Thomas sent to Texans inoneoffive deadline deals
You’ll forgive Demaryius Thomas on Sunday if he heads to the wrong sideline once or twice in Denver.
The four-time Pro Bowl receiver’s 8½ seasons as a Denver Bronco ended Tuesday when the club traded him to the Houston Texans, in one of five deals that went down in the final hours before the 2018 NFL trade deadline.
The Texans just happen to play Sunday at Denver.
The Broncos also sent a 2019 seventh-round pick to Houston, in exchange for the Texans’ 2018 fourth- and seventh-rounders. “We weren’t hell-bent on trading Demaryius,” Broncos GM John Elway said. “It’s never easy when you trade a guy that’s been a household name here for a long time, and done a lot of great things, not only on the football field, but also in the community.” These were the other four trades: In a puzzling move, the Detroit
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Lions dealt their No. 1 receiver Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2019 third-round draft pick. The Lions, at 3-4, have about as much chance of winning the tightly packed NFC North as any of their three rivals; Chicago leads the division at 4-3. The trade comes just a week after the Lions seemingly were making a playoff push by trading for New York Giants run-stuffing defensive lineman Damon Harrison. Tate by far had been Matthew Stafford’s favourite target since Calvin Johnson retired after the 2015 season.
Green Bay unloaded disgruntled
■ running back Ty Montgomery on Baltimore for a 2020 seventh-round pick. This, after he disobeyed coaches’ orders Sunday and ran out a kickoff from the end zone late in Green Bay’s loss at the Los Angeles Rams, only to fumble it and kill all hopes of a last-minute win. In a more impactful departure,
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Green Bay traded fifth-year safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to Washington for a 2019 fourthround pick. It’s a great pickup for the Redskins, who for the first time in 10 years are 5-2, thanks in large part to a strong defence, which just got stronger.
Last but not least, the already
■ talent-loaded defence of the 8-0 Los Angeles Rams added its seventh former first-round draft pick in pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr., who didn’t pan out with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In return the Jags got 2019 third- and 2020 fifth-round picks. Fowler had off-field issues galore in Jacksonville, but in Wade Phillips’ player-friendly, simplistic defence he could shine.
EXTRA POINTS: Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger fractured the index finger on his left hand Sunday against Cleveland, but can play with it … Because Pittsburgh RB Le’Veon Bell did not report nor sign his franchise tag by Tuesday’s trade deadline, he cannot play for any other team but the Steelers this year. If he doesn’t sign the tag by Nov. 13, he cannot play in the NFL until next season … Seattle released WR Brandon Marshall … Chicago has lost starting OG Kyle Long for 6-8 weeks with a foot injury, NFL Network reported … Oakland placed CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on the reserve/retired list.