PALM BEACH, Fla. - Texans GM Nick Caserio wasn’t afraid to trade for former Buffalo Bills star Stefon Diggs prior to last season.
With Diggs suffering a torn ACL two months into the season, however, Caserio wasn’t able to get the best bang for his buck.
Speaking with MassLive Monday, the Texans boss and former Patriots personnel head doesn’t regret that trade for one minute given the Diggs that arrived in Houston.
“He was a great teammate, worked as hard as anybody. He was one of the best players in training camp in terms of his attitude, in terms of his effort,” Caserio said. “He did a great job with some of the younger players at the receiver position. So, he was great having on the team, honestly.
“He helped us win games. It’s unfortunate what happened to him. But he’ll add a lot to the (Patriots) for sure.”
The Texans utilized Diggs in the slot most often, but he wasn’t relegated to that spot. Caserio wasn’t worried about his fit in the Patriots offense.
“He’s got position versatility. He’s played inside the formation. He’s played outside the formation,” Caserio said. “Josh (McDaniels) will do a good job taking advantage of his flexibility. But he can handle multiple roles because he’s smart, he’s tough, he’s good with the ball.”
Caserio indicated the Patriots spoke with the Texans prior to New England signing Diggs to the lucrative 3-year, $69 million deal last week.
McDaniels brother Ben is the Texans receivers coach and pass game coordinator.
“There were some conversations. I’m sure at some point Josh had some conversations with him at some point. Everybody goes about their process,” Caserios said. “If anybody reaches out to us, we’re happy to talk honestly. Steph was great. (coach) Demeco Ryans loved having him on the team.”
Caserio said that while Diggs had a reputation for being a bit of a diva, calling out his quarterbacks on the sidelines, there was none of that with Houston. He backed other reports saying the same.
“He’s very aware (of the reputation). He’s very mature. He’s very out-going. He’s very experienced. He’s seen a lot. He’s been associated with a lot of good programs,” Caserio said, “and he’s probably at the point in his career where he’s matured, and his perspective has changed relative to what it was earlier in his career.
“I wish him nothing but the best. I think hope he does well. I think he’s going to help them a lot.”
Caserio indicated there were conversations with the Diggs camp about bringing him back.
“Obviously there were some questions about where he was physically with the knee. We just had to figure out contractually where he fell,” Caserio said. “We were open to having him back. But we traded for (Christian) Kirk. There was a spot for him for sure. It just didn’t work out.”
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