Bills BIGGEST NEEDS, doing a DIGGS DEAL and the house JOSH ALLEN BUILT

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Buffalo Plus – "Bills BIGGEST NEEDS, doing a DIGGS DEAL and the house JOSH ALLEN BUILT"

Date: March 30, 2022

Hosts: Mike Catalana (A), Jenna Cottrell (B), Dan Fetes (C)

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Episode Overview

The Buffalo Plus team dives into the Buffalo Bills’ three hottest topics as April and the NFL Draft approach:

• What is the team’s biggest need heading into the draft, and should they address cornerback with a high pick or rely on a veteran?
• How does the booming wide receiver market impact the future of Stefon Diggs and his contract?
• With the new stadium deal announced, what does this mean for the Bills, their fans, and the future of the franchise?

Throughout the episode, hosts Mike, Jenna, and Dan bring a mix of analysis, insider perspective, and classic Buffalo banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Assessing the Bills’ Biggest Need Before the Draft

[00:28–12:33]

The Great Cornerback Conundrum

• Consensus: Cornerback #2 is widely named the biggest roster hole, especially with Tre'Davious White returning from an ACL and the departure of Levi Wallace.
• Mike: Stresses that it’s a real need and expects a high pick invested at corner. ([01:05])

  “They have Dane Jackson, who did not beat out Levi. Can he be really good? I guess, right? ... But they need corners. They have to invest. ... I personally think it’s going to be a high draft pick.”

• Dan: Pushes back, suggesting the Bills may value Dane Jackson more than outsiders think, and sees wide receiver as the bigger need.

  “I don’t think the Gabriel Davis, Stefon Diggs one-two punch is as explosive as the Bills need to give Josh Allen more pieces.” ([02:00])

• Jenna: Finds herself in the middle, citing the team’s abundant talent, trusting GM Brandon Beane to go “best available,” and noting the uncertainty around Tre White’s recovery.

  “With Dane Jackson ... now this year, they're not going to have Levi. ... I would want them to sign a veteran ... but I also expect an early corner pick.” ([03:20])

Draft Strategy: Best Available vs. Need

• Hosts agree Beane will not reach based on need but may prioritize cornerback and receiver in the top two rounds.
• Mike and Jenna emphasize not overreaching for the position, but underlining the need with both starters and depth in question.

Secondary Effects of the Von Miller Signing

• Pass rush improvements are seen as a way to help the secondary:

  “Part of the Von Miller move is to help Dane Jackson, Siran Neal, Taron Johnson, and Trey when he comes back.” (Dan, [06:25])

Conclusion

• There’s consensus: Cornerback is the defensive need, but wide receiver depth is tempting, and options at positions like running back and O-line may also appear in middle rounds.

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2. The Diggs Deal & The Wild Wide Receiver Market

[12:54–24:26]

The NFL’s Wide Receiver Boom

• Recent blockbuster WR deals for Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams have reset the market, and Diggs is due for an extension.
• Diggs’ eye-emoji tweets, his brother’s public musings about playing together, and the noisy NFL off-season have fueled trade rumors.

What Should Buffalo Do?

• Dan: Makes the case for paying Diggs early.

  “If I’m Stefon Diggs, at some point I’m calling [Beane] up saying ... I took this offense, I came in and our offense became a top five offense. I’m a big reason for this team’s success. ... Right now, he’s not making anywhere near top-of-the-line wide receiver money.” ([13:24])

• Mike: Notes Diggs has two years left and the Bills “don’t have to do it,” but argues that early action on contracts is almost always better.

  “He should get, in terms of this crazy world of the NFL, he should be higher paid. ... If I was the Bills, I would be looking to redo that deal and extend it.” ([15:59])

• Jenna: Reminds that locker rooms pay close attention to who gets paid and thinks managing it before it becomes a distraction is best.

  “I wouldn’t want the distraction ... inside the locker room. ... I’m curious how Brandon Bean will handle this.” ([17:42])

Risk of Waiting

• Dan and Mike highlight that waiting could make the deal much more expensive, given the ever-rising salary cap and escalating wide receiver salaries.

  “The cap always goes up. ... If another wide receiver gets signed ... Diggs just got more expensive because he’s going to say, ‘I want that money.’” (Dan, [19:40])

The Modern NFL: No Certainties

• Even star QBs (Mahomes, Rodgers) have lost their best WRs; the panel notes that nothing is guaranteed.

  “The NFL moves on from guys ... cuts guys beforehand. ... That’s not the NFL. ... Diggs deserves [to get paid]. I think the Bills should do it.” (Mike, [20:33–21:39])

• Team and Diggs need to be flexible on timing, but everyone expects both sides want an extension to happen.

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3. The Bills’ New Stadium: Orchard Park and the “House That Josh Allen Built”

[25:13–36:51]

Major Details

• $1.4 billion total cost: $850 million public funding ($600M NYS, $250M Erie County).
• Location confirmed as Orchard Park (not downtown): open-air, not domed.
• Lease to keep the Bills in Buffalo for at least 30 years—a major point of relief for fans.

Mike "Scoops" Catalana’s I-told-You-So Moment

• Clip replayed of Mike breaking nearly all the core details months before the official announcement.

