The Houston Texans made an incredible turnaround in 2023, as new head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud turned one of the worst teams in the league into a playoff team. After dominating the Browns in the Wild Card, the Texans lost on the road in Baltimore, providing them with a glimpse at what the next step has to look like for them to push their way into the upper echelon of the AFC.
While they’ll get rookie receiver Tank Dell back from injury and Nico Collins was a breakout star late in the year, the receiver position figured to be one of the areas Houston wanted to address this offseason. Many felt they might use their draft pick in a deep receiver class, but they flipped the No. 23 pick to Minnesota earlier this offseason for the No. 42 pick in the second round and the Vikings 2025 second.
On Wednesday, they turned that second round pick they received from the Vikings into an All-Pro receiver, as they agreed to a blockbuster deal with the Bills to acquire Stefon Diggs.
Blockbuster: Bills are finalizing a trade to send four-time Pro-Bowl WR Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans for draft-pick compensation, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5tIJGkve6t
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2024
Compensation updates, per sources:
🏈Bills receive 2025 second-round pick via Minnesota.
🏈Texans receive Stefon Diggs and a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. https://t.co/WlL4mAaavz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2024
Diggs’ frustration in Buffalo had been reported fairly often over the past year-plus, even if he shrugged it off publicly when asked about it. Now, he goes from Josh Allen to Stroud and will give Houston a dynamic receiving corps, with a bonafide No. 1 in Diggs, a big play threat in Dell, and a very strong third option in Collins. This continues an active and, on paper, terrific offseason for Houston, who also signed Danielle Hunter to form one of the best pass rush tandems in the league with Will Anderson.
For the Bills, they now need to completely rework their wide receiver room, as they saw Gabe Davis walk in free agency and have now sent Allen’s top target out to Houston in a trade. One would think they’ll be in the market for a receiver (or two) in this month’s Draft, and with the No. 28 pick and another second next year, could be a candidate to move up for their preferred pass catcher.