It never seemed realistic that the Dallas Cowboys would trade for Stefon Diggs. As awesome as it would’ve been for Trevon Diggs to reunite with his older brother, the Cowboys’ outdated method of managing the salary cap and refusal to get out in front of contract extensions made it a pipe dream.

Then again, the Cowboys have known for over a year that 2024 was going to pull them a bunch of different directions in terms of extensions, a bulky list of free agents and navigating dead cap. They don’t deserve your pity.

There’s really no sense harping on why Dallas didn’t kick the tires on Diggs. All we can do is analyze potential ripple effects of the trade and how they might benefit the Cowboys in the short- and long-term.

While the the Cowboys will host the Texans in 2024, there’s no competitive effect on the team in terms of making the Super Bowl. The NFL Draft is a different story. With the Bills now skin and bones at receiver, they are now the perfect trade-back partner for Dallas.

Diggs took a step back in 2023, but the Bills will sorely miss his presence. Since joining Buffalo in 2020, Diggs ranks first amongst receivers with 445 catches, fourth with 5,372 receiving yards and fourth in touchdown catches.

The Bills also lost WR2 Gabe Davis in free agency. Davis produced 747 receiving yards and seven scores last season. Equipped with the No. 28 overall pick, Buffalo will undoubtedly target a receiver in the first round. That’s where the Cowboys come in, as they pick No. 24 overall.

This gives Dallas a ton of leverage before the draft. They could either trade back to No. 28 and pick up an extra third-round pick or trade back even farther with a WR-needy team that wants to jump ahead of Buffalo. The Ravens (No. 30 overall) and Chiefs (No. 32 overall) are two clubs to watch in that regard.

The Cowboys are already stuck in no-man’s land at pick No. 24. If the offensive tackle they want (assuming that’s the position they target) isn’t available, there’d be no harm in moving back a couple spots.

Bills 2024 draft picks …

• 28th
• 60th
• 128th
• 133rd
• 144th (from CHI)
• 160th (from GB)
• 163rd
• 200th (from DAL via HOU)
• 204th
• 248th

… And this year's draft is really strong at the top at receiver, with depth into the fourth round.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 3, 2024

They could either stick with a tackle or pivot to another one of their 30 visits. In the second round, Dallas could target the best available running back and turn around and use their two third-round selections on a linebacker and an interior offensive linemen.

This is all conjecture, but the path has been cleared for the Cowboys to trade back and net an additional pick in a draft where they need as many picks as possible after they spent the bare minimum in free agency.