How the Nico Collins deal impacts Stefon Diggs, Texans moving forward
FOLLOW THE MONEY
29 May
FOLLOW THE MONEY
The Houston Texans agreed with wide receiver Nico Collins on a three-year extension worth up to $75 million with $52 million guaranteed on Tuesday.
The Athletic first reported the deal. Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the terms negotiated by himself, Ryan Matha and Jason Rosenhaus to The Associated Press after sharing a social media post detailing the specifics of Collins' extension.
The Houston Texans shared a photo of Collins on social media Tuesday afternoon but had no comment.
Later Tuesday night, agent Drew Rosenhaus posted a photo on X, formerly Twitter, with Collins seemingly signing a contract.
The 89th pick overall in 2021 out of Michigan is coming off his best season after the Texans drafted C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick overall out of Ohio State. With the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, Collins had a career-best season with 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns.
That was better than his first two NFL seasons combined. Collins had 11 receptions for 164 yards and a TD in two playoff games for the AFC South champs.
This extension follows Houston's trades for veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon.
Be sure to watch the video above as ESPN Houston's Jeremy Branham and Joel Blank share their thoughts on the deal, what the signing means for Stefon Diggs, and much more.
Spoiler alert: It looks like Diggs will only be here for one season.
Over the weekend, the big domino finally fell with Juan Soto agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million megadeal with the New York Mets. Which means Alex Bregman and the other top free agents on the market should soon follow in short order.
In fact, we're already seeing reports from Rob Bradford of WEEI and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale claiming that the Red Sox and Yankees are “expected” to make a run at Bregman.
Soto heading to the National League certainly feels like a win for Astros fans, but that could change if missing out on Soto causes the Yankees to pry Breggy away from Houston.
We'll have to wait and see how this plays out before we get too excited. However, one thing is for sure, all the free agents on the market have to be thrilled about the size of Soto's deal. Not to mention Willy Adames' 7-year, $182 million deal with the Giants that could help Bregman's chances of receiving a more lucrative deal than the Astros reportedly offered him, 6- years, $154 million.
What's really eye-opening about Soto's contract is how it could impact Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker, specifically Tucker. It's hard to imagine Tucker won't get an offer of at least $300 million, and at this point $400 million wouldn't surprise us.
Historically, the Astros don't trade their big name free agents before their contracts expire, but perhaps they should rethink that approach with King Tuck. If they won't even entertain a deal approaching $300 million, it might be worth taking a step back this year to replenish the farm system and focus on the team long-term.
Speaking of trades, the Astros are reportedly calling anyone who will listen about the availability of Ryan Pressly.
Don't miss the video above as we react to the Soto deal, share our thoughts on how it could impact the Astros championship window, and much more!