Denver trades Thomas to Texans; undefeated Rams add more talent
Defending champs make a deal to add WR Tate from Detroit
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NFL’s lone undefeated team has just made an already dominant defensive front even deeper.
The Los Angeles Rams swapped a pair of draft picks for Jaguars pass rusher Dante Fowler on Tuesday, adding the third overall pick in 2015 to a defense already stocked with Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers and Mark Barron for the most surprising move at the NFL trade deadline.
Denver sent wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to Houston in a deal giving the Broncos some salary cap relief, and Philadelphia gave Carson Wentz another target picking up receiver Golden Tate from Detroit. Washington added safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix , while Green Bay shipped Ty Montgomery to Baltimore.
The Rams gave up a thirdround pick in 2019 and a fifthrounder in 2020 for Fowler, who is a free agent at the end of this season. Fowler became expendable with Yannick Ngakoue’s success, and the Jaguars already opted in 2017 not to pick up the fifth-year option on Fowler’s rookie deal.
Fowler has two sacks in seven games while playing behind Ngakoue.
With the Broncos at 3-5, Denver general manager John Elway made a move to clear both some salary cap space and more playing time for some of his younger receivers. Thomas has a salary cap figure of $15.53 million for 2019, the last year of his deal, while rookies Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton and second-year Tim Patrick are much cheaper.
The Texans (5-3) have won five straight to take the lead in the AFC South and had to replace Will Fuller, who tore a knee ligament in a win over Miami last week. Houston sent a 2019 fourth-round pick to Denver with the teams swapping seventh-rounders in next year’s draft.
Thomas is a nine-year veteran with 36 catches for 402 yards this season. Elway said the Texans beat out three or four other teams for the veteran.
“It’s never easy when you trade a guy that’s been a household name around here for a long time and done a lot of great things, not only on the football field but also in the community, and is a good man,” Elway said.
“Plus, it’s a good spot for Demaryius. He’s going to a good football team that’s in a pennant race. So, it’ll be good for him, too.”
The defending Super Bowl champions Eagles (4-4) have their bye this week and could lose Tate after this season if he leaves in free agency.
“We’re not going to sit on our hands,” Eagles personnel boss Howie Roseman said. “It’s hard to find really good players and this is a really good player. The message to our players, our coaches and our fans is that our foot is always going to be on the gas.”
Tate, 30, has 44 catches for 517 yards and three touchdowns this season and joins an offense that already has Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthews and tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. Tate can help the Eagles be less predictable with his ability to play in the slot.
He averaged 93 catches, 1,056 yards receiving and five TDs the past four seasons in Detroit after spending his first four with Seattle. If Tate leaves after the season, Philadelphia likely would receive a compensation pick.
Tate wrote on Twitter : “It’s been real DETROIT! I’ll love ya forever. Philly Philly let’s get it!!” He then posted a GIF of fictional Philly icon Rocky Balboa jumping up and down on the steps of the Art Museum with the caption: “Mood.”
The Packers made a couple of moves, trading away Montgomery two days after his late fumble on a kickoff kept Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers from a late chance to hand the Rams their first loss this season. They sent the running back and kick returner to Baltimore.
They also sent safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to Washington for a
fourth-round draft pick in 2019 as the Redskins (5-2) boosted a stingy defense.
Now Washington can pair Clinton-Dix, who will be a free agent after this season, with D.J. Swearinger. Clinton-Dix, a first-round pick in 2014 out of Alabama, has started 65 of his 71 games, and he has 14 interceptions, including three this season. Swearinger leads the NFL with four interceptions this season.
Clinton-Dix is just the latest former Alabama player on the Washington roster, joining recent first-round picks Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne along the defensive line, and second-round pick Ryan Anderson at linebacker.
The Ravens sent a seventhround pick to Green Bay (3-3-1) for Montgomery, who had been told to take a touchback if the kickoff with about two minutes left in a 29-27 loss to the Rams went into the end zone. A thirdround pick in 2015, Montgomery has 1,676 yards from scrimmage for his career. STEELERS: Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is dealing with a broken index finger on his left hand.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Roethlisberger suffered the injury on his nonthrowing hand at some point in Pittsburgh’s 33-18 victory over Cleveland on Sunday.
Tomlin does not expect the finger to be an issue for Roethlisberger when the AFC Northleading Steelers (4-2-1) travel to Baltimore (4-4) on Sunday. CHARGERS: Los Angeles signed linebacker Hayes Pullard on Tuesday and waived kicker Michael Badgley.
Pullard, who is in his fourth season, was with the team during the preseason before being released. He played in 13 games
and made 10 starts for the Chargers last season, with 47 tackles and an interception.
Badgley has made all three of his field goal attempts and is 7-for-7 on extra points in two games after Caleb Sturgis was unable to kick due to a quadriceps injury. Coach Anthony Lynn said Monday that Sturgis has recovered from the injury.
The Chargers (5-2) have won four straight games and are at Seattle on Sunday.
49ERS: San Francisco quarterback C.J. Beathard missed practice with an injured right wrist that could keep him out of Thursday night’s game against the Oakland Raiders.
“His wrist hurts,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s struggling today to hold a ball. So, we’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
Beathard got hurt in the second quarter of a loss on Sunday at Arizona when he hit his hand on a helmet. He stayed in the game and finished 14-for-28 for 190 yards and a touchdown, falling to 1-9 in his career as a starter, including losses in all five starts this season.
“I definitely felt it during the game,” Beathard said. “I felt it when it happened. But, I think with adrenaline going, I don’t think it was affecting the way I was throwing the ball.”
Shanahan said he believed Beathard would be able to play if the game this week were on Sunday but doesn’t know if he’ll be ready on the short week for the 49ers (1-7). Beathard remained hopeful he’ll be able to go, otherwise the Niners will turn to untested Nick Mullens.
Mullens joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent last year after breaking all of Brett Favre’s records in college at Southern Mississippi. Mullen had earned a practice squad spot.