Will Stefon Digg's arrival make the Houston Texans make decisions they wouldn't otherwise make?
By Chad Porto
Stefon Diggs' arrival in Houston shook up the NFL. The former Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills wide receiver established himself as one of the best talents in the league. Yet, The Bills gave him up for just a second-round pick. A far cry from the talents he's supposedly capable of displaying. Regardless, the Texans shook up the league with such a high-profile trade.
The reason for his low trade cost may have to do with his rumored behavior. He's been criticized as being hard to coach and play next to, with him becoming known for his outbursts against members of his team. The outlandish nature of his actions has many concerned he's a bridge-burner and will bring that same negative impact from the Bills to the Texans.
So it's not surprising that he went for just a second-round pick, despite being an All-Pro level talent. What will happen now that he's in Houston? That's a good question, as it's anyone's guess. Likely, he didn't want to be in Houston, with the club voiding several years of his contract upon his arrival to the area. Now, he's got one year of service to play out before he's a free agent.
When that time goes by, the Texans will have to decide if he's worth retaining or not. If he is, the team is going to have to pay up, and that could cost a lot of money. It may also cost some guys their jobs. In two different articles, it's alluded that Diggs' arrival may cause two players to lose their jobs; Robert Woods and Davis Mills.
In one article from Grid Iron Heroics, they state that Diggs' arrival may force the Texans to part ways with Woods, a former Pro Bowler and member of the Los Angeles Rams. While we agree that Woods is likely to be cut, we don't think it'll be due to Diggs. It's far more likely that John Metchie and Ben Skowronek are the reason why Woods got cut. The team has an abundance of wide receivers and a need to cut some guys. With Woods in decline and on the other side of 30, it makes sense that he'd go to make room for some younger, more impactful crop of players.
That's not all, however, as Sports Illustrated recently published a piece that showed Case Keenum, the Texans backup quarterback, talking about reuniting with Diggs. The duo were a key reason why the Vikings found success in 2017. The duo found success in that postseason, with Keenum and Digs connecting for a play so iconic, it's been called the "Minneapolis Miracle".
While Keenum is a backup at this point in his career, it's very possible that if the Texans are trying to appease Diggs, not just this season but for the future, they may opt to cut the other backup quarterback on the roster; Mills. Mills may be, objectively, the better quarterback between the two men, and considering how important the position is, it would be a mistake to keep one guy just because of a prior relationship that was formed and cemented seven years ago.