Broncos trade a franchise legend to Texans

A Broncos legend is headed to Houston.

The Broncos traded wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Texans for a fourth-round draft pick ahead of Tuesday’s 2 p.m. NFL trade deadline. The teams will also swap seventh-rounders. The 30-year-old was the longest-tenured Bronco and the team’s second-leading all-time receiver. He’ll return to Denver this weekend when the Broncos host the Texans at Mile High Stadium. Thomas caught 36 passes for 402 yards and three touchdowns for the Broncos this season. The Patriots were also rumored to have interest in Thomas.

The move should free up about $4 million in cap space this season, which can be rolled over to next season if left unused. Thomas is slated for a $17 million cap hit next season, which will now be reduced to $3.5 million for Denver, the same as if the Broncos had cut him after the season.

Thomas’ days in Denver appeared to be numbered when the Broncos selected Courtland Sutton in the second round of this year’s draft. Sutton, an SMU product, is built similarly to Thomas and projects to take over Thomas’ role as a big-bodied downfield and red zone target. Sutton has 17 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns and has drawn multiple big-yardage pass interference calls. The Broncos also drafted former-Penn State receiver Daesean Hamilton in the fifth round this year.

The Broncos came into today with their own picks in rounds one through six, plus Minnesota’s fifth round (a return from the Trevor Siemian trade) and somewhere between zero and two seventh-round picks, depending on unreleased conditions of various trades. The trade gives the Broncos at least eight picks in the 2019 draft, and seven in the first five rounds, as of now. The Broncos were rumored to be looking for a third-round pick in exchange for Thomas.

The Broncos drafted Thomas in the first round of the 2010 draft. He caught at least 90 passes for at least 1000 yards from 2012-2016 and has appeared in every game since 2012. He ranks second in Broncos history in career receiving yards (9,055) and touchdowns (60), and third in receptions (665). His 1,619 receiving yards in 2014 are the most ever by a Bronco in a single season and his 14 touchdowns in 2013 are tied for the all-time team lead.

Will Fuller V, Houston’s second-leading receiver, tore his ACL during the Texans’ matchup with the Dolphins on Thursday. Thomas will step into his role and help the AFC South-leading Texans in their pursuit of a third playoff appearance in four years, which would be the first such run in franchise history.