Stefon Diggs is a free agent and the Texans need a No. 2 wide receiver with Tank Dell injured. Should they bring Diggs back into the fold next season? In The Loop's John Lopez, Reggie Adetula and Figgy Fig discuss it here.
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00:00As you tried to you know, you begin turning the the page on this previous season and starting to look at how you
00:06How this team, you know gets gears up and goes to contend next year
00:12obviously why receiver is a very
00:15Offense in general is a very a big place of concern for this team. It was it was disappointing this year
00:21In fact, we'll talk more about that
00:22And I think Jonathan Alexander wrote a really interesting piece about you know
00:25Some of the some of the reasons why this team did not live up to the hype that they had and I know that he'll
00:30Also join the drive at two so a good way to examine some of those
00:34But when it comes to finishing this offense being able to pass the ball in a better way will be helpful and honestly just having
00:40The wide receivers necessary obviously Stephon Diggs got injured. What was that week?
00:45Ten was that again? I'll have to go double-check because as soon as I went to say it left my brain
00:50But then you also lose tank Dell in week 16 to an ACL and MCL
00:55injury plus a dislocated knee as well and that is actually gonna take tank Dell out of the running for
01:01Likely a majority of next season and maybe all of next season. And so you look at a Nico Collins. He said he's there
01:07You you know, he's gonna be there
01:08He is going to deliver as well because he's that level of player
01:11Who else do you have and so you need to start having?
01:13I mean this offseason why receiver is a need of sorts and the question is
01:18Is Stephon Diggs with the familiarity that he has with this raw with this offense with this roster is?
01:24You know also the you know the way that he came in and he was a leader
01:28He was a you know a teacher and a helper in that room
01:32Is that the guy right guy to return especially as a dude who's a little bit older playing football and coming off of a major?
01:38injury, well
01:40Obviously we all need more information on this, you know, like what's what's the price gonna glad you use that word
01:46What's the price gonna be?
01:48What are some of the other things that that are gonna affect the offense who's the coordinator gonna be
01:54I mean, that's a great question that you have to get in line, by the way
01:58The clock is ticking man, like like they need to make a decision on this today tomorrow
02:04Well, I mean D'Amico Ryan's on his press conference on Monday came and it was like we won't take a week
02:09Which was weird to begin with as we mentioned, but back to it to Stefan
02:14I mean you you need some more information, but with without that information
02:18I think for me, I don't know where you guys stand. We didn't even talk about this in advance
02:22You know in terms of where we stood
02:24Yes. Yes. I think you need Stefan Diggs. You've got the guy and Nico Collins
02:29I don't know what you have still and if you don't know by now on John Metchey and Xavier Hutchinson, maybe that's the answer
02:37Well, I do know that I do know that you need a guy like because as of right now
02:41You need another wide receiver, even if I really you probably need two wide receivers
02:47It's a modern NFL where you need kind of three wide receivers
02:50You can depend on and I guess maybe the question I ask you there is how do you feel about Xavier Hutchinson?
02:55Or met she be even being a third wide receiver starting a year understanding that injuries happen and such
03:00I don't know and I think that's the answer. Okay, so do you I don't know as well
03:05Yeah, and so it feels like all right probably need two wide receivers
03:09but do you also if you're trying to fill out a wide receiver room, do you also then go with a
03:15Situation where you have a free agent and you draft one because I know on the text line
03:19I asked you do you want him a three two?
