It's not every day we see a significant trade in the NFL. April 3, 2024, is one of those days. The Houston Texans have sent shockwaves through the NFL world and a message to the other 31 teams that the franchise is going all-in upon their acquisition of All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Wednesday.
After spending four seasons as Josh Allen's favorite target with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs is on his way to joining CJ Stroud in Houston with a high-powered Texans offense. The Bills are sending a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick along with Diggs, while the Texans are giving up a second-round pick in 2025, per Adam Schefter.
Diggs will headline a group of young talent that will try to bring the Texans into the upper echelon of the NFL after a breakout season in 2023. The Bills on the other hand could be headed for a setback after losing several starters on both sides of the ball.
Texans get legitimate WR1 for CJ Stroud
HOU receives: Stefon Diggs, 2024 sixth-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see who the “winner” of this trade is. The Texans were among the NFL's most exciting teams to watch last season with Stroud lighting up defenses in his rookie campaign. Houston trotted out an explosive supporting cast around Stroud, giving Texans fans plenty to cheer about after a few years of uncertainty.
The addition of Stefon Diggs to the likes of Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz will make Houston's offense even more dangerous this season. The Texans also expect an improved run game after acquiring Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Texans know what they're getting with Diggs. He's coming off a sixth consecutive season with over 1,000 receiving yards, though 2023 is labeled as a down year for Diggs given his track record. He totaled 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns on 107 receptions but failed to have a 100-yard game after Week 6.
Diggs averaged under five catches and 43 yards per game over the last five regular-season games and did not score a touchdown. That scoreless streak continued in the playoffs as Diggs caught 10 passes for 73 yards in two games.
A fresh start should help get Diggs back on track and if history is any indication, he'll have a monster season in 2024. His first year with the Bills in 2020 is his best NFL season to date. He led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) in 2020, earning first-team All-Pro honors.
A move like this doesn’t come lightly from the Texans. After winning a playoff game last season, Houston wants more and is adding the pieces it believes will make that happen. Getting Diggs without trading a first-round pick is a master class by Texans general manager Nick Caserio.
The two picks Houston garnered in the trade are just the icing on the cake. This is a home run transaction by the Texans.
Grade: A+
Bills have questions on offense
Bills receive: 2025 second-round pick (via Minnesota)
Perhaps the writing was on the wall for the Bills to trade Diggs, but it's still shocking to see them move on from a top-five player at his position. Rumors swirled last offseason of tension growing between Diggs and the franchise and some involved his off-the-field relationship with Josh Allen. Whether they were true or not may never be answered but they possibly factored into Buffalo's decision to cut ties with Diggs.
Buffalo's championship window seems to be now, but with this latest move, they don’t seem like a team poised to make a Super Bowl run next season. The Bills roster has taken a significant hit this offseason with several key players departing. Adding Diggs to that group further solidifies Buffalo's stance that they could be in for a down year in 2024.
The Bills are left without a top receiver in their offense and few options available. This year's draft is stacked with high-caliber pass-catchers but Buffalo owns a bottom-five pick in the first round. As it stands their starting options at wideout include newly acquired Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir, among others.
Looking at recent similar trades for star wide receivers, it's hard to justify the Bills' inability to get a first-round pick for Diggs. In 2022, three No. 1 wide receivers were traded. The Packers got a first and a second for Davante Adams. The Eagles gave up a first and a third to the Titans for AJ Brown and the Chiefs received five picks, including a first and second-rounder, from the Dolphins for Tyreek Hill.
Diggs, although older than the other three players at the time of the trade, is in that tier. He's been among the most consistent and best players in the league over the last five seasons and doesn’t appear to be losing a step completely despite his struggles late last season.
If Stefon Diggs was seen as a “locker room cancer” during his final months in Buffalo, then maybe the Bills are happy to see him go. If it's simply a “time for a change” move, the Bills didn’t get enough in return to warrant it.
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