Buying large receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Payments is simply the most recent transfer by the Houston Texans to bolster a roster that misplaced within the divisional spherical of the playoffs final season.
The Texans acquired the four-time Professional Bowler for draft-pick compensation, sources advised ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday, and it marks one other transfer for the group that has already spent essentially the most assured cash this offseason.
Diggs’ time in Buffalo involves an finish for a franchise that had Tremendous Bowl aspirations however peaked within the AFC Championship Sport. The Payments have needed to make some powerful selections this offseason whereas attempting to stay cap compliant. The exit of Diggs is the most recent — marking the top of a fruitful, but rocky relationship for him with quarterback Josh Allen and the Payments.
The Payments are retooling whereas attempting to maintain a championship window open with 27-year-old Allen main the cost.
The Texans are surrounding reigning Offensive Rookie of the Yr C.J. Stroud with playmakers, having additionally acquired operating again Joe Mixon this offseason. The franchise, which entered the league in 2002, has by no means superior previous the divisional spherical of the playoffs.
So what does all of it imply for the Texans and Payments? Our panel of reporters and analysts solutions the most important questions surrounding the commerce:
Why did the Payments commerce Diggs, and what does the WR room seem like now that he and Gabe Davis are gone?
The large receiver room seems to be like it’s missing a No. 1 choice. Of the 5 large receivers who caught a go for the Payments in 2023, just one stays: Khalil Shakir. Buffalo acquired Curtis Samuel in free company this offseason, however there isn’t any doubt the room is missing a No. 1 receiver and arguably a No. 2 — Davis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free company — with Samuel extra of a flexible participant who can be utilized all around the discipline.
There isn’t any doubt Diggs will go down as pivotal in Allen’s growth, and the pairing introduced large success to the Payments. The rumors that Diggs could possibly be a commerce candidate have been round for a while and, though he remained dedicated to retiring as a Invoice earlier than the 2023 season and began the primary six video games on a historic tempo, he turned in among the lowest statistical video games of his profession from the center to finish of the 12 months. This included the one seven-game stretch of his profession with no touchdowns and a career-high seven drops. Diggs and coach Sean McDermott each insisted that Diggs was wholesome and gave totally different causes for the shortage of manufacturing, together with opposing groups specializing in locking him down. McDermott additionally stated on the finish of the 12 months, “I am unable to say specifically why particularly [Diggs’ production dropped]. If I may, we might flip it again that means, proper? To the way in which it began earlier within the 12 months.”
For the reason that finish of the 12 months, the receiver, who is understood for his imprecise tweets, appeared much less certain of his future in Buffalo. Amid an offseason roster overhaul, the 2 sides apparently reached a breaking level. — Alaina Getzenberg
With so many veteran departures in free company, what does this imply for Allen and the Payments’ championship window?
There isn’t any means round it, the Payments are resetting this offseason and getting into a brand new period. Six of the group’s eight captains aren’t on the roster, with solely Allen and Von Miller remaining.
The dialog concerning the Payments’ window began throughout the 2023 offseason. The truth of getting a quarterback like Allen is it would all the time be open, at the very least to an extent. This might be a totally new problem for Buffalo with youthful gamers, like tight finish Dalton Kincaid, needing to step up, along with no matter large receiver is probably going chosen early within the draft. Normal supervisor Brandon Beane has by no means chosen a receiver on Day 1 or Day 2, nevertheless it’s clear there’s work to be accomplished on this roster.
How aggressive can this model of the Payments be with a loaded AFC round them? That is still to be seen, provided that Allen’s enchancment coincided with Diggs’ arrival in Buffalo. Time will inform how Allen will carry out with out the veteran large receiver in offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s system. — Getzenberg
Why have been the Texans wanting so as to add one other receiver, and what does Diggs carry?
Houston already had dynamic large receivers in Tank Dell or Nico Collins, nevertheless it wanted extra choices. Stroud and the offense’s manufacturing dipped when accidents got here into play. Dell suffered a season-ending leg damage in Week 13, and the offense averaged 17.3 factors per sport (twenty sixth) throughout the remainder of the common season compared to 22.9 (ninth) earlier than.
Including Diggs elevates the depth and ceiling of the playmakers. Since 2020, Diggs is fourth in yards (5,372) and touchdowns (37) whereas main in receptions (445) amongst all pass-catchers. He is a No. 1 receiver who instructions consideration from opposing defenses. — D.J. Bien-Aime
C.J. Stroud will get a real No. 1 receiver, however how will he maintain all of his pass-catchers completely satisfied in his second season?
