FRISCO – Rumors of tension between Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs and quarterback Josh Allen have, according to the players themselves, been exaggerated. “Yeah, I mean, I (said in) interview after interview I wanted to retire a Bill,” Diggs said recently, adding that Allen is “my brother.” … When you hear a lot of rumors and such it’s like, ‘Where did it come from?’ You know what I’m saying?”

Well, where did this “rumor” come from as it regards Buffalo’s plans? It comes from an ESPN “analysis” … and of course it inevitably ropes in the Dallas Cowboys. The prospect of trading Diggs has remained relevant, in terms of gossip, throughout the offseason’s opening weeks. Could a Diggs deal make sense for a team in a Super Bowl window? Could Dallas be that team?

According to ESPN’s bold offseason moves column, trading Diggs could mean dumping a player before its too late. Aaron Schatz suggests the second-half dip in production – a statistical reality – is too concerning to overlook. “An even bigger warning sign might be his decline in the second half of the season,” Schatz said. “In Weeks 1-9, Diggs had 14% DVOA with a 72% catch rate and an average depth of target of 11.3 yards. From Week 10 onward, Diggs had minus-21% DVOA with a 59% catch rate but an average depth of target of just 9.7 yards.

“Usually, shorter passes mean a higher catch rate. Not in Diggs’ case and not since the start of November.” So Buffalo should move off of Diggs … while also likely to lose the other starting receiver Gabe Davis in impending free agency? Moving on from Diggs with a post-June 1 designation is now more palatable for the Bills than ever before, as along with a dead cap hit of $8.8 million, it would free up $19 million of room. But again, that means the deal would happen after this NFL Draft … so the pick(s) given in trade would be for 2025. How does that help the Super Bowl-contending Bills?

And as for his next team? His $18.5 million salary becomes guaranteed on March 18. So his next team will have to sacrifice something in trade, plus pick up that contract. We know Stefon’s brother, Trevon of the Cowboys, would love the idea. Indeed, when Stefon asks, “Where did (that rumor) come from?” Well, a lot of it comes from Trevon, who loves to tweet things like, “We need Cowboys Nation to go and help and tweet to get bro here. We need everyone to know. We need to put it on notice that we need to get bro to Dallas.” The Cowboys could use some help in the CeeDee Lamb-led receivers room, no doubt. But in the end, as Stefon enters his age-31 season, his best bet seems to remain along “brother” Josh Allen rather than join his actual brother. And the Bills apparently see it that way as well.

“Stef’s, he’s a No. 1 receiver,” Buffalo GM Brandon Beane recently said. “I firmly believe that, not wavering off of that.”