The New England Patriots didn’t acquire Demaryius Thomas at the NFL trade deadline, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.
The Denver Broncos reportedly have traded Thomas and a seventh-round draft pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for fourth- and seventh-round picks. According to Mike Klis of Denver’s 9News, the Texans beat out three competitors to land Thomas: the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans and Patriots.
New England reportedly was in the market for a “bona fide” receiver, and Thomas fits that bill. So, what did the Patriots offer Denver for the veteran wideout? NFL Network’s Mike Giardi offered some insight Tuesday afternoon.
According to Giardi, it appears New England asked the Broncos to absorb some of Thomas’ salary, which isn’t cheap: The 31-year-old is making $8.5 million this year and is set to receive $14 million in base salary in 2019, the final year of his contract.
The Texans, who just lost receiver Will Fuller V for the season, likely were a little more desperate to add a pass-catcher and meet Denver’s asking price. They’ll take on $4.5 million of Thomas’ contract, per Klis.
That means it’s back to the drawing board for the Patriots, who reportedly may even give up a receiver before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.
