to the New York Giants by liking a tweet from a fan that said “Stefon Diggs to the Giants???”
Based on this string of social media posts, one could assume that Stefon Diggs has his eyes on the Big Apple. But could a trade landing Diggs with the Giants even be possible?
Could the Giants trade for Stefon Diggs?
A reunion between WR Stefon Diggs and Giants head coach Brian Daboll almost sounds too good to be true. And maybe that’s because it is.
While it would be exciting for the Giants to acquire a top-level talent like Diggs, unfortunately, his contract makes such a trade nearly impossible. The Giants currently have $2.29 million in salary cap space (per Over The Cap). According to Spotrac, Diggs’ cap hit for the 2023 season is $14.8 million.
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Realistically, the Giants could find a way to fit Diggs’ 2023 cap hit on their books. However, his cap hit then balloons to $28 million in 2024 and remains higher than $22 million per year for every year left on his deal.
The biggest barrier to making this trade happen would be the Buffalo Bills. Firstly, the Bills have never indicated that they have any desire to move on from their superstar receiver.
Secondly, Diggs’ contract has a dead cap hit of $45 million this season. Trading or releasing Stefon would not create any space for Buffalo. Instead, they would lose an additional $29 million in salary cap space.
The complexity of Diggs’ contract might lower his trade value to a mid-round draft pick. However, any team attempting to acquire Diggs would be inheriting an incredibly complex contract that would ultimately tie the Giants’ hands together and force them to forego any other roster-improvement opportunities.
In 2020, Diggs’ first season with Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator in Buffalo, he was named a first-team All-Pro after leading the NFL with 127 receptions and 1,535 yards, while also adding eight receiving touchdowns. Diggs has been a 1,000-yard receiver in each of the last five seasons of his career.
Undoubtedly, acquiring Stefon Diggs would serve as a massive upgrade to the New York Giants’ offense and turn them into legitimate contenders in the NFC. However, Diggs’ contract makes such a trade nearly impossible. The Giants will likely need to look into other options as they continue to hunt for their No.1 receiver.