  “They are focused on staying in Orchard Park ... it would be an open air stadium, not a dome. ... They’re going to build, it’s going to be outdoors, it’s going to be Orchard Park, it’s going to be private-public funding.” ([25:58])

Initial Reactions & Big Takeaways

• Jenna: Surprised the stadium isn’t downtown but thinks fans love the tailgating and character of Orchard Park.

  “I honestly thought they were going to put it downtown ... but I think fans are really happy [with Orchard Park].” ([30:14])

• Mike: No plans for “ancillary developments” (like retail or hotels) yet, but expects that could change. ([31:16])
• Dan: Points to natural grass as unusual for a Northeast open-air stadium in the modern NFL. ([32:01])

Capacity & Design

• Expected seating: 60,000–62,000. Hosts note this is the trend in modern stadiums—smaller, but more premium seating.

  “Five more thousand seats there ... isn’t a big benefit to the teams. ... They can bring in a lot of money in other ways.” (Mike, [33:46])

Security for the Franchise

• Mike reassures fans:

  “They don’t have any reason to go anywhere ... The deal is going to get done and they’re not going anywhere for a long time, if ever.” ([34:37])

"The House That Josh Allen Built"

• The hosts agree the new era and stadium are thanks largely to Josh Allen’s emergence.

  “The house that Josh Allen built!” (Dan, [35:14])

• Speculate on who else will be “guaranteed” to still be a Bill when the new stadium opens—Allen, Rousseau, possibly Dawkins.

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4. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Mike on the overload of draftable WRs:

  “Last time I checked Mel Kiper’s board, there are 845 wide receivers who could be drafted in the first two rounds this year.” ([08:32])

• Dan on contracts changing quickly:

  “The league has completely changed in the last 18 months with contracts and trades ... everything crazy.” ([22:21])

• On whether Buffalo will host a Super Bowl:

  “They’re not getting a Super Bowl. Even ... with a dome, just the infrastructure ... isn’t there.” (Mike, [37:03])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Topic/Quote | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------|--------------| | Cornerback vs. Wide Receiver Need Debate | 00:28–09:18 | | Diggs’ Contract Discussion | 12:54–24:26 | | Stadium Announcement, Details & Reactions | 25:13–36:51 | | “The House That Josh Allen Built” Discussion | 35:14–36:51 | | Super Bowl Before Stadium Opens? | 37:00–38:14 |

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Tone & Closing Thoughts

The discussion is passionate, locally-rooted, and analytical, with frequent playful ribbing and authentic worry-born-of-experience from a trio that’s seen the Bills’ highs and lows. They balance optimism (about Allen, team building, stability) with realism (draft unpredictability, NFL business, public funding skepticism).

Final Memorable Moment:
Jenna, ever the peacemaker in a room of hot takes:

“You don’t have to be so extreme. ... Both things can be true. Let’s meet in the middle, folks. There’s usually the truth in there somewhere.” ([11:02])

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For More:

Listen to the full episode at Buffalo Plus on YouTube or read more at BuffaloPlus.com.

Transcript

[A]

As we head to April, what's the Bill's biggest need? Is it a veteran cornerback, or is that where they look early in the draft? Plus, with the Wild wide receiver off season, does it impact Stefon Diggs and his contract? And now that the stadium deal is set, what does it mean for the franchise now and going forward? That's all coming up on this week's edition of the Buffalo Podcast.

[B]

All right, welcome back to the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalon and Dan Fates. I am Jenna Cottrell. We know so many Bills fans excited, relieved at the contract for the Bills new stadium. We'll get to that coming up, but first, we want to talk more about this upcoming Bills team and what we want to see and some of the needs that this team has as we now approach April in the NFL draft. Mike, it seems like cornerback number two is a spot that so many fans are talking about. And we know the Bills are getting Trey White back after that ACL injury, but it seems like that's a spot that is a weakness on this roster that we know has a lot of talent.

[A]

It was a weakness to some level before. And you guys know I loved Levi, and Levi's gone, and the Bills could have signed him if they wanted to, so they obviously planned on moving on because it wasn't some huge deal he got. And I think Levi was pretty happy in Buffalo, you know, so they could have done that. They have Dane Jackson, who did not beat out Levi. Can he be really good? I guess, right? I guess It's a need. It is a big need for this team. And Jenna, you're right. Trey White's coming back, and, boy, he's a dedicated athlete. And we hope he comes back as good. Who knows? Bet maybe better. Some guys just. It's the way they work. But they need corners. They need corners. They have to invest. There's still veterans out there. They could make a play, bring Stefon Gilmore back, Patrick Peterson, guys like that. Or they could invest highly in the draft. I personally think it's going to be a high draft pick.

[C]

I disagree. I just don't think that, like, I. I'm not saying that there's not a need, because there is, but we thought there was a need last year. And the Bills went defensive end, defensive end. Like, we. We all sat there and went like, really? Like, yeah, we knew pass rusher was one of those things. And I know, like I said, I did a video on here. Not that long. Like, earlier last week, just talking about how everybody freaked out because Tyree kills now in the division and oh my gosh, I need something to cover Tyreek Hill. Like if there's not somebody that you're absolutely in love with, especially in the first round, I. I just don't think that there's a need to reach. And I think that is partly because of Dane Jackson. And I think I've said it on here on last podcast, I think they like him more than we do or that. That they may lead us on to believe. And I still think my biggest need is still a wide receiver. I don't care that it's Jameson Crowder. I don't care about how much I. I do believe that Gabriel Davis has stepped up. I don't think that the Gabriel Davis, Stefan Diggs one two punch is as explosive as the Bills need to give Josh Allen more pieces. So I'll say that.

