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Here's the definitive list of changes Texans fans want to see this offseason
Jan 12, 2022, 1:47 pm
Fans want to see Davis Mills get a real shot moving forward. Composite image by Jack Brame.
Every so often, I like to talk to the people and find out their thoughts on things. Fans who engage on social media can be a wild bunch. Some will pose as your "average" online fan who simply loves their team. Others will be wildly passionate to one extreme or another. There may even be some fans who are just observing, but not nearly as passionate. I've come across them all.
Texans' fans are no different. They run the gamut of fandom. Some can be a little too extreme, whether it's positive or negative. For the most part, they're a really good bunch. So, I posed a question to Texans' fans and got some pretty good responses:
Something I noticed when talking to Texans' fans on social media: if you stay away from the McNair's selling the team and firing Jack Easterby, you'll take away two of the most polarizing franchise altering topics. Lots of them have used either or both as a way to immediately improve the team. So much so, that I've seen some that feel as though ownership actually owes them an explanation behind the recent direction of the team! No, really! There are grown people who truly feel this way and are damn serious about it!
After all they've been through, there are a portion of fans who are no longer fans. They've taken their support, monetarily and otherwise, home with them. Some have supported other teams, while the rest have withdrawn. There are even some who've lost their passion for the sport altogether!
There's a good amount of them I've encountered that have a good feel for the team and what needs to be done. I saw a couple well-thought-out responses that almost sound like they regurgitated them from a sports radio or TV personality. Some fans are that smart and have formed great opinions on their own. From them, you get a clear-cut course of action. Things like trading Deshaun Watson, adding more talent, finding a capable play caller, and even giving Davis Mills a chance to hold the keys to the car have come up.
That last one was a bit of a shocker. I didn't think there were that many fans on the Mills bandwagon. Boy did I find out this past weekend! I was told Mills could be a future MVP as the franchise quarterback if he's given the weapons he severely lacks. I think the kid has some talent and could have a decent future in the league, but slow down on crowning him a future MVP and franchise quarterback. That's a good way to get a mental health warrant issued for you.
Overall, fans are fed up. If the stands went from looking like an overweight cow ready for slaughter, to an emaciated shell of its former self, I think they've spoken. For goodness’ sake, the tailgating lot looked like a scene from one of those shows on abandoned towns and structures this past season! If those two indicators don't tell you what the fans are thinking, I don't think you have a pulse! One thing this organization has always been able to count on is fan support. Now that it's faded so quickly, they have no choice but to react.
Righting this ship won't be easy, and it most likely won't be quick. Some fans are sticking around and waiting for the team to be good again. For them, I hope this thing is turned around soon. This city and these fans are loyal to a fault when it comes to this team. They willingly put themselves through heartache and pain every year, only to be rewarded with mediocrity more often than not. Here's to the road to recovery. It may be long, winding, and seemingly never-ending, but the payoff is so worth it. Hang in there guys!
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Rich Eisen lays out how Stefon Diggs trade will impact Texans next season
Apr 19, 2024, 3:03 pm
Impersonal as it might seem to have their dynamic on-field relationship end with an exchange of phone texts, Bills quarterback Josh Allen made it clear on Thursday how much receiver Stefon Diggs meant to him during their four seasons together in Buffalo.
Allen made no mention of Diggs’ mercurial temperament or the occasional sideline flare-ups by expressing only praise in his first opportunity to discuss his now-former teammate being traded to the Houston Texans earlier this month.
“Just thanking him for everything that he did for me, and (I’ll) always have a spot in my heart for him. I’ll always love that guy like a brother. And I wish him nothing but the best,” Allen said, in disclosing what he texted to Diggs. “My lasting memory of Stef will be the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today.”
Brought together in March 2020, when Buffalo gave up a first-round draft pick to acquire Diggs in a trade with Minnesota, the duo went on to re-write many of Buffalo's single-season passing and scoring records, and lead the team to four straight AFC East titles.
Diggs, now 30, also brought an inescapable sense of drama with him in raising questions about his commitment to the Bills and whether his tight relationship with Allen had soured.
A day before being traded, Diggs posted a message, “You sure?” on the social media platform X in response to someone suggesting he wasn’t essential to Allen’s success.
Whatever hard feelings, if any, lingered as Buffalo opened its voluntary workout sessions this week were not apparent from Allen or coach Sean McDermott, who also addressed reporters for the first time since Diggs was traded.
“Stef’s a great player, really enjoyed our time together. Won a lot of games and he was a huge factor in winning those games. We’ll miss him,” McDermott said. “You never replace a player like Stef Diggs, and we wish him well.”
Allen turned his focus to the future and a Bills team that spent much of the offseason retooling an aging and expensive roster.
Aside from trading Diggs, salary cap restrictions led to Buffalo cutting respected center Mitch Morse, the breakup of a veteran secondary that had been together since 2017, and the team unable to afford re-signing No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis.
“I don’t think it’s a wrong thing or a bad thing to get younger,” said Allen, entering his seventh NFL season. “I think it’s an opportunity for myself to grow as a leader. And to bring along some of these young guys and new guys that we’ve brought in to our team. And that’s an opportunity, frankly, that I’m very excited about."
Despite the departures, the Bills offense is not exactly lacking even though general manager Brandon Beane is expected to target selecting a receiver with his first pick — currently 28th overall — in the draft next week.
Receiver Khalil Shakir enters his third year and tight end Dalton Kincaid enter his second following promising seasons. Buffalo also added veteran experience in signing free agent receiver Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins.
While Beane acknowledged the Bills lack a true No. 1 receiver, he noted there’s less urgency to fill that spot now than in 2020 because of how much the offense has developed under Allen.
“Now that Josh has ascended to the player he is, is that a requirement? I don’t think so,” Beane said.
Diggs’ role also began diminishing in the second half of last season, which coincided with Joe Brady replacing Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator. Brady placed an emphasis on adding balance to a pass-heavy attack and getting more receivers involved, which led to an uptick in production for Shakir and Kincaid.
While Diggs’ numbers dropped, Buffalo’s win total increased.
With the Bills at 6-6, Diggs ranked third in the NFL with 83 catches, seventh with 969 yards and tied for third with eight TDs receiving. Buffalo then closed the season with five straight wins in which Diggs combined for 24 catches for 214 yards and no scores.
”(Diggs) meant a lot. You look at the statistics, they don’t lie,” Allen said, in referring to Diggs topping 100 catches and 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons in Buffalo. “I don’t get paid to make changes on the team. I get paid to be the best quarterback that I can be and try to lead the guys on this team.”