Shocking Bills Trade Shakes Up the AFC East

The Buffalo Bills, pegged as the favorites to win the AFC East in 2024, made a shocking move on Wednesday that will tip the scales in the division and the AFC. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Buffalo Bills traded star wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, in exchange for draft compensation.

Buffalo will get a 2025 second-round pick (via Minnesota), while the Houston Texans will also get a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.

The decision by the Bills to trade Diggs, one of the better receivers in the NFL, will have an instant domino effect on the AFC East for the coming season. Buffalo is still the betting favorite after the trade announcement, but it might be hard for bettors and fans to rally around the idea as the Bills saw a lot of guys leave in free agency.

However, the Bills still have star quarterback Josh Allen, who is considered an MVP contender, after a solid 2023 season. But it’s hard to expect him to replicate those stats without Diggs and Gabriel Davis, who signed a three-year deal in free agency with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As for the New England Patriots, they are still long shots to win the division (+1700 on FanDuel Sportsbook), but it will be interesting to see how well they match up against the Bills in 2024. Last season, the Bills and the Pats split the two-game season series, with New England winning 29-25 in Week 7.

The Patriots didn’t make many earth-shattering moves to be mentioned with the likes of the Bills, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins in the AFC East. New England had a chance to land a playmaker at receiver in Calvin Ridley in free agency, but Ridley joined the Tennessee Titans.

Nevertheless, depending on what the Patriots do at quarterback, they could be a tough out for the Bills this coming season.

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