[B]

Wow. I actually feel like I'm in the middle of this because I. I see both sides of what you're saying.

[C]

Pick a side, Jenna.

[A]

Take, have a take.

[B]

Well, no, here's. No, well, here's my take is that this Bills team is at its point where there is so much talent on the roster that I actually believe that Brandon B. Can take whatever is best available. And you've heard him talk about that at the draft, how he said it before. I'm going to take what's best available. I'm not going to reach. Now, there's a lot of talent in this upcoming draft that I feel like he could go receiver with. That I also feel like with Dane Jackson, as someone who did not beat out Levi Wallace, Mike and Dan. You talked about Dan specifically. Well, you know the Bills, they had Dane Jackson last year. Yeah, they did. But now this year, they're not going to have Levi. And that changes how this looks in terms of what Trey is coming back from. I have no doubt that Trae White is working very hard in his recovery, but at the same point, you don't know physically where he is going to be at. Some guys are able to fit right in, get right back in, and it's. It's seamless. Other guys, it does take a little bit. So I feel like with this, I would want them to sign a veteran to have a guy that they know they could bring in and have belief in and has the ability to play. But I also expect them. Maybe it's not in the first round of the draft, but early on, maybe it's that second round, they pick up a corner. They don't overreach for a guy, but they bring in someone because I thought last year they had to really address the quarter situation, and they didn't. And you know what that means. It gets to the top of the board earlier. Then if it wasn't a priority last year, I think it moves up the board. So that's something that I could see going out, but it's something that needs to be addressed.

[A]

I need to say thank you to Jenna because, you know, when I was on vacation, I sat there sometimes and said just, you know, Jenny always. My Jenny always does this, like, you know, take it easy, take it easy. And I did that when I was so ready to interrupt Dan. And then Jenna said so many things that I was going to say, and I allowed her to just be the voice of reason. And you were. To Dan's point, you know, because I say that priority is getting a corner. Doesn't mean you have to reach for the guy. Doesn't mean you have to say, oh, we have to take a corner. Take a corner in the second round. That's fine. Doesn't have to be the first round. You're right about wide receiver. I want to see him take a wide receiver, too. Right now they have, what, 25, and is it 50, 51, whatever the pick is.

[C]

52.

[A]

52. Hey, let me tell you something. In the first 52 picks, you can get a wide receiver in a corner. I think you can get both to that point. But they do need this help. And Dan, you're right. They went out and drafted Greg Russo and Boogie Basham, and then they gave a billion dollars to, you know, one of the great pass rushers in the history of the game. So they did that. So that's not a priority now. And no matter what he says, he ain't drafting a defensive end in the first couple of rounds this year. It's not going to happen.

[C]

That would be electric. If he takes another edge rusher. That would be something. And I think. I think we talked about it. That the Von Miller signing helps the corners.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Like, it helps coverage. Like, I think that's another way. And we have seen where it's like, there are coverage sacks and then there's great coverage because they don't have to cover for six seconds. So I. I think part of the Von Miller move is to help Dane Jackson and Sarah Neal and Taron Johnson and Lee and, you know, and Trey when they come. When he comes. So I think that there's a different way to go about things. And again, I'm not here to, to sit here and say, like, Dane Jackson's about to be, you know, Pro Bowler. I'm saying that they liked him enough to draft him, to keep him around, to say nice things about him. They, they, they've been very. McDermott has been very complimentary. And then I think the way the secondary played in with him in the second half of the season after Thanksgiving, after Trey went down, said a lot like, like, we can't sit here and say, like, Dane Jackson's this rookie anymore. Like, oh, we don't know. There's a decent sample size.

[B]

But I think both things can be true. You can be happy with the way that he filled in, but also want someone else that has.

[C]

That's what we did with Levi. That's what we said. We said you can't go into a season with Levi Wallace as your number two corner. And then we did, and now we're going to. Levi was really good.

[A]

No, we. Listen, they said Levi's the number two corner. He played for four years in that spot. I'm saying to you is they made the decision to move on from Levi. Look, we kept thinking that Dane Jackson was pushing him or had a chance to push him out of that spot and he never did. Fine. Maybe it's to some extent Dane Jackson's job to lose. I do go back to what Bean said, man, you draft a guy in the second round, then everybody thinks he's the guy. Okay, well, guess what? You drafted Boogie Basham in the second round. You drafted AJ Epaness on the second round. They're not even regulars yet. I mean that. Right. Some games are, you know, not even active. Yeah, that's been what they've done there. There's a need position wise, when you look at what they've done. They have addressed defensive end. They seem to be at the moment happy with the linebackers that they have. Know they're going to bring another guy in. Some at some place you would think happy with linebackers. What's the spot? It's corner. Defensively, there's no doubt. But I'm with you, Dan, on another explosive player, whether that's in the backfield, maybe, but I'd say more likely. Why I'm all in on that. But there is. I. Last time I checked Mel Kuiper's board, there are 845 wide receivers who could be drafted in the first two rounds this year. Right there. I mean, there is like wide receivers everywhere. And the Bills, whoever they get is better because he's playing with Josh Allen. I believe that so? Hey, look, if it's the right guy, they're going to take him in the first round. But they need a corner.

