In The Loop's John P. Lopez, Reginald Adetula and Figgy Fig discuss how the Texans should go about addressing the wide receiver position this offseason.
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00:00Stefan Diggs, remember when he came in you traded for him
00:02He had multiple years remaining on his deal and you did a you did a little bit of a restructure in order to create it
00:07So that it was a one-year deal in essence
00:09It was a contract year and unfortunately in that year while he was playing well, he got injured
00:13But what that means is that you had a void year in order to kind of manipulate the situation
00:18Yes
00:18We're getting to the con the the weeds of the contracts and in the salary cap
00:22But I'm not trying to get too deep because I feel like I will also drown with you
00:26But that void year constitutes it has with it a 16.6 if I remember correctly, actually I should double-check 16 ish a 16
00:35Ish to happen that you are going to have to just eat if that void year goes into effect
00:41Now if he reached if he resigns here
00:44You can maybe do a little bit of restructures to that so that you can kind of find a way to do the the cap
00:48Accounting in such a way that it does not hit you for that plane for that exact number
00:53However, if you get to 3 p.m. Today or 3 p.m. Eastern Time 2 p.m. No 4 p.m. Eastern 3 p.m
01:00Today I had a right you were gonna have it to where that void year hits
01:0416.6 million dollars is what you are having to account for on the salary cap without him even playing here
01:09And if he if you decide to sign him back if he ultimately signs back later
01:13Whatever his cap hit is on top of what you have there
01:16and I think that the reason why I bring this into a conversation that we're supposed to be having about how you would address the
01:21Y receivers is
01:22That's absolutely I imagine any team does a little bit of their accounting based on we have this much account
01:29Accounting or this much of the proverbial pie
01:32set for kind of positions in some ways and that's gonna eat up part of what you're talking about or just in general if you
01:38Don't have to do kind of positional allotments or allocation just as a team
01:42You are looking at the projection is that you'll have what three four million dollars in salary cap space
01:46That that's that salary cap space that you're going to need to find you're gonna need to find some space
01:51whether it be for your rookie class to be signed or the number or the numerous free agents that you have to have some of
01:56This accounting they're all the way across team
01:58But specifically with Y receiver
01:59I have been of the opinion that you're gonna need to bring into
02:02Because tank that was not gonna be available to you
02:04You probably are gonna draft one
02:06Early on in day one or day two and I think you probably want someone with a little bit of veteran feel
02:11To be brought in and signed as a free agent
02:15And that's takes it a little bit. It just inherently makes it less maneuverable to do this
02:20well, okay, so just to sort of
02:22kind of muddle through all the
02:25Details of this thing. So basically what we need to look at is if they can re-sign
02:32Stefan digs
02:34today
02:35Which which is a little bit hard to fathom that they will well, yeah
02:41Communication now it's possible and we know this about the Houston Texans organization they move in silence like lasagna, right?
02:47I think that I think that there's there I guess you have to say the whole thing
02:51Otherwise, it doesn't make sense real cheese move. It sounds like
02:55But the the idea is like there's stuff in out here in the public very often like it's not a lot of leaks that happen
03:01Necessarily and so it's possible that maybe there's some level of kind of conversation, but it does not seem like that
03:07I would not have any particular indication of the case now
03:09Maybe something like this could happen to help you
03:12Navigate this because I think it's fair to assume that Stefan digs probably wants to play the market a little bit and see
03:16If he can find a space. I know that he was happy here
03:18I know that he you know seemed to grab on well to the culture in the locker room, whatever
03:23However, what if something happens like Aaron Jones is doing where the Vikings and Aaron Jones and this came down?
03:29Believe this was Saturday the Vikings and Aaron Jones agreed to move the void date of their contract to just before free agency go
03:36That'd be something
03:37Give you an opportunity to get closer to free agency
03:40and I know that technically it's tampering but we know what happens in these leagues where
03:43Tampering Steph can get a little bit of an idea of hey
03:46What's out there and at least if that void year if you're gonna ultimately carry it, you'll ultimately carry it
03:51But if you get closer and you give yourself more of a run
03:55One way for once and this team to figure out what they want and maybe come back around and make a deal
04:00That kind of helps you. Yeah
04:03Better address your salary cap because this is not where you were last year where you had a whole bunch money
04:07You just spend it like you were in a supermarket suite. This is a little bit different
04:11Cognizant and 16.6 going on your deck cap is something you have to be very deliberate about in my mind
04:15Yeah, so what you what you're looking at here is if somehow they were to sign him today
04:20I think it'd be a little bit of a surprise as we mentioned, but I also feel
04:24The I mean obviously you would have an answer because the contract they would they would be able to save more cap space by redo it
04:30Retooling his deal today, but you're kind of selling both sides short including yourself
04:35Like Stefan Diggs may have a better gauge as you put and put it like where he might land in free agency
04:42And what is out there? Hell the Texans would have a better gauge as well in terms of like
04:47Finding out more about some of the draft picks finding about more some of these free agents that they might be able to bring in
04:52As a wide receiver because you're right
04:54They need more than one and if you're you know, if Stefan Diggs is a 16 million dollar cap hit
05:01You know that that's a lot right there
05:02But they need to draft one and they need to bring in another one
05:04I think so, but we were talking earlier in the handoff with
05:09with Steph with
05:11Seth and Sean there's a lot of
05:13It's a lot of overlap here man, and it also doesn't help. I heard the guys talking about it earlier today
05:17We also have a lot of Knicks now and eco's and like there's a lot of places where you could stumble if you're not careful
05:22But we're talking with Seth and Sean and Seth seems to be of the opinion that really you could just get one
05:27And likely like kind of draft one where you have your two guys that are they're really good
05:31He's right in saying that most teams own
05:35We really have reached here and having three guys. He felt were studs and then you had your people behind them
05:41But if you come through and you go, all right, you draft a wide receiver, maybe the first round
05:45So you have a guy that you expect to step in immediately an impact
05:48Who would you have as your front line Nico and that rod receiver whether it's a mecca bucca or you know
05:53Whoever else Luther Burton the third whoever else that you'd be looking at there, right?
