Rumors continue to swirl around the Minnesota Vikings receiver this offseason, but a recent report has indicated the chances are still low that he actually gets dealt.
Since the Minnesota Vikings took a chance on him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Stefon Diggs has blossomed into one of the best receivers in the NFL.
During his five seasons with the Vikings, Diggs has hauled in a total of 365 passes for 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns. In each of the last two years, the Minnesota pass-catcher has also finished with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
Despite his production, there have been rumors of the Vikings potentially trading Diggs this offseason if the team is presented with a satisfying offer. He’s in the prime of his career and Minnesota could possibly get a return for the receiver that could end up helping them more in the long run than if they keep him around.
When asked about the latest on Diggs, NFL Media’s Tom Peliserro had this to say on Wednesday.
"“The Vikings are certainly not releasing Stefon Diggs. I would expect that they would get some calls about potential trades as teams tend to this time of year. But even there, the odds of something happening are pretty (low).”"
Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman will be speaking next week at the NFL Scouting Combine and one should expect them to get a question or two about Diggs and his future with the team.
For Zimmer and Spielman, it will be an opportunity to put to bed any thoughts of the Vikings trading the receiver and if they don’t shut down the speculation, trade rumors are only going to continue to gain steam.
Financially, dealing Diggs would free up $5.5 million in cap space for Minnesota this offseason. His cap hit is $14.5 million for 2020 and if the Vikings trade him, they would still be left with $9 million in dead cap.
So the thoughts of sending Diggs elsewhere really don’t have anything to do with freeing up cap space. They’re more about Minnesota being able to get an impressive return that could potentially improve their chances for success in the future.
Even if the Vikings are willing to listen to trade offers for Diggs, everything seems to be pointing to them only considering a deal if it results in them acquiring a very favorable return package. Which is completely understandable.