03:21They bring digs back if the price was right do not overpay from another eight three two
03:25I don't know if I want to pay him
03:27But I do wish he could be here to rehab if he wanted to be and then finally our Ocho came in with he doesn't
03:33Definitely does not want digs back. He wants them to draft Matthew Golden from, Texas
03:38He won't do this from the beginning. That's right. That's right. That's probably not the fairest way to go. But like
03:44Yeah, man, I did a little bit because yeah, you're right
03:47There are some some contextual things to it
03:49one of the reasons why it might be advantage to bring Stefan digs back is because you're looking at
03:5516 million dollar cap hit on him next year
03:59Even with him not being on your team because of the restructure that you did in the way that you you know made last year
04:05this a
04:07Final year of his contract form and the Voyager that you had on the back side of that for 2025
04:12Cost you that much and don't get me out here to line
04:15I'm no capologist
04:16But you might be able to maneuver and you know massage some of that cap hit if you were able to bring him back and sign
04:23Him to another contract, especially if that market is depressed a little bit coming off of an injury
04:28So like when it comes down to you might be able to save yourself some money that way
04:32But of course saving yourself some money probably should not be the tip of the spear on your decision-making on whether or not he returns
04:37No, and it also depends on on you know, what what you're not just saving money, but what you're willing to spend
04:43And you look at T Higgins
04:45Which has been who's been talked about a lot here and maybe that's what Joe Mixon has been mentioning
04:49You know, Nick's got something up his sleeve
04:51Yeah
04:52I mean that would make sense because one Joe Mixon played with
04:56Like they he talked about him being a great recruiter. Like maybe that was the hint that he was wink-winking and nodding
05:03I don't think that's it
05:05Yeah, and I just wanted to lay out the situation as to why how that would make sense if possible that hey
05:10He's looking at and going wink. I have this connection to this
05:14Probably the top Wybrer the top wide receiver definitely free agent. Maybe the top free agent out there
05:19Maybe if you look at quarterback and the value there
05:21I think this year probably right but yeah T Higgins is going to be out there
05:24Is that something that obviously interest you but then that's when you start talking about the money
05:28That's when you start talking about money right now. According to spot rack T Higgins market value is four years a
05:33hundred million dollars
05:35On the other hand Stefan Diggs market value one year thirteen point five million dollars, you know age comes into play
05:42You know, he was effective and I thought he first a good long stretch
05:46He was really good a lot a lot of catches
05:48But maybe not the explosive catches that you know, you might want from Stefan Diggs, but still you got the veteran presence
05:55You got a guy that is got a great relationship seemingly with with CJ Stroud
06:00Familiarity with the offense again, is it still gonna be the same offense?
06:03I mean, that's a big factor right here with with who you're bringing back
06:07but if you're asking me do I want Stefan Diggs back with that being the backdrop T Higgins is a
06:12Possibility at a hundred million dollars in four years versus Stefan Diggs one year at thirteen point five
06:17I think give me Stefan Diggs T Higgins obviously explosive player had a great year
06:22But I think I'd rather with Nico Collins on the team. I'd rather have Stefan Diggs
06:26Yeah, and the money of it. I think some more context here. I think as of right now the projected
06:33Cap space that you'll have is what three and a half million you like you you you need you get there's some working to be
06:38Done about figuring out the cap situation for you in the upcoming year
06:42Plus don't forget you got three offensive linemen that make over
06:47Million and all three of them are ones that have come whose names have come up as possibly
06:51Hey are these places that you need to adjust or change in order to make this offense better?
06:56so like I think that there's there's a lot of money situations and I do wonder how readily available the cash will be after a
07:02Season offseason where you you spent a lot of money less offseason and free agency
07:06I wonder can you double up and do that or are you gonna have to play a lot of kit?
07:09Can and I say kick cannon a whole bunch of restructure to push more money into the future
07:14Which I guess to be fair if you are in a mood to play kick can this is the type of mood you do that
07:18And you push money forward when you're looking to contend and this is that time for the Texans?
07:23So, okay, we lay out that portion of it. So the money portion of it
07:26I think also as more people talk about whether or not they would like digs digs would be a great possession receiver way better than
07:32Robert Woods. They said they would trade met you for a third or fourth round pick in order to do that
07:36I don't I don't know exactly
07:41But another part of this and the part that I tried to highlight but I want to circle back around to is again
07:46He is he's a little bit older in wide receiver terms 31, right?
