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According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Denver Broncos have traded wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans for a 4th round selection. They also swapped 7th round picks in the 2019 draft as well.
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
The Texans were in need of a wide receiver after they lost Will Fuller for the year with a torn ACL. Now they will pair Thomas with All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in Houston and give DeShaun Watson two big targets as they make a postseason push.
For the Broncos, they get a 4th round selection to help in their likely impending offseason rebuild of the roster as well as some cap space to add players in the offseason. This also will give the second-round pick, rookie wide receiver Courtland Sutton a starting role moving forward with the team. The team apparently believes he is a star in the making and has flashed that potential ever since he has put on a Broncos uniform. So look for him to have a big second half for the Broncos.
As for Thomas, the former first-round pick by the Broncos played 9 total seasons for the Broncos and put up some impressive numbers during that span. He totaled 665 receptions for 9,055 yards, and 60 touchdowns during that span. He had multiple memorable plays during that span, but none bigger than his 80-yard walk off touchdown reception against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs.
The #Texans will acquire WR Demaryius Thomas with caps of $4.5M in 2018 & a non-guaranteed $14M in 2019 (zero dead cap).
— Spotrac (@spotrac) October 30, 2018
The #Broncos take on dead cap hits of $7.5M in 2018 & $3.5M in 2019. https://t.co/xqlHyMDQoR
As said above, look for promising rookie Courtland Sutton to take over in Thomas’s starting role going forward. He was already eating into his snaps and playing a good amount so his role will only grow going forward. Also look for fellow rookie wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton to get more reps once he returns from his knee injury. Another name to keep an eye on is Tim Patrick. The big wide receiver has looked good in short stints this season and could earn more playing time going forward with Thomas now gone and Hamilton sidelined.
In hearing John Elway speak, you could tell it was a tough business decision that hade to be made.
“Demaryius had an incredible run here and we can’t thank him enough for everything he’s meant to the Broncos,” Elway said on Tuesday. “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.”
President & CEO Joe Ellis went a step further and mentioned the Broncos Ring of Fame in terms of how important Demaryius Thomas has been to the franchise.
“Demaryius will always be part of the Denver Broncos family,” Ellis said. “He was a special player for this organization during a very special time for the Broncos and our fans. We’re proud of all Demaryius accomplished on the field while also very quietly doing some outstanding work in the community, representing the team with class and humility. We look forward to honoring D.T. one day as a Ring of Famer and appreciate his many contributions to the Broncos.”
In the end, this is a goodbye to one of the Broncos best wide receivers in their history and a hopefully the beginning to a great career for Courtland Sutton.