The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
EX-JACKETS STAR THOMAS TRADED TO TEXANS
Houston deals 2019 draft picks to get help at receiver.
The Denver Broncos dealt nine-year veteran Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans on Tuesday, the NFL’s trade deadline. Thomas won’t have to wait long to play his old team — the Texans (5-3) visit the Broncos (3-5) this weekend.
The Broncos will also send a 2019 seventh-rounder to Houston and will receive fourth- and seventh-round picks in the 2019 draft.
“Demaryius had an incredible run here and we can’t thank him enough for everything he’s meant to the Broncos,” general manager John Elway said in a statement.
The Texans found them- selves thin at wide receiver when they lost Will Fuller for the season to a torn knee lig- ament and have had trouble keeping rookie Keke Coutee on the field.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Tuesday he’s followed Thomas since he was at Geor- gia Tech.
“He has excellent athletic skills, great ha n ds, very smooth route runner,” O’Brien said. “He’s a tough guy to defend.”
Thomas has a salary-cap figure of $15.53 million for 2019, the last year of his deal.
Rams-Jagu a rs: Dante Fowler is headed to an actual Super Bowl contender. Slumping Jacksonville traded the fourth-year pro and 2015 first-round pick to undefeated Los Angeles.
The move gives the Rams an even more formidable front, which already had Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers.
The Jaguars received a third-round draft pick in 2019 and a fifth-rounder in 2020, decent compensation for a backup who would have become a free agent at the end of the season.
Packers-Redskins: Aiming to improve a defense that’s carried them to the top of the NFC East, Washington added safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from Green Bay for a 2019 fourthround draft pick.
Clinton-Dix, who can become a free agent after this season, joins D.J. Swearinger to give the Redskins (5-2) a pair of veteran safeties who rank at the top of the league in interceptions.
Clinton-Dix was drafted out of Alabama in the first round in 2014 and has appeared in all 71 games since, starting 65. He has 14 interceptions.
Eagles-Lions: Philadelphia acquired wide receiver Golden Tate from Detroit for a third-round draft pick next year.
Tate has 44 catches for 517 yards and three touchdowns this season. The 30-year-old averaged 93 catches, 1,056 yards receiving and five TDs the past four seasons in Detroit. He went to the Pro Bowl after the 2014 season.
Packers-Ravens: Green Bay traded running back and kick returner Ty Montgomery to Baltimore for a seventh-round draft pick in 2020, two days after he fumbled a kickoff return with about two minutes left in a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams after being told by coaches to take a touchback if the kick went into the end zone. The turnover cost the Packers a chance to drive for a potential winning score.
Seahawks: Seattle released wide receiver Brandon Marshall, whose role within the offense had diminished sig- nificantly. Marshall appeared in all seven games this season and had 11 catches for 136 yards and one touchdown, which came in the season opener.
Meantime, the NFL suspended Seattle linebacker Mychal Kendricks for eight games for his role in an insider trading scheme. Kendricks pleaded guilty in Sep- tember to securities fraud. He faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced in December.
Giants: Rookie backup quarterback Kyle Lauletta was arrested on motor vehi- cle and related disorderly persons offenses while driving near a road construction site to practice.
Weehawken, N.J., police said the 22-year-old Lauletta was stopped Tuesday morning for failing to obey a police officer’s order to continue driving straight in his 2017 Jaguar. The report says Lauletta almost hit the officer while making an illegal turn. He was stopped by a second police officer and refused to produce a driver’s license or exit the car.
Police say he was arrested and charged with eluding police, obstructing administration of law and resisting arrest.
Bills: Derek Anderson has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving open the possibility of Buffalo starting Nathan Peterman at QB against the Bears this weekend. Coach Sean McDermott wouldn’t rule out Anderson being cleared to play this week in revealing the nature of his injury.
Anderson was hurt when he was sacked in the final minutes of Monday night’s loss to the Patriots. He was making his second start since rookie Josh Allen sprained his throwing elbow.
Raiders: Cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromar- tie abruptly retired Tuesday, two days after not playing a single snap on defense for the second time this season. The two-time Pro Bowl defensive back made the announce- ment on social media.
Late Monday
Patriots 25, (at) Bills 6: With the Patriots (6-2) strug- gling on offense at Buffalo (2-6), safety Devin McCourty stepped up and returned an interception 84 yards to secure a victory for New England.