WR Thomas to face ex-team with Texans

Midseason trades make a big impact in baseball. Steve Pearce going from the Blue Jays to the World Series MVP with the Red Sox is the latest good example.

That’s not so much the case in football. With so many moving parts, even skill-position players need a lot of things going their way to succeed with a new team.

But the times seem to be changing. In-season trades have become more popular in recent years. Last year, Jay Ajayi gave the Eagles’ running game a boost after being acquired in a trade-deadline deal with the Dolphins. And Jimmy Garoppolo turned the woebegone 49ers into a team to watch for 2018 when he went 5-0 after being acquired from the Patriots.

The NFL seems to be coming around to the idea that, for all the offseason, preseason and inseason work teams do to develop the chemistry and familiarity needed to function as a well-oiled machine, the right guy can fit right in. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was a disappointment in Green Bay. Now he gives the Redskins a formidable safety tandem with D.J. Swearinger. We’ll see how that works out.

Two receiver trades might be the ones to watch. The Lions traded Golden Tate to the Eagles, and the Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas to the Texans. That was a particularly intriguing move, considering the Broncos play the Texans on Sunday.

The Thomas deal makes sense. Thomas, while past his four-time Pro Bowl prime, helps fill the void left by Will Fuller’s injury. The Broncos are making room for upand-coming receiver Courtland Sutton. Maybe NFL teams should do this more often.

Pick: Texans 23, Broncos 18.