There’s unrest in the NFC North. We’ve already talked about how the Minnesota Vikings have been disappointing so far, and some of the blame can go on quarterback Kirk Cousins’ shoulders. Well, the fans aren’t the only ones unhappy, it looks like Cousins’ wideout isn’t pleased either, because Stefon Diggs has made a statement—by not speaking at all.
Following the drubbing on Sunday to the Chicago Bears, Diggs has been out of practice for “Non-injury reasons.” That’s not all; Diggs has not talked to reporters for two weeks.
He had his best game of 2019 last Sunday: seven catches for 108 yards, which, while nice, is not ideal to have taken this long for someone of Diggs’ caliber. It’s also fair to say many of those yards came in garbage time.
Naturally, this has led to speculation that he might be traded. The Vikings have shot down any trade rumors concerning the wideout, saying they have no plans to trade Diggs. Diggs broke his silence to say otherwise. At this point, it’s up to you what to assume, but it’s fun to consider a San Francisco 49ers interest in any case.
If you’re interested in the 49ers getting Diggs, it goes without saying he won’t be cheap. He’s on a six-year $81 million deal. If he comes to the 49ers, he’s got four years of that deal, and he’s owed over $10 million each year. That would make him the most expensive wideout on the team by a wide margin. Have a look at Jason Hurley’s salary cap rundown for a few more reasons as to why this may be a bad idea. There’s also that issue of compensation. The contract indicates that a later pick isn’t out of the question. Given his youth, I’d start negotiations with a second-rounder. The 49ers don’t have one of those in 2018, they have a first, but unless they are in the Super Bowl, that seems a bit pricey for Diggs.
As great as Diggs is, the 49ers wide receivers are oozing with talent also. Diggs was thought of like a slot receiver, but in 2017, the Vikings started swapping he and Adam Thielen around, which had Diggs in an outside role on some three-receiver formations. He is quite versatile, and if Dante Pettis is still in the doghouse after winning the 49ers close game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’d be safe to say he’d be an upgrade over Pettis who the 49ers were planning on moving around a lot.
Again, there’s been nothing to report that Diggs is looking at the 49ers. Right now, it just looks like he may want out of Minnesota. The actions as of late would suggest something is up, so the question is, should the 49ers look into it?