Our favorite uncomfortable national media reactions to Houston Texans trading for Stefon Diggs
THIS IS WILD
04 April
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!
Kyle Tucker and the Houston Astros had a very successful stay in Mexico City.
Tucker, Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña each hit a solo homer, helping Framber Valdez and the Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Sunday.
Tucker and Yainer Diaz each drove in two runs as Houston swept the two-game series at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium.
“The plan was to use the series as a springboard looking forward,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We want this series to be like a new beginning for us. We need to have more urgency."
Valdez (1-0) pitched five innings of two-run ball in his first big league start since April 2. The left-hander allowed five hits, struck out six and walked none.
“He threw the ball well the first couple of innings," Espada said. "Command was not there, but he settled in the third and he gave us five innings. It was encouraging to see the way he threw the ball.”
Valdez had been sidelined by elbow inflammation, one of several pitching injuries that had contributed to Houston’s 9-19 start. Justin Verlander is back, but the Astros are awaiting the return of José Urquidy, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. at some point this season.
"When the rotation is healthy, we have proved that we can do great things in the postseason,” Espada said.
Elias Díaz had two hits for Colorado, and Sean Bouchard and Jacob Stallings each drove in a run. Austin Gomber (0-2) was charged with four runs and six hits in seven innings.
The Rockies have dropped 11 of 14 games.
“We have not played our best baseball and our record is indicative of that, but the players come with energy to compete. There has not been one sign of them not being happy,” manager Bud Black said. “We will continue to play hard."
Houston had lost five in a row before arriving in Mexico City, scoring a total of 10 runs during the slide. But it fared much better at Alfredo Harp Helu, with its elevation of 7,349 feet.
Yordan Alvarez hit two homers and Tucker also went deep during Saturday’s 12-4 victory.
Tucker connected in the first inning in the finale of the two-game set. Altuve went deep in the third, and Peña hit his third homer in the fourth.
It was Houston’s second regular-season visit to Mexico. It swept two games in Monterrey against the Angels in May 2019.
The Astros also played exhibition games in Mexico against the Padres in 2016 and Marlins in 2004.
The Rockies also had played in Mexico before. They beat San Diego in Monterrey in their 1999 season opener.
Colorado pushed across two runs in the second, tying it at 2. Bouchard singled home Elias Díaz, and Stallings had a sacrifice fly.
Altuve responded with his seventh homer on a drive to left.
Houston broke it open with four runs in the eighth. Alex Bregman hit an RBI single, and Yainer Diaz added a two-run double.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Hunter Brown (0-4, 9.68 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Cleveland. Carlos Carrasco (1-2, 4.63 ERA) pitches for the Guardians.
Rockies: RHP Ryan Feltner (1-2, 5.68 ERA) will start the series opener against the Marlins on Tuesday in Miami.
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