Bills Central

Why Bills should have serious interest in potentially available Texans WR

The Houston Texans are reportedly receiving calls about third-year wide receiver John Metchie, and the Buffalo Bills should be interested.

Kyle Silagyi

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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To express an idea regarding the Buffalo Bills and a potentially available offensive contributor, we’ll borrow (and slightly alter) the tagline of the 2015 Academy Award-nominated film The Martian: “Bring him (slightly closer to) home.”

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie may soon be on the move, as NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Monday that the reigning AFC South champions have received calls regarding the intriguing third-year wideout ahead of Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline. It’s not a necessarily shocking development, as one could argue that few talented young playmakers in today’s league find themselves in less desirable situations than the 24-year-old pass catcher.

Just a few years ago, Metchie was viewed as an upper-tier option in a wide receiver class that also included the likes of Drake London, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave, prompting the Texans to take him with the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. It was widely expected (and accepted) that the Alabama product’s rookie season would be a ‘red-shirt’ year, of sorts, as he tore his ACL in the Crimson Tide’s SEC Championship win over the Georgia Bulldogs just a few months before the 2022 draft; this idea was confirmed after Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia that July.

Related: 2024 Buffalo Bills 53-man roster tracker

The then-perennially uncompetitive Texans continued to struggle as Metchie recovered, finishing the 2022 season with a 3-13-1 record that was poor (or, from a certain point of view, good) enough to earn them the second-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Houston grabbed Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud with that selection before trading up to select dominant Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson with the third pick, also leaving that draft with dynamic wide receiver Tank Dell. The draft class set the stage for a remarkable turnaround in the Texas metropolis; the Texans, fueled by Stroud, Dell, and a breakout 1,200 receiving yard season from Nico Collins, won the AFC South in 2023 with a 10-7 record.

And Metchie did play in 2023 after being cleared ahead of his sophomore training camp, but he wasn’t a significant offensive contributor. He appeared on roughly 27% of Houston’s offensive snaps throughout the campaign, catching 16 passes for 158 yards. He flashed in the limited sample size, showing excellent route-running ability and a willingness to block; that said, it was perhaps growing clear that, given the presence of Collins and Dell, there was a cap on Metchie’s long-term ceiling within the Texans’ offense.

This intangible cap transformed into a durable ceiling in the 2024 offseason when Houston acquired perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs from the Bills, adding another dynamic pass-catcher to a receiving corps that was in no way bereft of talent. Metchie is, at best, the fourth receiver on the Texans’ depth chart at this juncture; veteran Noah Brown is also coming off a solid 2023 season (567 receiving yards), and the team has reportedly liked what it has seen from second-year wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson this offseason. Consider this crowded unit alongside Metchie’s breakout 10-reception, 100-yard preseason, and one can easily understand why teams around the league are inquiring about his availability.

And Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane should absolutely be among those placing a call. The team revamped its receiving corps in the offseason, moving on from the aforementioned Diggs and key complementary weapon Gabriel Davis in favor of overlooked veterans from around the league and contributors already on their roster. The Bills’ receiving corps figures to be led by Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, and rookie Keon Coleman, and though all of these players have shown promise in training camp, there’s no guarantee that this potential will translate to the regular season.

There’s also no guarantee that Metchie’s preseason promise will translate—teams are literally interested in him because of his potential—but his resumé is simply too intriguing for a team like Buffalo to scoff at. He’s just a few years removed from a 96-reception, 1,142-yard junior season at Alabama; that ability and potential didn’t just disappear. Now nearly three years out from his ACL tear and with a 16-game season under his belt, health is no longer a significant concern, either.

What perhaps makes the Metchie possibility so intriguing is his potential fit within Buffalo’s offense. Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady has preached an ‘everyone eats’ approach throughout the offseason, a philosophy in which aerial production is not funneled through a single player, but is instead dispersed amongst a bevy of versatile pass-catchers who can line up and succeed from a myriad of spots. Metchie, at 5-foot-11, roughly 190 pounds, is capable of doing this; throughout the 2023 regular season and subsequent postseason, he took 250 snaps from out wide and 123 from the slot, per PFF. Going back to his junior season in Tuscaloosa, he took 530 snaps from out wide and 236 snaps from the slot.

He’d be another tool in the toolbox for Brady and quarterback Josh Allen, a schematic and philosophical fit with the potential to meaningfully contribute immediately. Would he usurp Shakir, Samuel, or Coleman in the proverbial pecking order? Maybe, maybe not, but the answer is not definitive enough to write the idea of acquiring him off.

John Metchie
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

His age and contract are other factors that make this interesting: he just turned 24 in July, and he has two years remaining on his rookie deal with cap hits of between $2–2.5 million. It’s a palatable deal for most teams, including the cap-strapped Bills; it’s possible that he never achieves his potential in Buffalo, but given his youth, prospective scheme fit, ability to contribute immediately, and long-term ceiling, it’s simply an idea that makes too much sense if the asking price isn’t too egregious. The Bills are currently expected to own nine picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including three within the first two rounds.

Having a bit more fun with it: Metchie grew up just a few hours up the QEW from Buffalo in Brampton, Ontario; imagine the Tim Hortons-centric content the Bills social media team could get out of the pass-catcher.

Identifying and acquiring demonstrably talented players stuck in disadvantageous positions is a surefire way to position your own team for success, which is why the Bills should make a serious pitch for Metchie. We’ll have a clearer picture of his future this afternoon, as NFL teams must have their rosters down to 53 players by 4:00 p.m. on August 27.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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