While Bills quarterback Josh Allen recently classified the source of wide receiver Stefon Diggs‘ discontent with the team as “not football related,” Ben Volin of the Boston Globe has heard otherwise. Volin, citing a source “close to the Bills’ locker room,” says that Diggs is frustrated with his role in the club’s offense and his input in play-calling.
Diggs did not participate in April workouts, but since those sessions were voluntary, there was no real reason to think much of his absence, despite plenty of speculation that he was unhappy. Alarm bells did go off in earnest on the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, when Bills head coach Sean McDermott told the media that Diggs was not in attendance and that he was “very concerned” as a result.
Shortly thereafter, Diggs’ agent, Adisa Bakari, pointed out that his client had met with McDermott and GM Brandon Beane over the prior two days, and on Wednesday — when Diggs participated in practice but not in team drills — McDermott definitively declared the matter resolved and said Diggs’ Tuesday absence was excused.
McDermott’s sudden about-face did not do much to quell the rumblings about Diggs’ frustration, especially since we still have not heard from the player himself. Volin’s report, which was published today, has added a little context, but there is still plenty of uncertainty.
Indeed, as Volin notes, Diggs was ranked in the top-five in targets (154), receptions (108), yards (1,429), and touchdowns (11) in 2022. Since coming to Buffalo via trade prior to the 2020 season, Diggs’ 484 targets are second only to Raiders wideout Davante Adams. As such, it is difficult to see how the Bills could increase his role in the offense, though Volin also observes that, over the final six contests of the 2022 campaign (including playoffs), Diggs averaged only 63 yards per game and caught just one TD pass. After the team’s divisional-round loss to the Bengals in January — a game in which he recorded four catches for 35 yards — Diggs stormed out of the locker room before some coaches had arrived and needed to be brought back.
As for Diggs’ reported discontent with his voice in Buffalo’s offensive play-calling, Volin simply said that the Maryland product may not have “connected as well” with OC Ken Dorsey as he had with Brian Daboll, who left the Bills to take the Giants’ HC job last year. Still, even if the Bills were inclined to part ways with their star receiver — which the Super Bowl-ready club is certainly not — it would be difficult to imagine Diggs finding a better situation for himself.
McDermott ultimately cancelled the third and final day of mandatory minicamp on Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Therefore, we will likely need to wait until sometime in training camp to hear Diggs’ take on the situation and where he currently stands.
He is frustrated by his role in the offense? His role is to catch the ball, and he had lots of opportunity to do that!
Volin doesn’t strike me as having much credibility. A source “close to the Bills’ locker room” could be the stadium janitor.
they should trade him immediately
Actually he is more likely frustrated by the fact that the Bills drafted a Tight End in the 1st Round that will undoubtedly be a major factor in their offense going forward.
Lmao what a crybaby
His position for which he is paid very well is WR.
He is not the head coach or owner.
He is not the OC nor the WR coach.
He is however a pain in the ass who thinks he’s better than he is.
Being from MN i got to see this loudmouth in action. Got to see him think he was the star in the Minneapolis miracle , which was nothing more than a heave and 3 db’s making the worst plays of their careers simultaneously. Then him doing his job catching the ball and slowly jogging to the end zone. And removing his helmet and stupidly posing like he was the only reason for the Win.
Not one MN fan misses him. Vikings got rid of him and replaced him instantly with better than most instantly and now better than all other wr’s now in JJ.
He’d whine if his coffee was hot and his ice cream cold.
Million dollar athlete with 10 cent brain.
What does he want???? Every other play a pass to HIM only???
Buffalo deserves better. Great team. Even better fans !! A home field advantage like no other. Super bowl contender for years to come it seems.
So do like your fan base Diggs. Go to work when its time to work. Blue collar workers support you and your team like no others. Pissing and moaning when you are already getting a ton of looks is not gonna go over with them.
Usually I’m on the players side about everything, but this seems like stupid things to be upset about, Jerry Rice/Calvin Johnson/Michael Irvin were not calling plays for their respective teams wtf is Diggs even talking about with that, and Buffalo while a good team has a pretty huge gap from WR1 to WR2 if your an opposing defense in the second half of the season aren’t you like “Gabe Davis will have to beat us because we are taking Diggs away”
Can someone tell me if any other receivers have input in their teams offenses? Seems like more of a QB thing.
Yeah, this isn’t going to bode well for the season.lf its true.
How can he take issue with his role unless he was angry the ball was thrown to him TOO much?
1400 yards receiving and 11 TD’s and he’s frustrated with his role!! SMH WR’s are the most selfish pricks on the plantet
Ben Volin of the Boston globe has an unnamed source close to the Bills locker room.
Im not saying he is wrong, but a bit of skepticism is warranted.
Highly unlikely a Patriots hack has any credible or honest Bills information.
1400 receding yards and 11TD’s and he’s frustrated by his role in the offense?? What more does he want? SMH what a selfish cry baby
Another quality receiver to take his double teams away, but not his targets.
You’re reading way too much into this article based solely around a unnamed source of Boston reporter in regards to a Buffalo Bills player.
Before you all throw Diggs under the bus, his “unhappiness” is a rumor from a reporter in Beantown.
