The Houston Texans are hoping Demaryius Thomas can help consolidate their position atop the AFC South.
Thomas is just the latest NFL wide receiver to swap teams ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline with the Denver Broncos sending him and a seventh-round pick in next year’s draft to Houston. In return, the Texans dealt a 2019 fourth-round pick to the Broncos, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Terms: The #Texans are trading for #Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas in exchange for a 4th round pick and the teams are also swapping 7th rounders. Big move for Houston.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 30, 2018
Demaryius Thomas Traded to Houston Texans
There certainly has been a flurry of activity ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline, particularly as it relates to wide receivers. In addition to Thomas, Golden Tate also officialized a change of scenery on Tuesday with the Detroit Lions moving him to the Philadelphia Eagles.
A potential move for Thomas seemed inevitable. The 30-year-old was among the most highly discussed players at the wide receiver position from the standpoint of a deal ahead of the trade deadline. His struggles at developing chemistry with Case Keenum in his first year as Broncos quarterback combined with Thomas’ sizable cap number in the final year of his contract next year gave general manager John Elway a few reasons to move on.
His arrival in Houston is certainly an upgrade to an already talented albeit banged-up receiving corps. The team lost Will Fuller for the season after he suffered a torn ACL in the Texans’ win over the Miami Dolphins last Thursday. But they also boast one of the NFL’s best pure playmaking receivers in DeAndre Hopkins along with a promising rookie in Keke Coutee.
There’s no doubting that Thomas’ nine years with the Broncos were as prolific as they get. The 22nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Georgia Tech had five straight seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards between 2012 and 2016, making the Pro Bowl each year. He appeared in two Super Bowls, one of which resulted in a Lombardi Trophy when the Broncos upended the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
In the end, Thomas will go down as an all-time great Broncos receiver. His 9,055 receiving yards and 60 touchdowns catches rank as the second-highest totals in franchise history behind only Rod Smith.
