Quandre Diggs career could, for better or worse be defined by one word: Resurgence — “noun: a rising again into life, activity, or prominence.”
Since he was 18 years old, Diggs has brought life back to the numerous secondaries that he’s joined as he approaches his ninth NFL season.
A four star recruit from Angleton High School, Diggs joined the Texas Longhorns in 2011 as the nation’s highest ranked cornerback. The 2010 Longhorns may have fallen off the map with a 5-7 record following a BCS National Championship Game the year prior, but Diggs was a part of the “Texas Is Back” origin story.
In a less than ideal situation, Diggs still thrived. Texas rebounded with eight wins despite quarterback controversy and won a bowl game over Cal in the Holiday Bowl. Diggs was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year after gathering 48 tackles and four interceptions.
Fast forward. The Detroit Lions selected Diggs with the 200th overall pick in Round 6 of the 2015 NFL draft. Concerns over his 5-9 height and speed overshadowed his statistics growing better and better each year at Texas. The consensus was Diggs would only be capable of playing slot corner and he entered Detroit on the roster bubble.
He won that job during the course of his rookie season and played in all 16 games as a rookie. Two years later Diggs started 11 of 16 games for Detroit as a cornerback and had three picks in addition to nice passes defended. The coaching staff would move him to free safety during the 2018 season and he finally exploded with 78 tackles, three picks, and eight passes defensed.
Despite a team friendly contract at three years and $20.5 million, Diggs was dumped to Seattle in 2019 with a seventh round pick in exchange for a mere fifth-rounder. The NFL was largely puzzled but everyone agreed that Seattle had found a steal.
Since then, their bargain safety has started every game from 2019 to 2021 and was named a Pro Bowler in 2020 and 2021. Diggs played a key piece in Seattle finding their defensive identity after the Legion of Boom during 12 and 11-win campaigns respectively. His success came despite a hemorrhaging secondary allowing the 27th and 31st most yards each year.
#ProBowlVote @qdiggs6 pic.twitter.com/xXQzL3lGwE
— Nino (@qdiggs6) December 2, 2021
Everywhere Diggs has gone he has shined. Despite any adversity or suboptimal conditions around him, No. 6 has been a player that is consistently recognized for great play; a diamond in the rough.
Nowhere may a bright spot be needed more than the secondary of the Houston Texans, just a 38-mile drive from where Diggs spent his days dominating with the Angleton Wildcats.
The Houston Texans have featured one of the worst secondaries in the NFL the past two seasons, with spotty corner play in addition to some of the worst safety play in the league. The most talented player of the bunch, Houston’s 2018 third-round selection Justin Reid, has all but indicated he intends to leave in free agency. The Texans finished 23rd in total passing yards allowed and 30th in net yards per attempt indicating they may have ranked quite lower in total yardage had some of their performances not been blowouts.
As of today, Jonathan Owens, Grayland Arnold and Eric Murray are the only safeties on the roster entering the 2022 campaign. Houston is absolutely desperate for a veteran presence and even more so for talent at a position that carries immense responsibility in new head coach Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 scheme.
The veteran would pair perfectly with the likes of Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame should the Texans’ decide to select him third overall or could serve as an excellent mentor for other prospects linked to Houston such as Jalen Pitre or Tariq Woolen. As someone who was asked to change positions himself on a rookie contract, it would also be interesting to see the dynamic between Diggs and now fourth-year cornerback Lonnie Johnson.
@qdiggs6 👀 https://t.co/MCbRv8IZHJ
— Lonnie Johnson jr. (@Lonnie30johnson) February 15, 2022
Another caveat: Diggs is a player who is due to get paid after two below-market rate contracts and unfortunately enters a strong free agent safety class featuring the likes of Tyrann Mathieu and Jessie Bates. A marriage with Houston would fit perfectly.
The Texans have the requisite cap space ($17 million before potentially freeing up $24 million in a Deshaun Watson trade) to pay Diggs $9-11 million annually over a two to three-year deal. Houston would land a coveted free agent who represents desperately needed leadership in their defensive backfield in addition to instantly being one of the most talented players on their defense.
Diggs would find himself in a franchise that has shown a willingness to pay over-market rate for players they want to keep. Additionally, the free safety would find himself just a few miles from home and a short trip from the University of Texas where Diggs’ has remained involved as an alumni.
Leave a legacy. pic.twitter.com/B4Yjq97Q4c
— Nino (@qdiggs6) August 29, 2021
It may be difficult for Houston to attract high quality free agents after the last two seasons have left a mark on the Texans’ reputation. However, with the onboarding of Smith and both the reputation and respect he brings league-wide, this is a situation worth monitoring. We’ll see if Houston brings this seemingly well-matched pairing to fruition.
