Texans trade for Stefon Diggs? Not so fast

Many Texans fans are eager to see what the Texans will do this offseason regarding new additions to the team. There has been speculation about Mike Evans, Saquan Barkley, and numerous other big names. One recent name that has popped up is Buffalo Bills star receiver, Stefon Diggs. At first glance, a trio of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Stefon Diggs is appealing.

Throw in the fact that CJ Stroud would be the facilitator and now you are working with something. While trading for Diggs would be intriguing, I have my concerns about the possibility of seeing him in a Houston Texans uniform.

Diggs is a very passionate player and truly cares about winning. That being said, his exit from Minnesota was far from a smooth one. Unhappy with his situation with the Vikings back in 2020, Diggs elected to skip out on meetings and practice and in his own abrupt way, forced his way to a different team which ended up being the Buffalo Bills.

The Bill’s loss to the Bengals in the AFC Divisional Round last year brought out that fiery passion in him again as he was seen yelling on the sideline and sprinting out of the locker room after the game. Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans have worked hard to transform the culture and identity of the Texans. I firmly believe that they would be jeopardizing all of their hard work by acquiring Diggs. 

Stefon Diggs is under contract with the Bills through the 2027 season meaning that he will be 33 years old when his contract is up. His cap hit for the 2024 season will be $27.8 million, which is what you would expect from a top-tier receiver but is it worth it when you already have two promising receivers in Collins and Dell along with several needs on the defensive side of the ball?

I would have a hard time allocating that much money to a position that is further down the list of needs. Not to mention former second-round pick, John Metchie III, will finally have a full offseason under his belt after taking his entire rookie year off to battle leukemia. The potential of Metchie at full strength will probably play a part in Caserio’s decision-making regarding receiver acquisition this offseason. 

The final reason why I would not trade for Stefon Diggs is because of the compensation it would take to get him. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report thinks it will take a first-round and fourth-round pick for the Texans to acquire the star receiver. Given his age, contract, and history of public frustrations, I would not be willing to give up anything higher than a 3rd round pick for Diggs.

While the chances of Diggs being traded this offseason seem to be low, we all know that things can change in an instant when it comes to the NFL. Going forward, this will be an interesting topic to monitor.