For the second time in his NFL career, Stefon Diggs has been traded.
The news broke Wednesday, Buffalo Bills. plans to send the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and two Day 3 draft picks (one this year, one next year) to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick in 2025.
While the pending deal may not come that way. A BIG surprise given Diggs’ tendency to wear out his welcome, the ramifications will likely have a seismic impact — outside of Houston and western New York — for the league’s 2024 season.
Here’s an early look at the winners, losers and grades. last big business of the season:WINNERSC.J. StroudThe Offensive Rookie of the Year is suddenly loaded with weapons after Houston had only one player (WR Nico Collins) with 60+ receptions in 2023. Diggs, Collins, WR Tank Dell (back from broken leg), TE Dalton Schultz and recently acquired RB Joe Together, Mixon (112 receptions over the last two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals) was able to stop an offense that finished 12th in 2023 – and fell apart in Baltimore’s loss in the final of the division – to the top five Stroud could easily become a 5,000-yard passer in 2024.
AFC East ContendersExporting Diggs appears to be the final step toward rebuilding Buffalo — especially since the Bills won’t cash in compensation until next year’s draft.
They didn’t reach the division for the fourth year in a row until the final game of the 2023 regular season, and now the margin for error against the Miami Dolphins and — perhaps — the New York Jets may be nonexistent.
Draftable Extensions:This year’s draft is loaded with blue-chip passes, and now one more could be off the table in Round 1, with the Bills going 28th overall due to Buffalo’s recent release.
Brian Thomas Jr. LSU’s Adonai Mitchell and Texas’ Xavier Worthy, Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Florida State’s Keon Coleman, South Carolina’s Xavier Legette and Florida’s Ricky Pearsall could be in the first and/or second rounds, with the Bills picking 60th overall.
Kansas City ChiefsThe new dynasty in the league has kept Buffalo out of the playoffs in three of the last four seasons, usually under great duress.
That doesn’t seem to be a problem this winter…but it’s worth wondering if the Texans might be.
Diggs vs. DiggsDallas Pro Bowl CB Trevon Diggs suffered a torn ACL last season that kept him from lining up like his older brother — for the first time as NFL players — last December at Buffalo.
Health issues aside, the matchup should still happen this year when the Texans face the Cowboys at Jerry World.
Stefon DiggsHe ends up with another contending team as what appears to be a tier 2 quarterback be on the fast track to level 1.
He also gets to play indoors rather than in Buffalo’s winter conditions, which can often dampen a receiver’s production and affect him late in the season.
Collins is also arguably the best wide receiver Diggs has had since Adam Thielen was his teammate on the Minnesota Vikings. This could be a huge year for Diggs personally.
THE LOSERSStefon DiggsIt’s rare for a team to move on a career-high WR1, especially when it happens twice — and much less the draft. picks led by Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams, both of whom were first- and second-round picks at their All-Pro trade rates (and more in Hill’s case).
But it also speaks to the friction that followed Diggs, 30, from the University of Maryland to Minneapolis and Buffalo.
He is under contract for four more seasons, plenty of time to find out if he becomes a solid soldier in Houston or if Stroud and HC DeMeco Ryans answer the lingering questions about him like Bills QB Josh Allen and HC Sean.
McDermott found himself becoming a regular. It’s also worth noting that Diggs’ role steadily diminished in Buffalo last season, failing to reach double figures or 100 receiving yards in the post-Week 6 game.
He was also rarely an impact player in the postseason, the “Minneapolis Miracle”. Regardless.Nico CollinsThrowing to Stroud, the 2021 third-round pick had a breakout season last season (80 catches for 1,297 yards and 8 TDs).
Entering his senior year, Collins is already fielding questions about the top extension on the market. That could be a lot harder to figure out, though, if Diggs messes up with his stats and/or if Houston GM Nick Caserio isn’t willing to sacrifice much of the salary cap for two cuts.
Josh Allen and Buffalo’s Super Bowl window\ nA team that has been around for years, dreamed of a Lombardi Trophy, just achieved the best.
And while Diggs’ numbers dropped steadily over the course of last season, a WR1’s impact usually extends beyond his numbers to how he can affect a defense schematically.
It’s possible TEs Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, WRs Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir and RB James Cook could revoke Diggs’ status by committee — or at least until a replacement is ready — but nothing to scare the defensive coordinators in the same way or draw double teams.
The Bills should remain in playoff contention, but it’s hard to see this year’s version making more noise in the postseason than Buffalo’s recent teams, a collective that reached the AFC Championship Game once under Allen and McDermott.
AFC South. The Texans made a huge statement in 2023, Ryans and Stroud were the first rookie head coach-quarterback combination to win a division crown.
And while they finished just one game ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts last season, the gap seemed to have grown even before Diggs was signed.
Tee HigginsWhen Diggs dominated practice as a second-round backup and rookie Chicago Bears WR Keenan Allen could land a fourth-round pick, the franchise-tagged Bengals WR2 may not find a solid market as he continues to seek a long-term deal himself.
There’s really little incentive for Cincinnati to trade him, and the wide offer in the draft could prevent other teams from paying the Bengals enough for Higgins.
Dallas Cowboys”America’s team” may not be the best team. Texas next season. But the aforementioned 2024 appointment should make it on the field.STEFON DIGGS BUSINESS GRADEBuffalo Bills: BLooks like a long shot for a franchise that is safely under center with Allen and already has a campaign coming up which was promoted by several necessary cost cutting.
Diggs’ four-year, $96 million extension actually kicks in this offseason — meaning Buffalo has a lot more financial flexibility to find the right players for Allen in the near future.
The impact on the locker room can’t be measured, of course, but there is clearly an “actions speak louder than words” element to this event.
Houston Texans: BThis feels like a shorter game franchise that has clearly moved into win-now mode while taking advantage of the financial freedom provided by Stroud’s rookie deal — it’s unlikely he can land a huge extension through 2027. (Caserio already added Mixon and DE Danielle Hunter in a very busy offseason.)
The only NFL franchise never appearing in a conference title game could be a bona fide threat this season. The consequences of the move – financial, invoice-oriented and/or other – can be discussed at length. Probably..