[C]

All I'm saying is that, sorry, one last thing is that we went into last year's draft going, they need to draft a corner. They should have higher drafts went and they didn't draft a corner.

[A]

They should.

[C]

And it's just like what I said. I think you also need to realize and the moves that they make or the moves that they don't make say a lot about who they already have in the building. I said that about Von Miller. That said a lot about AJ Epanessa. I said when they signed Emmanuel Sanders, that said what they thought about Gabriel Davis. Obviously, Gabriel Davis proved them wrong. AJ Epanessa can prove them wrong by playing well this season and earning more playing time next year. The fact that they let Levi Wallace go for that price says either they obviously know they need to draft it or they think decently highly of Dane Jackson.

[A]

You're right. There's probably a little. As Jenna said, there's probably a little of both.

[B]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like you can think Dane Jackson is good and see potential in him and be really impressed with the way he filled in last season. And then if we go back to the draft last year and we thought the Bills are going to pick a corner and they didn't. And then this year they're going into the season with one less starting corner. Believe like, okay, they're probably going to address quarter like that to me just seems to make the most sense now.

[A]

And by the way, there are veterans.

[B]

In the first round. I don't think they need to do that.

[A]

There are veterans out there. There are guys that can still play. And it would be kind of funny to see Stefan Gilmore back.

[B]

You'd be on national tv, too.

[A]

But I don't, you know, who knows how that will eventually work out. But yeah, but yeah, well, Jenna, I think we handled this one well.

[B]

Yeah, I know that from Jenny.

[C]

Like, Jenna's like, oh, I'm in the middle. So fun in the middle. Have a take. Be all on one side or another.

[B]

But that's the thing is my take is. My take is. You don't have to be so extreme. You know what? That is my take on most things people are. It's all or nothing. Both things can be true.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Let's meet in the middle, folks. There's usually the truth in there somewhere.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Look at me go. All right, any other positions then, Mike? That Pop out to you that you think, okay, well, no.

[A]

I mean, I'm with Dan on a playmaker, wide receiver, be exciting. And it's. It's how you just keep this moving and that kind of lead us into our next topic. But that there and the rest of the offense, look, he's going to. He's going to be looking for a running back somewhere. I still think that's going to be the case. And I think he's going to be looking for o line, you know, because you. You can. I mean, you see, they're bringing all these guys back, too, because teams around the league, like, it's easy for all of us to say, oh, they'll move on from this guy, that guy. It's hard to find big, strong guys who can run and play. Right. That is a difficult thing to do in the league. Cincinnati made it to the super bowl with, you know, a bunch of guys, and they're trying to address that this year. Everybody's looking for O linemen, and I think the best way to try to find them is draft a few and see who. See who makes it work. So I'm still on the offensive lineman side.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Not drafting a quarterback and a tight end.

[C]

Probably not.

[B]

Probably not.

[A]

Yeah, probably not now because O.J. howard's still a young guy and obviously they have knocks. So, yeah, they're probably.

[C]

And you also have Gilliam, who can play that playback.

[A]

Otherwise, you know, Dan's got him breaking news. He's got him picking a defensive end in the first two.

[B]

Could you imagine everyone's face?

[C]

He would be like, he's.

[A]

He was too good board.

[C]

He's like, I followed the board. You set the board and you listened to the board, and the board said we couldn't pass them up.

[B]

I might have to raise some eyebrows at that. All right, well, let's talk about a playmaker on the Bills right now. Stefan Diggs, in terms of, like, getting a new contract deal, something done. We know. I loved how his brother tweeted out, like, it'd be great to play. His brother obviously plays for the Dallas Cowboys. I've always dreamed of playing with my brother. And Josh Allen tweeted back, no, I just thought that was spectacular. But, Dan, how do you foresee this going in the future? What do you make of it?

[C]

Like, there are rumors going around that Diggs wants a new deal, that there was whispers that there was possible trade speculation. Obviously, all of those things being. Had talked about it down the owner's meeting, saying that, like, in today's day, and age. Every single tweet, like you said, gets analyzed as Tyree Kill gets a new deal and Devonte Adams gets a new deal. And Diggs is tweeting out eyeball emojis and how crazy this, this off season is. Diggs needs a new deal, and he needs one sooner rather than later. Now, Bean says it won't be a distraction or anything like that, but if I'm Stefan Diggs, at some point, I'm calling him up saying, you're paying a lot of guys and I took this offense, I came in here and our offense became a top five offense. I, I'm a big reason for this team's success. And right now, he's not making anywhere near top of the line wide receiver money. Yeah, they kind of tweaked his contract. They made his annual salaries. They made it signing bonus money last offseason when they were kind of shuffling money around with the salary cap. He's done everything. He was named a captain. I just think it starts to kind of like what I said with Trey White. And that was more of signing your guys in doing those things. If you're Diggs, he's a guy that you want to keep happy. And look, he's done all the right things. And you can always talk about how he's not a diva wide receiver in a position where there are a lot of divas. He's looking around, seeing a bunch of big checks go out. I guarantee he wants a check and he wants a big one.