07:50We'll be 32 coming off of an ACL injury and what is reasonable to expect for that guy
07:55Especially if you're asking him to be a number two receiver
07:58Coming off of that injury and so in order to try and do that did a little mini
08:02Research project and I went maybe the last decade
08:04I tried to find players of a certain age and a certain caliber of
08:09player in order to see what they did before their injury what they did in the injury season provided that it was long enough and
08:15What they did afterwards to see at the very least if there was a drop-off and I kind of did this
08:19My methodology here was to try and find like it was their consistency in like catch percentage and success percentage success percentage
08:27Obviously speaking to yeah, you know, did they have successful plays? But then also did they still have a decent amount of volume?
08:32What were the yards per target like saying if were they still similarly?
08:35Effect able to kind of get those yards down the field and then were they able to have just the general heft yards per game?
08:41I'm not gonna read off the numbers
08:43But some of the guys that I was looking at Mike Williams recently 2023
08:46He had an ACL injury at the age of 29
08:48He had a decrease after the injury and catch percentage decrease in success percentage a large decrease in in yards per game
08:55So that feels like it and I mean anecdotally Mike Williams of the Chargers are and actually he went up to New York
09:01It felt like there was just a clear downgrade in his play
09:03Robert Woods comes up and I don't know if you feel like our Robert Woods isn't of the same same caliber
09:07But he was he's been a third thousand yard receiver in his career
09:10He had an ACL injury in 21 at the age of 29. He had a decrease over all of those things
09:16Odell Beckham jr. I do I even have to read off the numbers?
09:19We very prominently what happened with him and being less effective
09:24Emmanuel Sanders is an interesting one because he was in
09:262018 is when he had his ACL injury at the age of 31 and he kind of got better now
09:32He had a down year the year prior to him and he was really good in that season
09:36It was like a career year in that season that he ultimately got hurt
09:39So there was a downtick from that season
09:41But that's the seasons after his age 32 and 33 seasons were actually better than the seasons that he had before
09:48Maybe that's an anomaly. I don't know Demaryius Thomas also kind of got better in that situation
09:53Julian Edelman at the age of 31 had his injury. He also kind of got better now, that's New England
09:59How do you view that and Jordy Nelson interestingly enough?
10:02He had a step back but then also bounced back in years prior
10:07Yeah, and so I think I got a little bit of mixed signals there but all of that seemed to point to especially
10:14As you know within the last decade as medicine continues to project for it
10:17It feels like ACL injuries, especially for players of that high caliber
10:21You can bounce back from that and be some some level of facsimile some closeness to what you were prior in
10:27Those next years and next years might be a little bit too much because you need him this upcoming year
10:32But I feel like you can still get especially for a possession receiver like Stefan Diggs somebody who wasn't as predicated on speed
10:37I think you can still get the same level and the same heft of talent of play from him coming off the injury at
10:44At age 32 in a weird way
10:46You you you kind of sold me on on Steph Stefan Diggs
10:50Because you don't need him to be the explosive number one anymore and he will come cheaper
10:56He knows with the ACL and the age that 13.5 is probably very accurate that spot rack
11:03Projects if you know if you sign him, that's a bargain for a veteran that is comfortable here and you would expect maybe not the you
11:10know
11:11Improved and explosive numbers, but do you really need improved and explosive numbers from that position?
11:16You also got me thinking about something else real quick. What's that tank Dell?
11:20Like that's an ACL that you're talking about. He had a complete blowout ACL MCL dislocation
11:26What can we possibly expect from him when yeah, no, that's where you start talking about drafting the receives
11:31It's not just about met she and Xavier Hutchinson and can you improve there?
11:34You got to start thinking very seriously got a revamp this whole who I receive
11:38Will you ever will you ever get because tank Dell is all about cuts and routes and speed, right?
11:44I think that the routes and the cuts can still be there
11:47The speed is the thing that I weren't worried about and I guess let me ask this as a question
11:51How much do you think tank Dell's game is predicated on speed versus being like a technician because I know that there's there's some speed
11:59In there, don't get me wrong. Like I'm not trying to say that it's nothing. He is a great route runner
12:02He's a pretty damn good route runner. I still think there's probably room for improvement, but he's also you what in your what?