05:57You'd have those two guys and then you're hoping for you know
06:01Some development of John Metchie into that's into a space like that
06:04Development of Xavier Hutchison into a space for like kind of that third wide receiver
06:08Maybe bringing in a very very low low money free agent to kind of come in and maybe find some space in there with you
06:15Or maybe even you see a Nick Caley offense that requires more of like 12 personnel where you have two tight ends on the field
06:21More often than not
06:23But ultimately with all of that the question I have is then what happens if the the car crash sport does the car crash sport?
06:30Trition hits. Yeah, I think I think you need to top tier wide receivers. I think everybody would agree on that
06:37But is that gonna be a veteran or you know, do you feel like you can you can find something that's already here?
06:44I don't think so
06:45And and but we'll know you never know what Nick Caley believes of you know of guys like Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson
06:52But I think you you know a free agent wide receiver whether it's to find eggs or anybody else has got to be on the table
06:57Well, you know T Higgins is the is the gem, of course
07:00And I do you want to go that route or whatever, but there's others as well, right?
07:04Uh, Tyler Boyd is a name that comes up
07:06I know the shots out to Houston stressens out there who kind of did a little bit of compiling of some of this, right?
07:11if you go towards do you want to get kind of a
07:15Slot type three ages some of those guys that are out there big money
07:18There's some big money guys like Keenan Allen and Chris Godwin that might be gettable
07:22Obviously Cooper Cup is a name that we've talked about
07:24What is he gonna look like and then also with the Cooper Cup you're doing the double dip where you were trading some level of?
07:28Asset plus trying to pay him on what that happens. Is that something that you would like?
07:33Although there you imagine there'd be some what do you think the Cooper Cup and come in?
07:37You know, how do you feel about the possibility of the potential to injury there or what have you Tyler Boyd is a name?
07:42Mm-hmm
07:42And if you if you're trying to kind of start coming back on money him or a Rondell Moore guys like that
07:47Like what what are those gonna look like?
07:50there or do you even want to go in a different place where you get kind of more of an outside receiver someone like
07:56Demarcus Robinson who you've seen and or like a Diamond Brown who it was not super impactful but showed up there
08:03I believe in Washington recently like
08:05It might be that level of kind of wide receiver that you're signing as a free agent that you don't necessarily
08:10Know for certain is going to be the level of impact
08:14But then you were just trusting on Nico Collins being the level of wide receiver that he is and then whatever draft pick that you
08:19Have and then just having somebody that you know is going to be a professional at that
08:22There do you feel like that's the way that I kind of look at it?
08:24Yeah, do you feel like Stefan would be the safer pick here to to to bring back a go-ahead?
08:29But you're gonna have a cap hit either way now
08:31It's a matter of it's gonna be 16 million dollars plus or less if you retool
08:36His deal you almost feel like Stefan's the safer play especially because you're gonna have to draft a wide receiver
08:41Anyway, third round, whatever it may be. I
08:44Wouldn't go I'm thinking first and second round of the day other places. I really look I mean and I think first round
08:50They're going lineman, but you can see I mean in the offensive
08:55Line hell he's gotten a love
08:57For for from a lot of these mock drafts on places that they can go and I wouldn't want them to be locked in
09:02On we have to take a wide receiver here to be fair
09:04Plus we've seen second third round wide receivers come in and be very impactful
09:08So I'm not trying to completely but I could see very early that happening
09:13Sorry, what was your question again? I don't talk my so you feel like Stefan days would be the safer
09:17Play because you have Nico you have Stefan back from last year
09:20Then you can kind of see where they where they fall with Xavier Hutchinson and John Michie and draft a receiver
09:26Whether it's second or third round, whatever
09:28You're gonna pay it. You're gonna have a cap hit anyway with Stefan digs no matter how much yeah, you know
09:34I don't know. I like the I notion of Stefan. Yes party B might be showing up again. Well, you know, I
09:40Mean for me personally considering it's not my money and also I go to game
09:44Yeah, I would personally benefit from from such things if that if those things were transpired as you've laid out
09:49No, I like it. It would be it would be the safer if we weren't talking about the injury
09:53That's the big elephant in the room there
09:55I mean, I I can only surmise so much from like workout video, right?