[A]

Yeah, Janet, I don't speak emoji, but even I could figure out the eyes when he did that. And look, of course you are when you see the money being paid. We thought the Hopkins deal was crazy, and now that just seems to be the trend now with the wide receivers. And, you know, Kansas City says, we don't want to pay Tyreek Hill because we have Patrick Mahomes. We don't want to pay this money. So now they're going to go out and sign three different receivers. And today the word is, you know, they're on the prowl again, trying to make a trade for a wide receiver. And no, I'm not saying digs to Kansas City. And then, you know, you, you, you see that now when I look at the Diggs deal, Dan's right. I looked at it and thought, well, they're going to redo this because they shuffled the money, gave it to him up front more, and it put a bigger cap number there. But he still has two years left. Yep. But I look at these Kind of deals. And I say, what do I want out of Stefan Diggs? I want three plus more prime Stefan Diggs years. So do I waited out a year. Now he's going into the final year, then he's going to really want to get that deal done.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then turn around and go, now I'm going to sign him. And now, now you've pushed him in another year, into the 30s. Or do I look at it right now and say, yeah, he's got two years left. We didn't pay the signing bonus on him. That was a deal made with Minnesota and I make it work. I have conversations. Look, Bean is a smart guy. He has conversations, the agents all the time. I don't think it'll get to. It needs to get to that point. I think Diggs is. Should get in terms of this crazy world of the NFL. He should be higher paid. But at the moment it's not. He's got two years left on his deal. So it's. It's one of those, like, they don't have to do it. But if I was the Bills, I would be looking to redo that deal and extend it. And now the clock starts on what would likely be his final year deal in Buffalo. That's the way it usually works, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's three years. So you'd have him for 22, 23 and 24. And I'd be really happy with that. Do the Bills want to do that? I think so.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But they're weighing it. I think, you know, where are we on this guy in order to play? But Dan, you know the way these teams think. Look at what's just happened with Rogers and Mahomes, Two spectacular players.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they're both gone. And I don't think the Bills would go there. But, you know, it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean everything is always happy. We talked about this before. Money becomes a thing when guys start getting paid. Diggs deserves it. I think the Bills should do it, but we'll see when that would happen.

[B]

I feel like I remember early on, Mike, you telling me, like, everyone pays attention in the locker room to who they pay because that sends a huge message. And I think to Dan's point, Stefan Diggs has deserved more money for what he's done, for the level he's taken, this offense. He is literally bought in 100%. He is a team captain now of the past season. And so I feel like if I'm Brandon Bean, I want to reward that. Here's where Things just get interesting, though, is like you go to your purse and you've paid a lot of people. How do you. Maybe not purse for Brandon Bean, but that's the tricky part is how you figure out how to navigate that because he has deserved more money. And I feel like you're right. There is not. He has two years left on his contract. It's not like you need to do this right now. But I also wouldn't want the distraction of this kind of going and following the team throughout the season because, you know, that's when things do get to become a real thing. That. That happens inside the locker room. Outside animosity can build. I just. I'm curious how Brandon Bean will handle this because it's not an immediate thing that needs to get done, but it could quickly turn into something that is a huge distraction for the team and for Stefan Diggs. And you don't. That's the last thing you want heading into a season where you're the super bowl favorites. You're trying to put it all together and you have this camaraderie that is kind of unheard of for most teams.

[C]

Jenna, everything you just said was something that we had just said about Josh Allen before. Last year was like, you don't want this hanging over the head. You don't want this going into his final season.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

What, Mike.

[A]

But that's the quarterback. You're gonna pay the quarterback.

[B]

Yeah, correct.

[C]

But the other thing too is. And the. The pro. And it's what I said about. It's what I said about signing Trey White early. And it's what I said about signing Josh Allen and not waiting another day because he gets more and more expensive. You see the new contracts that quarterbacks have gotten and Josh Allen's contract looks like a steal now.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And after a year where I couldn't say it. And it's Ryan Rosello's favorite words, the cap always goes up. The salary cap is going to go up. After it going down, it's going to skyrocket soon because of all the money that's coming back after the COVID and all these things. If another wide receiver gets signed or after next season, you say, we're going to play this year out and I don't know, some. Justin Jefferson wants a new contract and he gets 25 million. Well, then, shit, Stefan Diggs just got more expensive because he's going to say, I want that money.

[A]

No, he didn't get more expensive. It means more likely that he's playing on another team. If you let it go to that. If you draft a wide receiver, 25th overall, you draft Williams out of Alabama. Are you, Are you sent. I mean, look about here, guys. What's that?

[C]

What are we talking about? Moving on?

