BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills are set to acquire wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, a person with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday night.
The Bills agreed to give up four draft picks, including their first-round selection this year (22nd overall), to land a fifth-year player who has topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past two seasons, the person said. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade cannot be completed until the start of the league year Wednesday.
The deal was first reported by FoxSports.com.
In Diggs, the Bills provide third-year quarterback Josh Allen with an established wideout on an offense that finished 24th in the NFL in yards gained last season, and 26th in yards passing.
The move is a blockbuster for Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who has avoided making big splashes in free agency or when it comes to acquiring high-profile players via trade during his previous three seasons on the job.
Beane began the offseason by tamping down expectations in saying, “I don’t think we’re one player away,” when specifically asked about the team’s need to obtain another established receiver.
Diggs’ arrival comes a year after the Bills upgraded their group of receivers by signing Cole Beasley and John Brown in free agency.
Diggs has four years left on a five-year, $72 million contract extension he signed in July 2018 that kicked in last season.
Diggs had hinted of being on the move earlier in the day when he posted several notes on his Twitter account, with one reading: “It’s time for a new beginning.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
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