Trading a superstar never comes without risk.
Even if the writing was on the wall for some time, such as it was leading up to the Buffalo Bills shipping wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, teams risk disrupting chemistry or alienating fellow top-billed talent.
When it comes to Dion Dawkins, however, the offensive tackle backs Buffalo following the move and still has full faith in the organization despite such a seismic decision.
"The Stefon Diggs one, it was definitely a haymaker," Dawkins said Friday on The Jim Rome Show. "A blind haymaker. But, you know, I have learned that in this world, in this career that I'm in, that pieces shuffle and things move around all of the time. … For a player that has that type of impact and popularity and stat-based weight for their career, it just hits you in a different way. Like I said, I love my teammates and I am loyal to my organization. So I trust them. I think that they know what they're doing. I know that they know what they're doing. But we got (No.) 17, and when you got Josh (Allen), anything is possible, truly."
Moving on from Diggs was the headliner in an offseason of change for the Bills. Although he disappeared for long swaths of 2023, the 30-year-old still hit at least 100 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns for his fourth straight season since joining Buffalo.
Dating back to 2020, he's amassed 445 catches for 5,372 yards and 37 TDs, surpassing the 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns he scored on 365 receptions during his first five seasons as a Minnesota Viking.
He now goes to the ascendant Texans five yards shy of the 10,000-yard receiving mark for his career.
Meanwhile, the Bills are currently left with a wide receiver room of new additions Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins, plus returning players such as Khalil Shakir.
On defense, Buffalo moved on from veterans like cornerback Tre’Davious White and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer to combat its cap casualties with a soft reset.
But the process of constructing the newest iteration of the team remains far from over.
Buffalo, while clearly prioritizing frugality, has still made moves on both sides of the ball to help the pursuit of next year's ring, bringing in Mike Edwards to help shore up the safety position and bolstering the offensive line with La’El Collins.
The Bills have 10 picks in the upcoming draft, too, five of which come in the top 150.
2024 will look vastly different, but Buffalo also enters the season having captured the AFC East in every year this decade.
Dawkins, who Buffalo actually invested more into this offseason with a three-year contract extension that placed him among the four highest-paid left tackles in the league, recognizes all the change, but he maintains a long list of reasons the Bills will keep on winning.
"That window is always open when you've got guys like me and you got guys like Josh," Dawkins said. "When you've got a team of guys that lead with good hearts, good athleticism, good football, and when we put that helmet on and them pads on and that jersey and it says Bills, that window is always open. It's always open. Like it could be a little bit more, but nah, it's open. And it'll always be open.
"As long as Josh is at quarterback, that's what I can talk for -- (Sean) McDermott is our coach and the Pegulas is our owner and (Brandon) Beane is our GM, that window is open forever."