[A]

I'm saying on this, going forward, Going forward. This is what happens with teams, you know, this is what happens. And they look at it and they go, it's, it's. Yes, he gets more expensive, but you were going to pay Josh Allen. No matter what that number was, the Bills were going to pay him. And I, I don't think that's necessarily the case at wide receiver. Look, I'm, we're making this sound like Diggs has come out and said, I need this, but if I'm Diggs, he should be looking at that right now. And I don't want to hear anybody say to me, it's contract. You sign and all this bs. That's not the NFL. NFL moves on from guys, cuts guys beforehand. It's guaranteed. All that stuff that comes up. So that's the case. I want to see him redo the Diggs deal. I want to see him stay. I'm with Jenna. He's done everything you want, but it's right now. The point Jenna was making, I agree with right now. It's. The timing isn't 100% on Diggs his side. It's not like he's going into the final year. So I think they got to work together and Bean would want to do it. It's just a matter of when he gets it done.

[C]

Yeah, but if I'm Diggs, I'm saying the last two years I've had career years, I've had back to back thousand years. Like, if I'm Diggs, I'm striking while the iron is hot. And like, that's where, like, I know what you're saying. I know the Bills are saying like, hey, like, we got time. You got two years on his contract. Like, hey, like, and Mike, back in the day, that was unheard of. Like, nobody talked about holding out or anything. And I'm not saying he's gonna hold it, but like, that was unheard of. Like with, like when Zeke did it, when he had like two years left on his deal. And they're like, well, this is unheard of. Like, who does this now? This happens all the time. The league has completely changed in the last 18 months with contracts and trades in the new, the new deals, big.

[A]

Money guys, quarterbacks, top wide receiver, Adams. Yes. Everything crazy. This is what I'm saying to you. Is when you look on around the league and you say to yourself, Devonte Adams and Tyreek Hill are not on the packers and the Chiefs anymore. Are you kidding me? Two guys that were drafted by those teams with top. You're right. And that's where I say can get to that point. That's why if I'm Brandon Bean, I'm taking a step back and I'm saying, how do I get this worked out? Because the guy is still in his prime. He's great with Josh Allen. Jenna's point's great in the locker room. I'm getting it worked out. But the point about the two years just means he's going to have to. He should be. And going to have to work with the Bills a little bit here on the timing. But you could start to hear these, these whispers, you know, you. What would an agent do? An agent would put out there that.

[C]

You talked to Schefter.

[A]

Kansas City. Oh yeah, Kansas City's interested in Stefan Diggs. I mean, this is what happens. It's craziness. But again, Tyreek Hills on Miami and devonte Adams is on the Raiders. Like, how would you like that parlay bet about three months ago? Right. I mean, just wasn't going to happen and now it's happened. So the league is nutty. But in that case, I think Diggs is desires to be there. I think the Bills will want to make it right because they love the guy and they made that trade to get him. But we'll see what happens.

[B]

That's. That's how I feel like. I feel like I just. The thing that I'm like, I just. Brandon Bean and Dan, you said it. The cap is going up. All those things are important, but I'm just the money there. That, that is where things get tricky is because even with the Chiefs, like they paid Patrick Mahomes and then since then it's been, you know, they have to maybe not have the guys that you thought were going to be on the roster because of the bottom line. Now, I'm not saying I expect that to happen with Diggs, but that is the reality of the NFL and we.

[A]

Just saw it with two guys. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It is crazy players.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

No, it is the salary caps not real.

[A]

It's not just the cap. It's that. Do you say like you're a team like now granted there was then the stories that Green Bay was going to pay him and he just wanted to go like whatever. It's $28 million I just heard Andy Reid at the owner's meeting. He's like, you know, there's a time when you just gotta, you know, you just gotta move on from a guy like, like Tyreek and, and go find the next guy. Mike, move on from Tyreek Hill. Okay, good.

[C]

Good luck.

[A]

Juju. They're coming from Pittsburgh. He's a nice player. He ain't Tyreek Hill.

[B]

So that's what you say after a breakup.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I'm gonna find the next.

[A]

Find the next. Well, sometimes it works, right?

[B]

Yeah, that's true. That is true. All right, let's talk the Bills new stadium deal, it was announced this week, $850 million in public funding, 600 million of that coming from New York State. 250 million of that will be from. Or excuse me, 600 million from New York State, plus 250 million from Erie County Stadium. Set to cost $1.4 billion in total. We're going to get what this means for the Bills, their fans, all this stuff. But before we get there, because Mike Catalana will not take a bow for himself. This is Mike almost nine months ago, ten months ago, about what he heard. When I call you Scoops, now just listen.

[C]

You broke some news today. You got some sources. What are you hearing about the potential of a bill's new stadium?

[A]

Well, let's start with this. The. What we're hearing is they are focused on staying in Orchard Park. That would be the site of the stadium. And you know, we've heard some details on that. You know, obviously they already have a location there. The stadium is there. There's parking lots around there. So it's pretty easy to figure out. That's what you would do. It's been done in other facilities. In Philadelphia, as a matter of fact, you know, they built in the parking lot basically, and then tore down the other stadium. That's what's happened in other places. It would be there. What I've been told is it would be an open air stadium, not a dome. I'm just warning you, until it gets done, you're going to hear a lot of stories come out. Other cities come out. This is what happens all the time. So be prepared for that. But in the end, based on what I told you if you were watching back in June when we broke the original story, they're going to build, it's going to be outdoors. It's going to be Orchard Park. It's going to be a private public funding of the stadium. They'll get all those details worked out. The pulas are billionaires. They own the stadium. They're going to make out on the deal.