12:08Yeah, two three, right?
12:09So yeah, man
12:11I and then here's the thing about I think if you bring if you bring in certain free agents
12:16Like let's say that T Higgins is the name. I still think you probably need to draft into this
12:20And then think about it you're not signing T Higgins to a short deal
12:23No
12:24so then you would have three wide receivers on relatively long-term deals between Nico Collins T Higgins in a rookie and
12:30Then where is the space for tank Dell where I think that Stefan digs can be again
12:34That's a relatively short term
12:36Maybe one two year where if you draft a rookie that does not prohibit a reintegration of tent from tank Dell if he comes back
12:44Especially at the level that you hope that he comes back in. Yeah to still be a part and parcel of it
12:48I actually think that Stefan digs is probably a good I do bridge
12:52but I also think that you he can't it can't just be that I don't think it can just be that and then an
12:56Expectation of Mechie and Hutchison. I think that you probably do need a rookie. Maybe like Matthew golden. Oh Joe. I'll see you
13:03I'll see you
13:05Campaigning but I do think that they still they still need that but I was I was really in honestly
13:10I've been saying to myself coming off of an injury at an advanced age
13:14What can you expect and I was kind of emboldened?
13:16Of course, this is not this is not the super research project
13:19That's gonna tell you everything like but with a cursory look at some of the guys that have a certain caliber some of the guys
13:25That you know have been really good and why receiver dealing with an ACL and coming back from it, especially at age 29 30 31
13:32You've seen guys been able to come back and give you a facsimile
13:37In the case of Stefan did I think so, but you know talking about that ACL
13:41I'm like, oh boy, you know cuz we don't even know when you know
13:45Tank Dale's gonna come back probably at best midseason next year at best. That's that's absolute
13:51Probably I'm not banking on that. I would probably miss the entire season and then when he comes back
13:56He's as you as you've put it every L. It's gonna be a whole different room in there every L that you have in your leg
14:02He's he tore
14:04And he's about cuts and precision and technician as you as technique as you put it
14:09I
14:11That's what I'm thinking about. You need to draft a wide receiver man, and we never we never thought yeah
14:16They definitely need to draft a wide receiver took and not to replace tank Dale
14:20But to take his place I know for this for this moment right now
14:24But um outside the lights to find is I was thinking like to me if I had a choice
14:30I will really consider DeAndre Hawkins because I feel like that's somebody that's kind of up there that you don't need him to be
14:37The number one
14:39Yeah, he working on the ring, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming back here
14:42Yeah
14:43And I mean fair things coming on the text like again
14:45This is just from the outside looking in the Texans will have a much better idea of medicals
14:50I imagine that will inform their decisions and of course
14:53Stefan Diggs is willingness. I imagine that he seemed to enjoy his time here seemed to bond well that was the big issue
14:59I know somebody was saying wasn't there already a drop-off with Stefan Diggs
15:02I think that was more usage thing in Buffalo
15:04And a a clashing of personality or what have you if you want to call it that it seems like he still plays at a high
15:09Level we saw that here, but people are bringing up the idea of okay some of the guys
15:13I was talking about with the man like a
15:15Demaryius Thomas and Emanuel Sanders who were able to maintain
15:17Some of their play in years after the injury paid Manning might have been the common denominator there a fair a fair shout
15:24But yeah, man, I still I look just looking at it. I would be willing and open now
15:28Is that the ultimate way that they go?
15:29I don't know and there's still a lot of things to consider like who is out there is is T Higgins willing and is that a
15:35Clear upgrade that you then can't afford to pass up. I don't know but I I think just interestingly enough
15:41I think that I'm very much open to Stefan Diggs being on this team again and that being the one of the one of the
15:48Steps that you take in order of rehabbing this I guess unintended pun there rehabbing this wide receiving core for the next year. Yeah