DENVER, CO - JANUARY 17: Demaryius Thomas #88 of the Denver Broncos reaches for the ball but comes up short against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 17, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos traded wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans on Tuesday, the NFL trade deadline.
Denver received a fourth-round pick and also swapped seventh-round picks with Houston. The official trade deadline was Tuesday at 4 p.m. EST. Thomas has been with the Broncos his entire career, going to two Super Bowls and winning one. He’s all second in career receiving yards and touchdowns for the Broncos franchise.
Despite having lost some of his early career burst, 30-year-old Thomas was still a reliable target for quarterback Case Keenum. He was second on the team with 36 receptions and 402 receiving yards. That still wasn’t enough to warrant his $17.53 million cap hit in 2019.
“Demaryius had an incredible run here and we can’t thank him enough for everything he’s meant to the Broncos,” Denver general manager John Elway said in a statement. “He developed into an elite player over the years, establishing himself as one NFL’s most productive, consistent and reliable wide receivers. D.T. was a big part of so many wins and memorable moments as a Bronco. Although it’s tough to end this chapter, we’re excited about the talent we have at the wide receiver position and wish Demaryius all the best with the Texans.”
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In Houston, Thomas will look to form a solid veteran combo with DeAndre Hopkins. Also, being in a playoff race on a team led by the electrifying Deshaun Watson should help. At 5-3, the Texans are the only team over .500 in a tight division. Thomas, who earned his money in the red zone, will be huge for an offense that often sputtered out when close to scoring.
Denver will turn to rookie Courtland Sutton to lead the offense. Sutton, a second-round pick out of SMU, has turned into a big play threat for the team. Despite playing just 68 percent of snaps, he’s got 17 receptions for 324 yards. Veteran Emmanuel Sanders also remains with the team.
Denver and Houston will play each other next week at Broncos Stadium.
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