The Houston Texans were busy this afternoon ahead of the NFL trade deadline, acquiring star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas from the Denver Broncos. It was a move that shocked quite a few fans and media members, but Thomas was not their original target. DeSean Jackson actually was the Texans' first choice.
According to a report from NFL reporter Benjamin Allbright, the Texans originally tried to acquire Jackson before switching their focus to Thomas after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not want to trade the speedy receiver.
https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/1057365989833277440
Houston was forced to be aggressive in their search for a wide receiver on the trade market after Will Fuller went down with a torn ACL last week. It was a crushing blow to their offense, especially with the chemistry that Fuller and quarterback Deshaun Watson have together.
Article Continues BelowJackson would have been the better fit into the role that Fuller had before the injury. Both receivers are more of a deep threat than possession target, while Thomas is not an elite deep threat anymore.
That being said, the Texans should be happy with getting a talent like Thomas, who has been a star nearly his entire career.
Throughout the first eight games of the season with the Broncos, Thomas caught 36 passes for 402 yards and three touchdowns. He may not be the superstar that he once was, but he will still fit nicely alongside DeAndre Hopkins in the Texans' offense.
Even though the Texans missed out on Jackson, they still appear to be in a good position to compete for a playoff spot in the AFC. They are 5-3 at this point in the season and are currently leading the AFC South division race.