09:59But it does seem like he's recovering pretty well, and maybe you can see him being ready and available for you early on the season
10:06I think that his game
10:07I'm not as worried about that taking him entirely out of the capabilities that he has
10:12So yeah
10:12I kind of like that if you can find a way to work the numbers in such a way where it's comfortable and you can make
10:17him happy with what maybe well, I think the projection of the AP why is
10:2313 and a half million
10:26Like you work that in a place yeah where you do that
10:35I think really that before today's over right before our show is over even then maybe we find out that they went they went the
10:42Route of the Vikings and Aaron Jones where they move that back
10:44Give yourself an opportunity have better ideas of what the injury
10:47Also the recovery from the injury
10:49Looks like and then give your guess I think giving steps on days an opportunity to maybe get a feel for what the market is
10:54Out there and get more comfortable with possibly the idea of what the number looks like right if the market out
10:59There is maybe not looking as hot
11:01maybe he'd be willing to come back at a number that feels real palatable and you can run it back with guys that are
11:05Comfortable a guy that is a leader type guy and Stephon digs a guy he came in and immediately showed a level of leadership in
11:10This locker room you have that and then you can feel comfortable about we're gonna add a nice young player to this
11:14Who has an opportunity to grow and then we go we go?
11:17What do you sign a one-year deal given? I think he would have to yeah injury
11:21Approve it deal. Yeah. Yeah, that makes it more incentive more attractive, too
11:26I think so
11:26but also one of the things that would do though or it probably be like a deer would deal with an option like a two-year
11:31Deal in order to make sure cuz one year doesn't give you much room to do the salary cap and manipulation
11:36I think that's part of the appeal here. I appreciate Ocho though
11:39Texan in 713 said Texans need speedy receivers not glorified possession receivers like days
11:44I know that you never like digs to be honest, but Rondale more for three and it's cheap. They'd be okay
11:48He'd be okay with him. Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of different ways to go. I always again come back
11:53There's more than one way to cook chicken
11:55But I think ultimately I very much would like to see to our receivers understand that that's a luxury in some ways
12:01but I think it's a luxury that would be beneficial for this team to be able to like know that you have CJ give CJ a
12:06Lot of tools to work with. I feel like Stefan digs gets a bad rap for the season. He had this year. Yeah
12:13I thought he's very good
12:15It was very stuff like that. Like, you know, Ocho was never particularly
12:20He wasn't alone. I mean, I'm looking at the text board. That was a mistake. Yes. See I will bring a mistake
12:26Well, I mean got hurt
12:28Compared to drafting a guy that you had control over and part of the mistake that the notion of mistake is that you're having to
12:34Contend with that void year that you you know, you worked out with him now
12:37You're you're contending with 16 million dollars of dead cap. That's part of that's part of that decision
12:42But you had to get a veteran in here. I mean back. That's not rewrite history here
12:46You know, they were going for it last season
12:49Honestly, I think it made sense because you had Nico Collins you had
12:53Tankdale who had a monster year last year until you got hurt. Mm-hmm
12:57And so I think I think you did need somebody like I don't think necessarily you had to draft another first round or a first round
13:04Receiver exactly. I think they wanted that veteran in there
13:07Yeah, and I think you you you know, maybe you go with one maybe you're in the Seth
13:11pain
13:12Lane where you go just draft a raw receiver and just kind of go with what you've got and hope that some of these guys
13:16That you have you can continue to develop them, but it seems like someone on the text line three four six
13:20I'm done with Hutchison and met you thing. They're not good
13:23I don't know that I would go as flatly but I can understand why you'd be in a place. Yeah, I'm not
13:28No, I'm there to me. I wouldn't look at them and say you know what we good at receiver
13:33Let's you know, let's not get anybody else
13:36No
13:36I think they need to be pushed especially with the idea of like hey with the ways in which
13:40Injuries are going to happen and you saw that and they had a chance last last season and I mean, unfortunately
13:46They didn't really come up be it
13:47Yeah, Gary Slayton from North from the Giants to Marcus Robinson from the Rams Robinson would be a familiar familiar
13:56To I like what we're doing there, but I just generally it feels like today
13:59We're gonna learn a lot about the way they go about this and it might just be kind of status quo
14:03they were planning on having to eat that 16 million and change of
14:06Dead cap and they move and if that's the case
14:09That's just less money that this team would have necessarily to work free agents wise
14:12And of course every team is gonna have to do some work on doing, you know, balancing some things out makes no shake
14:17In fact, I think the Athletic put out put out a list of various different, you know
14:21Potential salary cap casualties and for this team Danica Autry would be that one interestingly enough
14:27That they put up there
14:28And of course, I don't know you agree with that or if you agree with that
14:31Just he was luxury and he was thinking on that moving it moving them
14:34You know having a level of release you creates nine million dollars in cap and nine million can go a long way I imagine