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        <title><![CDATA[Vikings trade star Stefon Diggs to Bills in NFL blockbuster]]></title>
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        <link>https://usagag.com/2020/03/17/vikings-trade-star-stefon-diggs-to-bills-in-nfl-blockbuster/</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2020 14:42:39 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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            <media:title type="html">Vikings trade star Stefon Diggs to Bills in NFL blockbuster</media:title>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The first day of NFL free agency saw a quarterback-receiver feud escalate — and promptly get settled.</p><p>In a strange two-hour span Monday afternoon, the Vikings gave a two-year, $66 million extension to enigmatic quarterback Kirk Cousins, only to see teammate Stefon Diggs respond by posting to his verified Twitter account that <strong>“it’s time for a new beginning.”</strong></p><p>By the end of the night, Diggs’ wish — echoing hints of displeasure he voiced in the past — was granted.</p><p>The Vikings sent Diggs and a seventh-round draft pick to the Bills for a first-rounder, a fifth-rounder, a sixth-rounder and a fourth-rounder in 2021, <strong>according to multiple reports</strong>. With Diggs and Josh Brown, the Bills have two speedy wideouts to catch the deep balls chucked by strong-armed Josh Allen in a suddenly potent offense.</p><p>Cousins, who answered some of his many critics by winning a playoff game at the Saints last season, signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million free-agent contract with the Vikings in 2018. He butted heads with his own receivers, including Adam Theilen and Diggs, when the Vikings started slowly last season.</p><p>The extension freed up $10 million in cap space for the cap-strapped Vikings. Cousins reportedly now has $61 million guaranteed coming over the next three years.</p><p>An offshoot of the Diggs trade is it made the already foolish-looking Texans look even sillier for <strong>trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals</strong> for running back David Johnson, a second-round draft pick in 2020 and a fourth-rounder in 2021.</p><p>Diggs caught the “Minnesota Miracle” touchdown in the 2017 playoffs against the Saints and followed it up with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons (with 15 of his 30 career touchdowns), but he is not in the same class as Hopkins.</p><hr><p>As the Buccaneers try to upgrade their passer (Tom Brady?), they retained their vaunted pass rush.</p><p>Shaq Barrett received the franchise tag and Jason Pierre-Paul re-signed for two years and $27 million. That duo combined for 28 sacks last season despite Pierre-Paul, who has given his career a second life after a trade from the Giants in 2018, missing six games from injuries suffered in a car accident.</p><hr><p>On New Year’s Eve, Bears general manager Ryan Pace declared under-siege quarterback Mitch Trubisky as his starter. The next three months have been all about linking veteran quarterbacks to the Bears.</p><p>Who is most likely to challenge Trubisky?</p><p>If the Bears are willing to trade, Andy Dalton (Bengals) and Nick Foles (Jaguars) are available and both previously played for Bears coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and/or quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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