Our favorite uncomfortable national media reactions to Houston Texans trading for Stefon Diggs
THIS IS WILD
04 April 2024
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!
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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