Receiver Stefon Diggs, the hero of the Minneapolis Miracle, will never have to pay for a meal or a drink in Minnesota. But how much longer will he be living there?
A question posed during a Wednesday #PFTPM mailbag has gotten me thinking: Could Diggs be traded?
After Sunday’s run-to-set-up-the-run win over the Raiders, receiver Adam Thielen said all the right things in a phone call with PFT about the sharp drop in his production from last year to this year. Diggs has had an even sharper decline, with six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in three games.
Diggs has gotten his big contract; money isn’t the issue for him. The question is whether he’ll even have a chance to justify his ongoing salary by getting the ball often enough from quarterback Kirk Cousins.
A trade would have cap consequences for the Vikings, with $9 million in dead money hitting the cap in 2020. But the Vikings would shed the balance of his $8.9 million salary for 2019, and they would avoid a $10.9 million salary for 2020 that becomes fully guaranteed in March.
The possibility would have been regarded as inconceivable a year ago. Now, with the running game becoming the focal point of the offense, Diggs possibly has become a luxury the Vikings can’t afford. If Diggs in turn craves a chance to once again be the focal point of a passing game, he’d potentially welcome a deal to a team that: (1) likes to throw it; and (2) needs the help at the pass-catching position.
With the trade deadline roughly a month away, it’s something to keep in mind, regardless of whether the Vikings get in return an impact player who can help them now or a draft pick or two that can help later.
But if the Vikings are going to trade Diggs (or anyone), it probably would be a good idea to not do it on October 12. That’s the 30th anniversary of the infamous Herschel Walker trade.