Bills' Allen: Diggs trade 'hard' but grateful for WR

Bills quarterback Josh Allen thanked Stefon Diggs on Thursday during his first press conference since the star receiver was traded from Buffalo to the Houston Texans.

"It's definitely hard to part ways with a guy that's been very instrumental in our success here over the last four years," Allen said, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg.

He added: "Obviously, I wish we can keep everybody. You know, we've made a lot of changes this offseason, lost a lot of veteran leadership, Stef being one of them. I guess that's the nature of the business. And going into Year 7 now, it's just kind of what it is. I don't get paid to make changes on the team. I get paid to be the best quarterback that I can be and try to lead the guys on this team."

The Bills sent Diggs - their leading receiver the last four seasons - a 2024 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-rounder to the Texans in exchange for a 2025 second-round selection (via the Minnesota Vikings). Buffalo will eat a record non-quarterback cap hit of $31.1 million in 2024 as part of the deal.

Buffalo originally acquired Diggs in a trade with the Vikings in 2020, giving Allen a top No. 1 wideout before the signal-caller's third NFL season. Together, they formed one of the league's most productive duos as Diggs earned all of his four career Pro Bowl nods in Buffalo and Allen averaged 34 passing touchdowns.

Allen said he'll always remember Diggs as "the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today, and I'll always thank him for that."

"I'll always love that guy like a brother. He meant a lot. Look at the statistics. The numbers don't lie," Allen added, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra.

In addition to Diggs, the Bills lost Gabe Davis - their second-most targeted wideout in 2023 - to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Buffalo's new-look wide receiver depth chart features Khalil Shakir and recently signed pass-catchers Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins. It also includes tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Thursday that Buffalo isn't desperate to find a like-for-like replacement for Diggs in this year's NFL draft. The AFC East club owns the 28th overall pick.