THIS IS WILD
Our favorite uncomfortable national media reactions to Houston Texans trading for Stefon Diggs
Apr 4, 2024, 6:36 pm
The Texans have everyone's full attention. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
After the Houston Texans traded for Bills receiver Stefon Diggs on Wednesday, news of the deal caught like wildfire and was a main topic of discussion on shows like Undisputed, First Take, The Herd, and countless others.
For the most part, everyone was very positive about the trade from the Texans perspective. In fact, Vegas updated the Texans and Bills' odds for the 2024 season.
Before the trade the Texans odds of winning the Super Bowl were 25-to-1 (+2500). Now, the Texans odds have shifted to 15-to-1 (+1500). Clearly, the addition of Diggs improved the Texans' chances of winning it all in 2024.
The Bills on the other hand are going the other direction. The Bills' chances of winning the big game have decreased a bit. Before the trade they were at 12-to-1 (+1200), and after the trade, 14-to-1 (+1400).
The Texans odds are now around sixth-best to win the championship, right around the Dallas Cowboys. Which brings us to Skip Bayless' show, Undisputed.
Skip (a Cowboys superfan) and Keyshawn Johnson debated whether the Cowboys or Texans have the best team. And it wasn't much of a debate. Bayless shockingly conceded to Keyshawn that the Texans have the better squad heading into the season. Skip is a Houston hater, so saying that must have really hurt.
Which is quite the contrast from Colin Cowherd, who didn't even have the Texans making the playoffs before the Diggs trade. And even after the Diggs trade, Cowherd mostly ignored the Texans side of the trade, and focused on the Bills. Some things never change with Cowherd.
He gave the Texans some love once CJ Stroud was taking the league by storm, but he was very dismissive of Stroud and the Texans before and after the season. Cowherd thinks the team will take a step back due to their first place schedule in 2024.
How did this deal come about?
Adam Schefter revealed on The Stephen A. Smith Show that the Texans initiated the trade with the Vikings, not the other way around. The popular opinion was the Vikings wanted a second first-round pick that would help them trade up for a quarterback in the draft. But that's not the case, according to Schefter.
It seems GM Nick Caserio was interested in turning the Texans' 2024 first-round pick into two second-rounders. Which indicates the Texans were looking to add a receiver, but needed an extra second-round pick to do so.
Which is good news, Houston had a plan, and they executed it after the trade for Keenan Allen fell through (the Chargers preferred to send Allen to the NFC, and he is now a Chicago Bear).
How will they use Diggs?
Many people believe Diggs will play outside with Tank Dell taking over as the slot receiver. But based on the slot percentage of all the Texans receivers, that may not be the case.
2023 slot percentage
Robert Woods 57%
Noah Brown 39%
Stefon Diggs with Buffalo 36%
Tank Dell 29%
Nico Collins 20%
As you can see from the numbers above, Dell wasn't in the slot all that much. Perhaps the Texans have plans to use Diggs on the inside based on these numbers, and their failed attempt at landing Keenan Allen. Rotating both Dell and Diggs in the slot could also be an option.
Be sure to check out the video above for the full discussion, and to learn how the Diggs trade altered Stroud and Allen's MVP chances!
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.