Payments commerce Stefon Diggs to Texans: Grading Houston’s blockbuster deal for Buffalo’s disgruntled Professional Bowl WR

The Stefon Diggs period in Buffalo has come to an finish. The Payments finalized a blockbuster commerce to ship the four-time Professional Bowl receiver to the Houston Texans, the workforce introduced on Wednesday. In change for Diggs, the Payments will obtain a 2025 second-round choose (by way of Minnesota) whereas they will even ship a 2024 sixth-rounder and a 2025 fifth-round choose to Houston together with Diggs. 

This commerce marks the tip of what had grown right into a considerably poisonous relationship between Diggs and the Payments group. Final month, Diggs had a cryptic social media put up the place the wideout mentioned he was “prepared for watever.” That was simply the newest in what seemed to be indicators that he needed out from Buffalo, together with being absent from the beginning of obligatory minicamp final 12 months. On the Professional Bowl Video games again in February, Diggs additionally forged some doubt on his future with the franchise. When requested if he was optimistic about his future with the Payments, he mentioned, “I can not inform you what the long run holds, however I am nonetheless being me.” 

On the sphere, Diggs additionally appeared to get out of rhythm with quarterback Josh Allen because the 2023 season went alongside. After recording 100-yard receiving video games in 5 of his first six video games, Diggs averaged 51.2 receiving yards per recreation the remainder of the way in which. He completed the 12 months with 107 catches for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns. 

The 30-year-old arrived in Buffalo in 2020 after the Payments pulled off a commerce with Minnesota. Diggs was drafted by the Vikings within the fifth spherical of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Maryland and had established himself as one of many high younger receivers upon touchdown within the professionals. That mentioned, Diggs becoming a member of the Payments despatched his manufacturing to the next degree when paired with Allen, main the league in receptions and receiving yards in his first season in Buffalo. 

Whereas that will have deteriorated as of late, Diggs is among the high receivers within the NFL when firing on all cylinders and now pairs himself with arguably the brightest younger quarterback within the league in C.J. Stroud, who’s coming off an Offensive Rookie of the 12 months season in 2024.  

Diggs, who will put on No. 1 in Houston, joins a Texans workforce that’s on the rise after drafting Stroud No. 2 general and 12 months in the past and instantly profitable the AFC South beneath first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. The arrival of Diggs additionally creates among the finest receiver rooms that the NFL has to supply. On high of him, the membership sports activities gifted cross catchers like Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Noah Brown, and Robert Woods. That is additionally not accounting for tight finish Dalton Schultz and working again Joe Mixon, who was acquired in a commerce with the Bengals earlier this offseason.

Whereas Houston’s offense jumps to a brand new stratosphere with Diggs coming aboard, will probably be attention-grabbing to see how Buffalo reshapes its extensive receiver room. Together with this departure of Diggs, the Payments additionally noticed Gabe Davis go away for the Jacksonville Jaguars in free company. In the mean time, their extensive receiver depth chart is headlined by Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Justin Shorter, and Mack Hollins. 

With Diggs now off to Houston, let’s grade the commerce: 

Texans: A 

Houston is doing precisely what it needs to be doing after hitting the jackpot with Stroud final 12 months. With a bona fide star quarterback on his rookie contract, the time is now to load up with as a lot expertise as attainable to make a push for a championship, and this transfer for Diggs is a step in that route. Sure, his cap hits are huge over the subsequent 4 seasons, however it’s successfully a wash with Stroud’s deal being such a cut price over that stretch. The trio of Diggs, Collins, and Dell is arguably the very best three-headed monster at receiver that the NFL has to supply, which ought to assist Stroud keep away from a sophomore hunch. 

Payments: C-

The writing was on the wall for this finally being the result between the Payments and Diggs during the last 12 months or so. Regardless of that, Buffalo did not precisely brace for affect with the potential of slicing bait with its high receiver. Certain, the Payments used their first-round choose final 12 months on tight finish Dalton Kincaid, however the cabinet is sort of utterly naked at extensive receiver, particularly after letting Gabe Davis stroll earlier within the free company. Now, the Payments might want to both be aggressive and transfer up for a top-flight receiver prospect within the NFL Draft or hope one falls of their lap and neither is precisely an enviable place. When it comes to the compensation, a second-round choose is not a horrendous haul contemplating Diggs’ contract. Financially, ESPN stories that this commerce is not going to be processed as a post-June 1 designation. Meaning the Payments will incur simply over a $31 million lifeless cap hit this 12 months, which is the best identified lifeless cash cost for a receiver in any season all-time.