Dion Dawkins: Stefon Diggs trade was 'haymaker,' but I know Bills 'know what they're doing'

There is always a risk involved in trading a superstar.

Even if the writing was on the wall for some time, such as it was leading up to the Buffalo Bills shipping wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, teams risk disrupting chemistry or alienating fellow top-billed talent.

When it comes to Dion Dawkins, however, the offensive tackle backs Buffalo following the move and still has full faith in the organization despite such a seismic decision.

“The Stefon Diggs one, it was definitely a haymaker,” Dawkins said Friday on The Jim Rome Show. “A blind haymaker. But, you know, I have learned that in this world, in this career that I’m in, that pieces shuffle and things move around all of the time. … For a player that has that type of impact and popularity and stat-based weight for their career, it just hits you in a different way. Like I said, I love my teammates and I am loyal to my organization. So I trust them. I think that they know what they’re doing. I know that they know what they’re doing. But we got (No.) 17, and when you got Josh (Allen), anything is possible, truly.”

The departure of Diggs headlined an offseason of transformation for the Bills. Despite being absent for significant parts of 2023, the 30-year-old still managed to record at least 100 catches, 1,000 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns, marking his fourth consecutive season of such performance since he joined Buffalo.

Since 2020, he has accumulated 445 receptions for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns, exceeding the 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns he achieved on 365 catches during his initial five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

He is now approaching the ascendant Texans, just five yards short of achieving the 10,000-yard receiving milestone in his career.

Meanwhile, the Bills are currently left with a wide receiver room of new additions Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins, plus returning players such as Khalil Shakir.

On defense, Buffalo moved on from veterans like cornerback Tre’Davious White and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer to combat its cap casualties with a soft reset.

However, the process of building the latest version of the team is far from complete.

Buffalo, while clearly prioritizing frugality, has still made moves on both sides of the ball to help the pursuit of next year’s ring, bringing in Mike Edwards to help shore up the safety position and bolstering the offensive line with La’El Collins.

The Bills have 10 picks in the upcoming draft, too, five of which come in the top 150.

Buffalo enters the season having won the AFC East every year this decade, but 2024 will be vastly different.

Dawkins, who Buffalo actually invested more into this offseason with a three-year contract extension that placed him among the four highest-paid left tackles in the league, recognizes all the change, but he maintains a long list of reasons the Bills will keep on winning.

“That window is always open when you’ve got guys like me and you got guys like Josh,” Dawkins said. “When you’ve got a team of guys that lead with good hearts, good athleticism, good football, and when we put that helmet on and them pads on and that jersey and it says Bills, that window is always open. It’s always open. Like it could be a little bit more, but nah, it’s open. And it’ll always be open.

“As long as Josh is our quarterback, I have the ability to speak about this — with McDermott as our coach, the Pegulas as our owners, and Beane as our GM, the window of opportunity is perpetually open.”