Stroud led the league in passing yards per sport (274) with Collins, who had lower than 1,000 yards receiving in his first two seasons mixed, and Dell, a rookie out of Houston. Stroud’s accuracy and management will maintain everybody on the identical web page. He had 5 pass-catchers with greater than 400 yards receiving final season, together with tight finish Dalton Schultz. Stroud additionally finds numerous methods to attach together with his teammates off the sphere to maintain morale excessive. — Bien-Aime
What does the commerce imply for the Texans’ Nico Collins and Tank Dell, each nonetheless on their rookie contracts, for the longer term?
Dell has three years left earlier than his contract is up, so that is extra about Collins, who’s within the final 12 months of his rookie deal. He had a breakout 12 months in 2023, ending with 1,297 receiving yards (eighth within the NFL) and eight touchdowns. The 2021 third-round decide is 25, and, if he has a repeat of final season, he can command over $20 million. Diggs’ contract runs by means of 2027, and he’s an costly receiver, so if Collins performs effectively, is Houston comfy with two extremely paid receivers within the close to future? — Bien-Aime
What does this do for the Texans’ expectations for 2024?
It turns them as much as a midsummer Houston temperature. Normal supervisor Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans are aggressively attacking this two-year window with Stroud enjoying beneath his low-cost rookie deal. The Texans may have discovered consolation in final 12 months’s 10-win season and run it again. As an alternative, they despatched a flare to the sky to place the remainder of the league on discover: This can be a contender proper now. This does not come with out danger: Splashy additions Danielle Hunter and Diggs have performed a mixed 17 seasons and include massive salaries.
That might disrupt chemistry on a younger, ascending group. However Diggs has no assured cash after 2024, giving the Texans flexibility if issues do not work out. And, make no mistake, Diggs remains to be a bona fide No. 1 choice regardless of a dip in manufacturing final 12 months. With a recent outlook, a proficient younger quarterback and a scarcity of contractual safety long run, Diggs must be motivated. — Jeremy Fowler
What does this commerce imply for every group’s wage cap scenario?
This can be a money-saving transfer for the Payments … however not a cap-saving transfer. Diggs’ 2024 cap quantity would have been $27.854 million if he had stayed on the group, however buying and selling him means the Payments will carry a dead-money cost of $31.096 million for Diggs this season. Per ESPN Stats & Data analysis, that would be the highest-known dead-money cost for a large receiver in any season all time. (If Buffalo had waited till after June 1 to execute the commerce, it may have taken a dead-money hit of $8.849 million this season and the remaining $22.247 million subsequent 12 months.)
Nonetheless, the Payments’ money price range might be freed from the $18.5 million in totally assured wage that Diggs is owed this season. They have been already just about proper up towards the cap earlier than this transfer, so it would not unlock any cap area for different strikes.
As for the Texans, they will tackle a $19.005 million cap hit for Diggs ($18.5 million in wage and one other $505,000 in bonuses) for 2024. That might eat up nearly all of their present cap area, so it is potential they might rework Diggs’ contract to transform a few of that wage right into a signing bonus and save cap room in 2024 if wanted. If they do not, they might get out of the Diggs deal very simply after one season. The one assured cash Diggs has left on his deal after 2024 is a $3.5 million injury-only assure for 2025. If the Texans have been to maintain Diggs on his present contract past this season, they’d owe him $18.505 million in wage and bonuses in 2025, $19,597,941 in 2026 and an excellent $18 million in 2027. — Dan Graziano
Are the Payments undoubtedly taking a receiver within the first spherical now, and who may match?
Even earlier than the blockbuster commerce, the Payments have been possible going to make the most of this 12 months’s deep WR class. They misplaced Davis in free company and have Shakir and Samuel as their high two targets. However the want is now pressing, and sure, addressing that gap straight away in Spherical 1 is smart. Buffalo can definitely stick at No. 28 total — or it may be aggressive and commerce up for a specific wideout it covets. I’ve 11 receivers in my high 50 proper now, so Buffalo can have choices.
LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. suits very well right here. His downfield capacity matches Allen’s strengths completely. Ten of his FBS-leading 17 receiving touchdowns final season got here on vertical routes. Thomas has nice fingers and tracks the ball effectively within the air, and he confirmed his velocity with a 4.33-second run within the 40-yard sprint on the mix. — Jordan Reid
