The Chicago Bears will have already done the rookie quarterback they select in 2024 a favour with the trade of DJ Moore last year. Would the cap-constrained Buffalo Bills be ready to give Stefon Diggs another shot if they were looking to move him?

In response to Diggs’ comments made over the weekend at the 2024 Pro Bowl that appeared to question his future with the Bills, Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report outlined exactly that situation for the Bears in the 2024 offseason.

“I’m ready to go no matter which way it goes,” Diggs told ESPN’s Stephen Holder when asked if he was ready to go forward with the Bills.

Diggs is one of Buffalo’s best offensive players, but the Bills are financially in a tough spot with a $51.2 million salary-cap deficit they must resolve before the start of the 2024 league year on March 13. Should they decide Diggs’ contract is no longer worth carrying and look to trade him, Moton argues the Bears could be a realistic fit.

His proposal? The Bears ship the worst of their two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft — currently the No. 9 overall selection — to the Bills in exchange for Diggs.

Stefon Diggs’ Contract Complicates Trade Prospects

Ideally, the Bears could acquire Diggs and bolster their offence without going over budget by trading for either a first- or second-round draft pick. Sadly, it becomes a little complicated because of the four-year, $96 million deal he inked with the Bills in 2022.

The Bears would need to find a way to add another top-tier receiver to their roster if they ever reached a point where they felt comfortable trading away one of their first-round picks for Diggs, and that would be a long way off.

Diggs will now get salaries of $18.5 million, $18 million, and $19 million for the ensuing three seasons, in that order. It would still be a four-year deal for a thirty-year-old receiver even if the Bears reworked it. With Moore expected to receive almost $16 million from the Bears in each of the next two seasons, it would be an unusual decision.

With a projected cap space of $46.6 million for the beginning of the 2024 league season, the Bears are in a solid financial position. It would also save them almost $21 million more in space if they cut Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair. However, rather than spending that cash on another expensive wide receiver, Chicago would probably rather to use it to extend Jaylon Johnson and cover some of their more apparent roster gaps.

Bears in Good Position to Land Top WR in 2024 Draft

To be honest, this offseason the Bears will need to add receivers. On March 13, Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown will become unrestricted free agents. If neither of them signs a new contract, it is not out of the question to sign a seasoned free agent.

However, the Bears will have a great chance to invest in a rookie wide receiver in the first round of the 2024 draft if they want to discover their own Stefon Diggs.

A wide receiver in the first round makes a lot of sense for Chicago, regardless of the path the Bears choose at quarterback—keeping Justin Fields or selecting Caleb Williams or Drake Maye with the first choice. Marvin Harrison Jr. should be selected anywhere around the first three picks if they decide to build around Fields. If not, they might be able to use the ninth overall pick to select Rome Odunze or Malik Nabors.

In either case, Moore would have a strong complement in the Bears, who would therefore be well-positioned to enhance their passing game the following year. And they could accomplish it without using any of Stefon Diggs’ funds. An easy decision