Exactly. Trying to stir the pot
If anyone watched the Bills first half of the season and the second half, you’d understand the frustration of Diggs. The offense got stale and Dorsey did nothing to adjust and get receivers open. Everything was just 3-5 step drop and hope someone gets open. As it stands already, Diggs isn’t that great dealing with press coverage (which a lot of receivers, including Justin Jefferson, struggle with unless they are bigger and more physical type of receivers). So when defenses are playing a press coverage with safety help over the top, and Diggs isn’t getting some help (via getting him in motion or lining up in bunch formations to confuse DBs’ eyes) it does make it harder to win your routes.
Their whole offense is a mess. Don’t get me wrong, Allen is a talent but the offense is “Josh Allen go do something”. Nothing done to help the receivers get open and the running game probably sucks because all the RBs know that Allen is going to vulture all the goal-to-go carries.
Well, on one hand you have Jefferson negotiating his first big pay day with nothing but pro-team comments coming from him- and if he has problems with press coverage, it sure doesn’t show up in his numbers- and then you’ve got Diggs publicly whining. Even if his complaints have some validity, it’s just a bad look.
Jefferson struggles against press coverage too. The difference is that the Vikings schemed ways for Jefferson to get open. When Jefferson has struggled the past two seasons it has been against bigger, physical corners. You beat press coverage either just by being bigger/stronger than your defender or by getting in motion and using bunch formations. Yes as wide receivers part of their job is to beat the coverage but when you have a non-threatening running game and a QB who was clearly injured in the second half of the year, you have to make adjustments. Ken Dorsey did not make those adjustments…every play was “Diggs/Davis line up out wide and go beat your man in coverage”. Like really go watch how often the Bills used motion in the pre-snap and then go watch the Vikings and you’ll see just how much easier it was for Jefferson to get open as opposed to Diggs.
Well, we could go back and forth on the press coverage point but regardless, publicly venting never works. Handle it in-house like a pro.
He is publicly complaining at all though. This report came from a Boston reporter and I wouldn’t describe the source as credible.
Again, we’ve seen this type of problem here in Pittsburgh with Antonio Brown. He wouldn’t have been happy unless you gave him the job of offensive coordinator in addition to his pass catching
Best way to tear apart a good team—and the Bills are certainly that—is to entertain this type of selfishness
Gave AB better weapons around him too to make him happy so he would have more chance but guess what he was still the best WR and made JuJu look like a stud since defenses still locked up on him….dead on analogy Diggs ain’t getting the numbers he wants with the money he wants
And he pouted when JuJu had success
Here was a team with Brown, Bell, Martavis Bryant but couldn’t get past the selfishness and never made it out of the playoffs
Walking out of a playoff games speaks volumes. Wonder what his teammates think?
He didn’t walk out of a game
All you need to know about Colin and his “credibility” as a Red Sox fan we all know Boston sports media are trash….
link to audacy.com
He was a whiner at Minnesota and he its starting to happen in Buffalo. A Tiger cant change its stripes. Do you think Minnesota is happy they have Justin Jefferson instead of this guy?
Top 5 in targets and he’s frustrated?
This is hilarious. Stefon Diggs thinks he’s in the NBA.
He’s the #1 receiver on a potent passing attack. Not sure what offense would be more accommodating than the one he’s already in.
Nothing but another typical unstable WR with a “me” first attitude. Idk what is with WRs and being ego maniacs. It’s one of those stereotypes etched in stone in this world lol.
Selfish, self centered, cancer in the locker room when he doesn’t get his way. That’s why he got traded out of Minnesota. Poor me…I don’t get enough attention.
Back up, sit down, shut your mouth and know your role!!!
Highly paid, top target and playing with an elite QB.
What role should the WR have in play calling? I guess he wants more sweeps and reverses called for him.
Bills are dead.
Bet the under for the Bills win total this year.
I get the impression, from what has transpired since the Fourth Quarter of the playoff loss to Cincinnati, that Diggs’s main issue has less to do with targets, etc. and more to do with input from the field as to what he sees as a WR in the game – as well as what other players are seeing. Diggs never seemed selfish in Buffalo as a WR and was always right there to congratulate a teammate on a big catch or a TD. The guy really seems like he just wants to win. Putting Diggs’s comments about the Bills’ stopping the use of the middle of the field, since around their Bye-Week, together with McKenzie’s comments about not changing the routes the Bills’ WR’s were running to account for the snow, suggests at least to me, that Diggs wants input from the field, himself included, to be taken more seriously by the play callers. If that is the case, I can’t blame him in the slightest. In the typical business world, the manager who takes input from their staff and acts on it when it makes sense overall typically finds themselves in a group of great managers – overall they respect and value not only the information from the staff, but the actual staff members themselves – and the staff appreciates it (learned from my experience). There has to be some type of solid, two-way conversation between the players on the field and the play callers in the booth if you want to be a Championship Team. This will be the year.
Hope my comment reads well….
He got 50% more targets than the next closest targeted player.
BULL….hoping that you don’t run your own business as its destined to run into the ground…..guys just wants to win….yes so her can demand a bigger contract given his targets and receptions…..just stop the talk and play the game…..players don’t have a say in how the team is run which is probably why he’s not in Minny any longer given his “skills”.
My experience is that most of the input from the staff will not be altruistic in nature it will involve less work and more pay.
Diggs is starting to sound more and more like Antonio Brown. That saga didn’t end well. Brown was a more talented, resilient and big play player as well.
Prospects for Diggs if he goes down this road are not good. Perhaps Buffalo can find a trade partner in time.