The Denver Broncos altered the franchise’s trajectory last summer by drafting Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft. This offseason, the Broncos may concentrate on strengthening Nix’s supporting cast, and a player like Stefon Diggs could be wise.
Diggs is coming off a ruptured ACL that he sustained in Week 8 of the regular season. The Broncos have several young receivers with promising futures. However, they lack experience.
Tyler Brooke of the 33rd Team feels Diggs, the Houston Texans’ standout, can cover the gaps.
“Courtland Sutton is a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and Marvin Mims has emerged as a significant vertical threat on the other side. Devaughn Vele is an intriguing big-bodied slot, but a healthy Diggs may improve the slot while roaming over the field in different alignments,” Brooke wrote on March 4.
“Diggs brings a skill set to the position that Denver’s other receivers don’t have, and with $40 million in cap space, they have enough cap space to work on a move if both sides are interested.”
During the 2024 offseason, the Texans traded for Diggs from the Buffalo Bills. He concluded the season with 47 receptions, 496 yards, and three touchdowns. He would have been third on the Broncos in all three categories.
Diggs has over 1,000 yards receiving in six consecutive seasons entering 2024.
According to Stathead, Diggs leads third in the league in catches and sixth in touchdowns and yards since being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings as the 146th overall pick in 2015.
Stefon Diggs receives disappointing news about his potential return to the Texans.
Diggs’ future grew more questionable after reports surfaced that the Texans had a limit to how far they would go to keep him.
“With the wideout room, the headline offseason question is what the Texans do with the impending free agency of Diggs,” ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime said on March 6. “Both [Texans head coach DeMeco] Ryans and Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke highly of Diggs and see value in having him back.
“Diggs made $22.52 million from the Texans in 2024, but a team source told ESPN that re-signing him will depend on finding a team-friendly amount. Something less than what he earned in 2024.
Over The Cap predicts the Texans will be $982,741 over the salary cap.
They also have Tank Dell, a receiver who sustained a season-ending injury during the year.
The Texans traded for Diggs. However, Dell is younger and was a promising draft pick before joining the Texans. That may leave Diggs seeking for a new home in 2025, while the Broncos offer a pass-heavy offense.
Diggs was on a one-year contract worth $22.5 million.
According to Over The Cap, Diggs has made $128 million in his career. Spotrac estimates Diggs’ market worth to be $13.5 million over a one-year period.
Diggs also became dissatisfied with his conditions in Buffalo and Minnesota, prompting those teams to trade him. Due to injury, he has only played a full slate of regular season games four times, three of which occurred after the league adopted a 17-game schedule.
Stefon Diggs Could Be the Broncos’ WR2.
The Athletic listed Diggs as the WR3 and No. 16 overall predicted free agency this offseason, citing Caserio’s statement that the team is open to bringing Diggs back for the 2025 season.
“Though Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowler, he is also probably a very good No. 2 receiver at this point in his career at age 31,” noted The Athletic’s David DeChant, Jourdan Rodrigue, and Vic Tafur in February. “Teams will have questions about his injury recovery, but there’s no question he is a top receiver in this class.”
Sean Payton, the Broncos’ head coach, has minimized the necessity for a veteran receiver.
“I think a veteran wide receiver fits into a ‘need,'” Payton told Kay Adams on “Up & Adams” on February 5. “I believe we are stronger there than some people assume. Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin. There are some receivers that we drafted a year ago. We’ll take a close look down the middle, including inside linebacker and safety. There will be a few additional vacancies.
“In this equation, you have to say, ‘All right, what’s the draft look like,’ and then, ‘What’s free agency look like,’ and try to figure out the puzzle as to where we find these pieces.”
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