[C]

Scoops look so much younger back then.

[A]

I know. It's been a long time ago, hasn't it? This is what happens a year with you two. This is what it does to me. It's aging. No, thanks. We work together on all this stuff. And look, we did. We had that story first on the stadium and right away, you know, what did we hear? A lot. And we're still hearing it. Oh, it should be downtown. It should be all. All those things. Dome, downtown, all that stuff. Great. A lot of people. Hell, you know, we'd love a dome. We knew they weren't going to build it. Yeah, it's not going to be a dome. So we know what it's going to be. And to have it all come back, you know, now to be basically that and the whole funding. And I said to you, and I. And I later in that I said the same thing. What are we going to see? The politicians and one day soon going to be sitting there with the shovels and the hard hats. It's that just that awful look with the tape and they're all smiling. Everybody takes the picture. Everybody ready and they do that and then they break ground on the new stadium is what's going to happen. So I'm thrilled for Bill's fans.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And we don't have to worry about this for the next, you know. God, you too. When this next one's done, you two will both be. Wow. Let's be older than I am now. So there we go. Hey, I thought it was not ready for that.

[C]

Mike. I thought you said it best too. Was the. That, you know, the governor saying we're not going to negotiate in public. Well, somebody floated out a billion and it comes back as 850. 850 million. So the governor said, gets to say like I. I haggled 150 off the.

[A]

Top, like, and then got 200. Some of that put on the tab of Erie county, which, you know, they. It's like this. What is that? What's that like? A little bit. That's it. The three card monty and all this stuff. It's money, but it's the way they work it out. But we knew this was going to eventually happen. And you knew they're not letting the bills leave. And so now it's great. Now I think that part of it is great. Just it's done. It's not officially. Officially done, but it's done. Yeah, they're going to Build. And, yeah, there's parts people aren't going to like, but they're going to like having this team here for three more decades.

[B]

Yeah, I think the stadium, too. Like, we knew it wasn't going to be a dome, but the fact that it is protected, I think is going to be really nice because you can still have. We know Sean McDermott loves, you know, the home field advantage of the weather, and that is a piece of being in western New York, but also just to have it not be just a windstorm, a wind tunnel, essentially.

[A]

No, you're on the field. It's. It's wide open. It's just terrible for that. No matter how much people embrace some of it, man, you just get no protection from the weather in the current stadium. So there we go.

[C]

What's the most surprising thing that we have heard about maybe this deal or the stadium? I have one, but I wanted to get maybe. Jenna, what. What is. What surprises you about whether it's the, you know, the. The thought of the design? Obviously we haven't had any renderings yet, but is there anything else that stands. Stands out to you?

[B]

I think initially, now it's not a surprise because I've had so much time to have it sink in, but I honestly thought that they were going to put it downtown. I thought it made sense in terms of having the harbor center and Key bank and everything kind of right there to kind of build up the downtown area in Buffalo. So I. I really just assumed. And so many other stadiums in the NFL are, like, right downtown for the most part, because it's very unique to have a stadium in a place like Orchard Park. That's just not common when you go to other NFL cities. Obviously there are a couple. Like Lambeau comes to mind, but for the most part, you're really in a spot that is either like a commercial area or it's essentially right downtown. So that was something that I've had time to kind of have that sink in, but something that I think a lot of fans are really happy about, because I know how much fans love the tailgating and Orch park and all the debauchery probably that comes with it. But that is something that surprised me initially, but now I'm like, okay, I think fans will be. Are happy with that. And that's one of the things that matters.

[A]

I think the thing that surprised me a little bit was there's been, at least even now, no announcement of ancillary things going with the stadium. I do think that can change. Jenna mentioned that there's a lot of downtown. And look, the Patriots tried to do that years ago. They wanted to build in Boston. Crazy expensive city, difficult to do. And eventually they stayed where they were. But you guys have been there. We've been there multiple. Multiple times.

[B]

There's an Ulta.

[A]

Yeah. Right. There's stores wherever. Most of. There's a hotel right there. I think a hotel even in Orchard park, right near the state, I think would do great. I think there would. There's still reasons for people to stay in Orchard park, you know, other hotels, but I think that would happen. That has surprised me. But, Dan, I think that can change going forward for me.

[C]

Natural grass.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

You don't see that very often anymore, especially in the Northeast.

[A]

But you have it. Yeah. Where do you have. You have it in Philly.

[C]

Philly. Baltimore is natural.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And then the. The big one is always. You talk about Heinz Stadium and how that field gets chewed up like nobody's business and it just becomes a mess. And New England. Gillette used to be. And then they, like, redid it in the season. Right. Like, didn't they have, like, three weeks off and, like, it was so muddy.

[A]

Yeah. That.

[C]

That they went and just said, screw it. We're putting in the artificial turf. So that's just one thing, because even Rich Stadium before Mike, it was the carpet. It was the old school.

[A]

Everybody was carpet back then. Everybody stadium was that.

[C]

So it was the carpet. And then it went right to artificial turf. Was there. Was it ever grass in between?

