Texans’ Thomas makes quick return trip to Denver

Receiver was traded to Houston last week

DENVER — The Denver Broncos may have lost a respected voice when they traded former captain Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans on Tuesday, but they certainly didn’t lose any of their gift of gab.

“I don’t flinch from situations like this,” declared rookie receiver Courtland Sutton, whose emergence as a big-play threat made the 30-year-old Thomas more valuable to general manager John Elway as trade bait than a tutor.

Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who credited Thomas with helping to make him the superstar he’s become, will spend Sunday trying to snarl DeAndre Hopkins when the Broncos (3-5) host the Texans (5-3) in Thomas’ hurried homecoming.

If Harris finds himself covering Thomas, who’s replacing Will Fuller (ACL) in the Texans’ lineup, the advantage goes to …

“Oh, me,” Harris said matterof-factly. Why’s that? “I’m that good.” The same can’t be said for the Broncos overall.

They’ve lost five of six despite a backfield that’s the best in the business, averaging an NFL-high 5.3 yards per carry but just 18th in rush attempts per game.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is doing what Mike McCoy did in Denver before getting fired last year: spreading out the offensive formations despite a good ground game and left tackle Garett Bolles’ holding habit. Case Keenum has been sacked 22 times, 20 of which have come with him in the shotgun, to go with a league-high 10 interceptions.

Defensively, the Broncos have been stumped by cornerback Bradley Roby’s slide after his promotion from nickel back following the trade of Aqib Talib. In a contract year, they expected him to flourish as a starter. Instead, he’s been giving his man too much cushion or getting fooled by quarterbacks burning him for big plays.

Middling drafts prior to this year’s crescendo has left coach Vance Joseph (8-16) without the option of benching Bolles or Roby, although cornerback Tramaine Brock’s return from a pulled hamstring and solid play over the past two weeks could foretell a return to some nickel back snaps for Roby.

Elway insists the Broncos can turn things around over the second half and avoid the franchise’s first back-to-back losing seasons since 1971-72.

JACK DEMPSEY/ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Demaryius Thomas, who will be in a Texans uniform Sunday, had played his entire career for the Broncos until being traded last week to Houston.