Texans Creating Blueprint For Patriots; Could New England Follow It?

If you're one of those people who wants the Patriots to take a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, you probably love what's going on down south.

The Texans are putting on a rebuilding clinic, creating a blueprint for other teams to follow.

Houston reportedly made a trade for former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Wednesday, adding another elite weapon to its increasingly explosive offense. It's an addition that some believe could put the Texans over the top, with head coach DeMeco Ryans, quarterback C.J. Stroud and linebacker Will Anderson already getting the franchise on track as rookies last season. Diggs and Danielle Hunter have now joined the effort, with general manager Nick Caserio seemingly pushing all the right buttons.

The Texans couldn't have a better outlook if they tried, needing just two offseasons to transform from a 3-13-1 team with relatively low hopes to a possible Super Bowl contender.

How did they do it? Let's take a look.

Houston hired Caserio away from New England in 2021, tasking him with adding talent to a roster devoid of it. He did that with shocking efficiency, drafting 11 starters in his first three drafts and acquiring big-name players like Diggs, Hunter and Joe Mixon.

It's what he did at the quarterback position, though, that got the ball rolling. Caserio's arrival marked the end of Deshaun Watson's tenure with the Texans, as he was shipped off for six draft picks, including three first-round selections. Houston eventually used some of that capital to maneuver around the board last season and draft both Stroud and Anderson.

Could the Patriots follow the Texans' path to relevance?

It's complicated.

New England doesn't have a Watson-level trade chip on its roster. If the Patriots want to acquire a boatload of picks, they'd have to give up the No. 3 pick this season. If they want to acquire a franchise quarterback, they probably can't trade that pick.

It's one or the other. The Patriots don't have the opportunity to build up talent across the roster then draft a franchise quarterback like the Texans did. If that path is going to be followed, New England hasn't even started yet and is looking at a couple more years of irrelevance.