Buffalo Plus Podcast Episode Summary

Episode: What's next for Diggs, Bills & AFC East with NFL Insider Mike Giardi
Date: June 16, 2023
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes
Guest: Mike Giardi (NFL Insider)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the drama surrounding Stefon Diggs’ absence from mandatory minicamp, the public handling of the controversy by Bills leadership, the team’s culture, and how these issues might impact the franchise moving into training camp and the 2023 season. The discussion expands to examine the competitiveness of the AFC East and the state of the Bills’ division rivals. NFL Insider Mike Giardi joins to offer deeper perspective on both the Diggs situation and the broader AFC East landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Stefon Diggs Minicamp Drama: Context and Fallout

• Timeline of Events: Diggs’ absence from practice, McDermott initially expressing “concern,” then clarifying Diggs was excused.
• Host Reactions:
  • Mike Catalana says the situation has gone from a boil to a simmer, but needs resolution.
    • “The pot was boiling there a little bit, and I think it's... down to simmer now. Okay. And that's a good thing.” (00:55)
  • Dan Fetes and Jenna Cottrell discuss McDermott’s unusual emotional reaction and subsequent damage control.
    • “I think it's a rare time when we have seen Sean McDermott... be kind of emotional and reactionary.” – Jenna (03:44)
• Cascading Communication Issues: The crew notes how a lack of transparency created a media wildfire:
  • “If he goes, ‘Yeah, Diggs, he's here. We got something going on. We excused him. He'll be here tomorrow. No drama. No drama, no distraction.’ And from that, wildfire spread.” – Dan (04:10)

Locker Room Dynamics & Player Reactions

• Mitch Morse as Spokesman: Praised for steadying the locker room and addressing the issue candidly.
  • Morse’s quote:
    “Listen, Stefon Diggs is an amazing player. Maybe a handful of guys I've been around in my nine years who make an impact like Steph does on a team... I also think that they're working through it. I think they're doing the thing that they're supposed to do, which is have possibly uncomfortable conversations, have some candidness, which can be hard at times, but in the end, you appreciate it and you work out whether any facet of life.” (08:19–09:31)
• Veteran Leadership: Vaughn Miller balancing optimism, as referenced by hosts.
• The Impact of Player Status: The group reflects on how the drama would be perceived differently for a lesser-known player:
  • “If Saran Neal did something like this... They're cut, they're moved on. But it's Stefon Diggs, so it makes headlines and it draws attention.” – Dan (09:31)

Josh Allen’s Role in the Drama

• Speculation about Josh’s Comments: Discussion around Allen’s “I have never been more focused on football” and possible subtext aimed at teammates.
  • “Maybe that was directed more towards a teammate.” – Dan (05:42)
• Complexity Moving from Football to Personal:
  • “Maybe it's between he and Diggs a little bit about that commitment...that's where it goes from football to Personal.” – Mike Catalana (06:06)
  • Analogy of a couple at a party hints at behind-the-scenes tension.

Insights from NFL Insider Mike Giardi (Starts ~11:17)

• Diggs’ Dissatisfaction: Giardi believes the friction has “been building since probably the second half of last year,” relating both to usage in the offense and emotional fallout from the season and Damar Hamlin incident.
• Captain vs. Player Mentality:
  • “If it comes from a place of how much he's being used in the offense, that's not captain speak to me, that's just player speak.” – Mike Catalana (12:12)
• Wide Receiver Culture: Giardi underlines the “selfishness at that position” as a recurrent NFL theme, and that Diggs “wore out his welcome in Minnesota. He's here. Everything was hunky dory until... some things happened last year.”
• Limits to Accommodation:
  • “How far do you go and at what point do guys... go, hey, we're all pulling in one direction and he isn't necessarily pulling with us?” – Mike Giardi (13:55)
• Need for Accountability:
  • “I think Steph owes them some accountability and an apology for putting them in situations that are not comfortable. And quite frankly, if you're trying to win a Super Bowl, these aren't the kind of things that you want to be talking about.” – Mike Giardi (16:00)

Handling Team Drama & Public Image

• Escalation Due to Publicity:
  • “The good teams tend to keep this stuff in house. And Sean always preaches like, we're going to keep it in house. And this one... became very public.” – Mike Giardi (17:47)
• Changing NFL/Media Dynamics:
  • Social media is now a major complicating factor; older coaches struggle with “cryptic tweets” and public perception.

AFC East Landscape

• Bills Still at the Top?:
  • Mike Giardi thinks the Bills are still best in the division “but the gap has been closed,” especially with the Jets possibly transformed by Aaron Rodgers.
• Jets' Big Question:
  • “What we're really going to learn is, is Robert Salah a good head coach?... Now I think we'll find out if Salah is the right guy to lead that football team.” – Mike Giardi (25:06)
• Miami’s Improvements: Dalvin Cook rumors and added depth on defense noted.
• Patriots Still Lagging:
  • Offensive coordinator change (Bill O’Brien in) is biggest move, but QB Mac Jones faces pressure; “bad organizations do with young quarterbacks, they've done it all.” (28:18–29:36)
• Parity and Toughness: AFC East labeled “brutal” due to all teams getting better.

Pressure on Sean McDermott

• McDermott Now Calling Defensive Plays:
  • “Now if it doesn't work defensively, and let's face it, in big moments, it hasn't worked defensively... Who else do you blame?” – Mike Giardi (31:57)
• Raised Expectations:
  • The panel suggests that only a deep playoff run will satisfy, noting the need for the Bills to break through after seasons ending in heartbreak.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Catalana (On locker room/stars):
  “This is the couple at the party... you know there's something going on. You can feel it... I think they'll get it figured out. But agreed. This is the couple at the party...” (06:25)
• Jenna (On Uncomfortable Conversations):
  “They have to have uncomfortable conversations. They have to be candid conversations. Like, those are hard to have. So those need to continue to happen. This isn't totally done.” (10:15)
• Mike Giardi (on social media and old-school coaches):
  “Why do we gotta put it out there? Why can't you just have the conversation? Two men, you get in a room, you hash it out, and then we move on.” (24:11)

Important Timestamps

• 00:55 – 02:32: Early reaction to Diggs’ absence and McDermott’s handling
• 03:44 – 04:54: How McDermott’s words set off a media firestorm
• 08:19 – 09:31: Mitch Morse addresses locker room mood and handling of drama
• 11:17 – 13:31: Mike Giardi’s take on Diggs, Bills, and culture
• 17:47 – 18:54: Discussion of Bills’ PR blunder and impact of going public
• 21:49 – 23:15: Vaughn Miller’s comments about treating stars differently
• 24:34 – 25:43: AFC East overview; how division dynamics have shifted
• 30:55 – 31:58: Would McDermott’s new defensive role impact his job security?

Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive look at the Diggs-Bills minicamp controversy, the delicate balance of egos in a star-driven locker room, and emerging leadership dynamics in Buffalo. While the immediate crisis may have cooled, hosts and guest agree that underlying issues remain, and the first weeks of training camp will be crucial for both resolution and setting the tone heading into a highly competitive AFC East campaign. The show blends behind-the-scenes perspective with candid analysis, offering both local fans and general NFL followers valuable insight into one of the league’s most intriguing teams heading into 2023.