BILLS DEAL DIGGS TO TEXANS IN STUNNER

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud’s stellar rookie season has emboldened GM Nick Caserio to load up.

The Texans are acquiring star wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Bills in a blockbuster trade.

The Bills are receiving a 2025 second-round pick that Houston held through the Vikings. The Texans get Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth.

Diggs, 30, a four-time Pro Bowler, now will team up with Texans wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz to form a frightening skill group.

The downfield burner Dell is working his way back from a broken leg, so Diggs’ presence helps fortify the Texans’ Week 1 arsenal regardless of how Dell’s ramp-up to full strength goes.

The Texans now have added Diggs, former Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter and former Bengals running back Joe Mixon this offseason after blowing out the Browns, 45-14, in last year’s AFC Wild Card round before falling to the Ravens, 34-10.

The Bills’ trade of Diggs, meanwhile, reinforces a major reset in Buffalo.

Josh Allen is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but the window on this version of the Bills has slammed shut with several veteran releases and now this trade of Diggs.

Buffalo paid Diggs a four-year, $96 million contract extension in the spring of 2022. So the Bills will eat some dead money for several years on that deal, but managed to shift the rest of the contract over to Houston.

Diggs was Allen’s top target after the Bills acquired him in a 2020 trade from the Vikings. Allen’s ascension, in fact, coincided directly with Diggs’ addition. The wide receiver was named first-team All-Pro in his first season playing in Orchard Park.

But Diggs grew disgruntled in recent years after not seeing enough targets in key playoff spots. And then Diggs dropped a deep Allen pass in the fourth quarter that contributed to the Bills’ 27-24 home divisional playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs.

Diggs’ trade to Houston is an example that the Giants could find a No. 1 wide receiver on the trade market, not just in a draft. But Giants GM Joe Schoen used his No. 39 overall pick at the top of the second round to trade for Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns instead.

Former Giants running back Saquon Barkley had interest from the Texans early in his free agency this year, but ended up signing with the Eagles instead.

So Caserio went out and pursued another proven weapon, a move that strengthens Houston’s bid to make a deeper playoff run in 2024.