Does Stefon Diggs Trade Push Texans Past Ravens in AFC Hierarchy?
The Ravens beat the Houston Texans in the season opener and in the divisional spherical of the playoffs, however the upstart group made one other massive transfer yesterday in an try and slim the hole between them and AFC elite groups such because the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore.
Houston acquired four-time Pro Bowl huge receiver Stefon Diggs (together with a 2024 sixth-round decide and a 2025 fifth rounder) from the Buffalo Bills in trade for a 2025 second-round choice. Diggs joins Nico Collins and Tank Dell to provide the defending AFC South champions arguably one of the best huge receiver trio in the league.
With quarterback C.J. Stroud, final yr’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, and defensive finish Will Anderson Jr., final yr’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, as cornerstones, the Texans have loaded up this offseason. Besides Diggs, the Texans’ additions embrace four-time Pro Bowl outdoors linebacker Danielle Hunter, Pro Bowl working again Joe Mixon, and veteran defensive finish Denico Autry.
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan ranked the largest threats in the AFC to the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, and he put the Texans second, behind the Cincinnati Bengals and forward of the New York Jets and Ravens.
“Maybe we’re a prisoner of the second by placing the Texans this excessive, however it’s warranted given the strikes they’ve made this offseason,” Sullivan wrote. “When you account for the expertise coming in and the general maturation of the roster from a yr in the past — significantly Stroud — Houston has the makings of a group that might take a substantial leap in 2024. DeMeco Ryans additionally proved to be a stellar head coach in his first season with the Texans, and it was an enormous coup that the group did not lose Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowick to a head-coaching alternative this offseason as properly. That continuity and injection of top-tier expertise ought to make the Texans a particularly formidable opponent.”
In the wake of the Diggs commerce, the Texans’ odds to win the Super Bowl jumped from from +2500 to +1500 on BetMGM, through The New York Post. However, they remained behind the San Francisco 49ers, Chiefs, Ravens, Detroit Lions, Bills, and Bengals. Five of the seven groups with one of the best odds reside in the AFC.
“It’s far too early to make soccer predictions, however there is no doubt that the Houston hurdle on the Ravens’ Super Bowl path seems to be way more formidable than it did final week,” Sports Illustrated’s Geoff Magliochetti wrote.
The Ravens will play the Texans in Houston this coming season.
NFL Executive on Ravens: ‘Love Their Chances, Love Them With a Chip on Their Shoulder’
The Athletic spoke with executives across the league for his or her ideas on all 32 groups’ offseason strikes.
Included with the executives’ feedback was every group’s common per-year wage (APY) of gamers who have been added from different groups and gamers who left to signal with different groups, together with the differential between the 2. Here are the numbers for the Ravens:
* APY added: $14.8M (twenty eighth)
* APY differential: -$43.5M (thirty second)
One government stated of the Ravens’ plethora of losses this offseason: “They are paying a quarterback now, so they’re residing with that they usually have been changing base salaries to bonuses, so they’re taking their medication.”
Despite the Ravens’ roster turnover, one other government stays excessive on them, due in half to the addition of four-time Pro Bowl working again Derrick Henry.
“I simply love in two years what they’ve achieved on offense,” the manager stated. “Last yr, including [Offensive Coordinator] Todd Monken, including the weapons to assist Lamar [Jackson], and now it is like a correction. ‘Hey, we received away from the run in opposition to Ok.C. [in the playoffs], we ain’t ever doing that once more. We are going to slam it on you with the final word finisher, the final word playoff man.’ Tennessee’s offensive line was gawd-awful final season, and [Henry] nonetheless had over 1,000 yards with a rookie quarterback.
“Love Baltimore, love their probabilities, love them with a chip on their shoulder. The proven fact that Baltimore is tied with the 2 Super Bowl groups for the best preseason win complete speaks to the respect that Baltimore has.”
WR Prospect Ladd McConkey Would Welcome Reunion With Monken
Some mock drafts have the Ravens deciding on Georgia huge receiver Ladd McConkey in the primary spherical, and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah stated on “The Lounge” podcast that “Baltimore would embrace him in an enormous method.”
If the Ravens did draft McConkey with the Thirtieth-overall choice, he can be reunited with Monken, who was Georgia’s offensive coordinator throughout two of McConkey’s seasons with the Bulldogs. Georgia gained the nationwide championship each of these years.
McConkey spoke about probably enjoying for Monken in Baltimore throughout an look on FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams.”
“Yeah, it could be cool,” McConkey stated. “Heck yeah.”
McConkey additionally stated of Monken: “He received one of the best out of me and we gained some video games. He’ll get one of the best out of you. His massive factor is [that] every little thing issues, and that is from walk-throughs, to highschool, to conferences, to follow. I do know he most likely saved that motto going into the NFL. He produced this yr and I do know they’re most likely solely going to get higher.”
