Did Buffalo Bills and Vikings both win the Stefon Diggs trade?

Did the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings both win the Stefon Diggs trade?

In a recent article on Bleacher Report by Kristopher Knox, the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings smartest move this offseason was the same, which was the trade of Stefon Diggs. This could end up being a case of a win-win trade, which is not always the case in the NFL.

For the Buffalo Bills, Knox wrote about the trade from their perspective:

"The Buffalo Bills’ addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs wasn’t a thrifty move as some on this list were. Acquiring him cost 2020 first-round, fifth-round and sixth-round picks and a 2021 fourth-round pick—Buffalo got a 2020 seventh-rounder in return.However, adding Diggs was smart because it gives third-year quarterback Josh Allen something he’s been missing during his time as a pro—a legitimate No. 1 receiver.The Bills could have targeted one of the many talented receiver prospects in this year’s draft, but Diggs is a proven commodity. His field-stretching ability should mesh well with Allen’s howitzer of an arm, and he’ll back off opposing defenses who may be eager to stack the box against the Bills rushing attack.After reaching the playoffs in 2019, Buffalo is in win-now mode. This was an intelligent win-now move."

There is certainly no question that the compensation was fair for Diggs, if not lean more towards the Bills slightly overpaying. However, this was a need they had and giving Josh Allen that top tier wide receiver should help him reach that next stage of his career.

From the Minnesota Vikings perspective, Knox wrote:

"While adding Stefon Diggs was a great move for the Bills, getting rid of him was a savvy one for the Vikings. While he is a fantastic receiver, he is also set to carry a cap hit of just under $11 million in 2020. That wouldn’t be a big deal for most franchises, but it would have been tough to swallow for the Vikings.Even after trading Diggs and releasing Pro Bowl corner Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota has only $12.3 million in cap space.This was also a smart move because the Vikings knew they could add a new weapon from the promising collection of incoming rookie receivers—which they did by drafting Justin Jefferson. With wideout Adam Thielen and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in the fold, the Vikings can weather any early struggles from Jefferson."

This makes sense for the Vikings as well because they already have a good wide receiver in Adam Thelein that can carry the offense while rookie Justin Jefferson gets up to speed.

Was this a win-win trade for the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings?

There is no question the Bills didn’t get a steal for Stefon Diggs with the compensation they gave up but this franchise appears to be in a win now mode. The offense couldn’t afford to let a wide receiver develop and in a season or two become that top target for Josh Allen. Over the past few years, not many rookie wide receivers have made an immediate impact.

As for the Vikings, they have a top wide receiver to take pressure off Jefferson until he is able to take over that lead role. This was what the Buffalo Bills didn’t have. In addition, the Vikings were up against the salary cap and fortunately for the Bills they have done a good job managing this under Brandon Beane and could absorb that salary.

The first question most fans will ask when they hear news of a trade is who has won? In this case though, based on what the two franchises were needing and the position they were in, this could be a perfect example of a win-win.