Texans Looking Into WR Market; G Kenyon Green Drawing Trade Interest

The Texans have seen their wide receiver armada take some hits during the season’s first half. While Nico Collins is expected back fairly soon, Houston will be without Stefon Diggs the rest of the way due to a torn ACL. Diggs’ injury occurring before the trade deadline gives the AFC South leaders an opportunity.

This offseason bringing a change to the trade deadline helps teams like Houston, as clubs now have until 3pm CT on Nov. 5 to discuss deals. The Texans will be among those teams, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indicates the team is looking into acquiring receiver help in the wake of Diggs’ injury.

Houston already made a deep dive into the WR pool this offseason, adding Diggs for a package fronted by a 2025 second-round pick. Diggs, 30, had avoided a major injury throughout his career; his first as a pro changes Houston’s equation, as it has gone from a Collins-Diggs-Tank Dell trio to depending on Dell, who is coming off a season-ending 2023 injury. Dell also sustained minor injuries in an offseason shooting. As it stands, the 2023 third-round pick is the Texans’ top active pass catcher, but his 2024 totals (24 receptions, 229 yards) are well off the pace Collins (32/567) and Diggs (47/496) have set.

Nick Caserio did well to pair Diggs’ $24MM-per-year contract with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal, as the Houston GM was far more active this offseason — after Stroud’s Offensive Rookie of the Year season — compared to his first three in charge. As Diggs, thanks to an agreement with the Texans to remove the final three years of his contract, heads toward free agency coming off a knee injury in Year 10.

The Texans still have some options at receiver, with Robert Woods and 2022 second-round pick John Metchie rostered. No one beyond Houston’s top three has cleared 75 yards this season, however, with second-year player Xavier Hutchinson‘s 64 leading the way among the team’s second-stringers.

Mike Williams, Darius Slayton, Adam Thielen and a few Patriots (K.J. Osborn, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton) represent the known trade market. Some options may be in play beyond this group, depending on what teams are willing to trade. The Seahawks have seen teams check in on D.K. Metcalf, while the Chargers may be open to moving contract-year target Josh Palmer. It would not be a trade deadline without Courtland Sutton rumors, but like the Bengals and Tee Higgins, the Broncos do not appear likely to move on.

The Raiders may want to retain Jakobi Meyers, but it does not sound like they are committed to keeping the Josh McDaniels-era signing, and Graziano adds the Texans would likely be interested if the sixth-year vet — whose Patriots tenure overlapped with Caserio’s — was made available. Bourne’s 49ers tenure also overlapped with now-Texans OC Bobby Slowik‘s, providing some scheme familiarity. Though, the Patriots may be more interested in moving Osborn.

Elsewhere on the Texans’ roster, their No. 12 overall pick in 2022 (Kenyon Green) is drawing interest, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Teams had placed the third-year guard on their radars before the Texans benched him in Week 8. Missing all of last season due to a knee injury, Green rebounded and reclaimed a starting job. But the Texas A&M product has struggled, being benched for Jarrett Patterson. The latter’s concussion, however, led Green back into action. Among regulars, Pro Football Focus ranks Green as the NFL’s worst guard (77th overall) this season. He will retain his starting job in Week 9, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the Texans had considered Kendrick Green to start.

Teams do not look to view Green as a player the Texans will commit to in the long term. First-round O-linemen generally receive second chances, and some suitors appear ready to provide one for Green, who is signed through 2025. With Patterson in concussion protocol, the Texans may be less inclined to listen — especially as low-end offers figure to come in given Green’s woes to date.