Tag: 2024 Houston Texans Football

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reveals how Texans landed WR Stefon Diggs

The Houston Texans shocked the NFL world after trading away the No. 23 pick to the Minnesota Vikings, but that was the plan from the jump when they realized Stefon Diggs could be coming to town.

Stefon Diggs is officially a member of the Houston Texans and hopes to be the reason why the AFC South winners are contenders again in 2024.

But how did Houston land Diggs? What happened behind closed doors that led to Buffalo cutting ties with the disgruntled wide receiver and taking a $31 million dead-cap hit?

Surprisingly, his old team in Minnesota was involved.

During an interview on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentioned that Houston planned on trading its first-round pick (No. 23) to the Vikings to land better draft compensation without moving too far down the pecking order.

Minnesota offered its second-round pick (No. 42), a sixth-round pick (No. 188) and a 2025 second-round pick. That latter was used to acquire Diggs, along with a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 189) and a 2025 fifth-round pick.

“A couple of weeks back, the Texans went to the Vikings to initiate a trade to get out of the first round,” Schefter said. “Everybody assumed it was the Vikings so they can go up and get a quarterback. But it was the Texans so they could be in a position to make a trade, like they did on Wednesday, for Stefon Diggs.”

Diggs heads to Houston looking for a career year to set up a payday next offseason. After Houston finalized the trade, it elected to void the final three years of his four-year, $104 million extension signed with Buffalo back in April 2022.

Houston still believes the version of Diggs that closed out 2023 will remain back in Buffalo and that a more aggressive and hungry version will take the field at NRG Stadium. Since 2020, he has led the league in receptions (445) and is one of only four players in league history to record four consecutive seasons with 100-plus receptions.

Diggs is also one of two receivers to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the past four seasons, along with the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill.

‘Top tier destination’: Texans legend J.J. Watt is a fan of Stefon Diggs trade

J.J. Watt has been pleased with the future of the Houston Texans over the past two offseasons.

J.J. Watt served as the final piece of the turning of times at NRG Stadium when the Houston Texans selected him 11th overall in 2011. Prior to his arrival, Houston had only one winning season.

Perhaps the arrival of Offensive Rookie of the Year and wunderkind C.J. Stroud sends a second wind through the franchise that ends with a Lombardi Trophy. Regardless, Watt is excited to see what unfolds in the Texans’ future.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year took to Twitter on Wednesday following the Stefon Diggs trade, praising the AFC South franchise for its two-year turnaround. Last season, Houston added Stroud, along with Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. and former Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans as head coach.

A year later, the Texans added Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon, Diggs and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter.

The Texans were looking to build off their first double-digit win season in four years and saw the opportunity to splurge with Stroud still on his rookie contract. After failing to sign a premier running back at the start of free agency, general manager Nick Caserio traded a seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Mixon.

Mixon, who will turn 28 in July, is coming off another 1,000-yard rushing season and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Texans believe his best years are still ahead and plan to use him as their bell-cow back after agreeing to terms on a three-year extension worth $27 million.

“I’m not thinking about a drop-off,” Ryans said of Mixon at the owners meetings last week. “I’m thinking about the positives and the things that [he’s] done in his career. He’s been consistent throughout his entire career — a guy who can move the chains for you, a guy who can open up the passing game with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He just opens up the things that we can do offensively.”

Defensively, the addition of Hunter should be considered an upgrade — on paper at least — over the departed Jonathan Greenard. He’s coming off a career-high 16.5-sack season with the Minnesota Vikings and led the league with 23 tackles for loss.

Signed to a two-year deal worth up to $51 million, Hunter looks to become the first Texans player since Watt to record back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns on Houston’s defense. He also will serve as a teacher and confidant for Anderson, who broke Watt’s rookie sack record this past fall.

“He’s exciting,” Hunter said of Anderson during his introductory press conference last month. “Has a lot of tools. I was with him earlier, and he just can’t stop jumping, how eager he is to go out there and rush the passer together. Very good kid. I’m excited just to be able to go out there and teach him a lot of things that I know and become a better player.

One of the greatest defensive linemen of the 2000s, Watt guided Houston to five playoff appearances in 10 years. On top of winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards, Watt also recorded 101 of his 113 career sacks as a member of the AFC South franchise.

Watt was the second player added to Houston’s Ring of Honor this offseason, joining Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson. He’ll join Johnson in Canton, Ohio, when eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.