[A]

No, they went to that initial. Whatever it was called. I mean, they've put several turfs in there.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Through the years. The other thing about that is, you know, there's a bunch they can do now with that in terms of the heating coils and stuff. By the way, you've all seen the. The frozen tundra of Green Bay back from that championship game, the craziest game ever. Green Bay with Vince Lombardi, had coils under the field to supposedly. To heat it. They didn't work particularly well that day, and it was like 20 below. But yeah, there are things they can do for it. But. Yeah, I mean, it's always surprises me, but I think teams want that if they can.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Interesting. Just one. Just one. Things that stands out where I was like, oh, like, I guess I just expected it to be the artificial turf.

[A]

And. And the other thing is, people have commented on the size. They're saying, oh, it's only 60, 62. I think in a lot of places, that's what you're going to see. I think it, you know they do.

[C]

The same thing with baseball stadiums now.

[A]

Yeah. Five more thousand seats there I don't think is a big benefit to the teams. You know how they. And they can bring in a lot of money in other ways. But yeah, we're going to see a lot more details but I think it's going to be right in that 60 to 62. I think it's going to have more of a Seattle look to it and I'm looking forward to. We did see some photos before that were done originally and I gave you a little idea. I think it'll be similar to that. But yeah, it'll be fun. It'll be fun when it's done.

[B]

I think the 30 year lease that relief for Bill's fans knowing that the team will be.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

In western New York and it's like.

[A]

A prenup that they signed because I heard Poland cars the Erie county exact say after 15 years if they were, you know they. If they tried to get out of it it's. It would cost this much and then they'd have to pay for the stadium to be demolished. Like there's all these crazy things that have been built into it. They don't have any reason to go anywhere. You know, I mean, you know the Pugulas could sell the team but the lease goes with it. So it's all those things. It's back now. You don't have to worry about that now. The deal is going to get done and they're. They're not going anywhere for a long time. If ever.

[C]

The house that Josh Allen built.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean it helped.

[B]

Certainly helped.

[A]

Yeah. I mean it does. Because there's a lot of things people are like, oh, they can market this way. Market 17.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Mark and him. Because you know my team's going to be good.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And Mike, we talked about it in the or all of us talked about it yesterday when the deal broke. We said who is the one player that you are guaranteed to be there when that first. Whenever opening game is as close to.

[A]

Guarantees you can get? It's Josh Allen.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And then who's the other one? We had said Russo. We said maybe Rousseau and you know.

[A]

That'S built based on. Think about it. That's a. Any good second contract. Because it's. I mean you're talking about. Because you got to think of guys now. Yes. Some other guys could still be there. Dion Dawkins. You know, guys play a long time at that position. All these are true that they can be but you're talking about a small percentage of guys who are still with the team five years after they're on their. On the current roster and. Or four, you know, four more seasons and then into it. So. Yeah, I think it's. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I think the fans are going to love it. You know, some people wanted different. And, hey, we all talked about some different things we would like to see. Like Jenna just said, I think downtown would have been cool. Yeah, they were not focused on downtown from the beginning. They looked at it, didn't think it would work for them. And this is a family that's pretty heavily invested, like you said, in downtown, and they didn't want to do it. So.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, that's where it's going to be.

[B]

I know. No dome either, on the stadium. That's okay. That's okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The deal is done. That's what matters. All right, do we think we see a Super bowl before the new Bill Stadium opens?

[A]

Well, they battle not.

[B]

Not as a site of the Super Bowl.

[A]

I'm sorry, they're not. And guess what? I gotta tell people they're not getting a Super bowl. Even. I honestly, even with a dome, just. Just the infrastructure in Buffalo is not there. Hotels, you could say Toronto and all this other stuff. Yes, you could do that. You know, it's still February in Buffalo. Like, I mean, I know, and they've had in Minnesota, but we've been to those cities. But to your point, it better be a Super bowl between now and 2026, or this thing would have been somewhat blown up by then. I mean, it's what happens. So, yeah, they're going to be. There's going to be a Bill super bowl between now and then. Dan, you. You with me on that?

[C]

I absolutely agree.

[B]

Love it.

[A]

All right. I just want.

[B]

Yeah, no, I wanted to make sure. I knew Bill's fans probably wanted to hear that as well.

[A]

And let's. Hey, look, when we go to the super bowl, what is Arizona. We're going this year.

[B]

Let's go.

[A]

Last year was la. Let's go. I mean, we love Buffalo, but let's. Let's go on the road. Let's take it somewhere warm, right? That's fine.

[B]

Sounds nice. And then that. That parade in Buffalo is going to be. That'll be fun.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That will be next level.

[A]

Oh, yeah. It'll be cold.

[B]

I don't think people will be focused on that.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

I think they'll have some extra jackets available through beer. All right. Thank you so much for watching the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris. For Mike and Dan, I am Jenna. Please be sure to, most importantly, like, comment and subscribe. We'll have plenty more offseason Bill stuff as we get closer to the NFL draft. We're closing on in and we'll have a lot more to talk about. We can talk more about Corner too, Dan. I'm sure you're thrilled about that. For Dan and Mike, though, we appreciate it. We will see you next time on the Buffalo plus channel.