NFL notes: Demaryius Thomas, Golden Tate find new homes at NFL’s trade deadline

The Denver Broncos traded nine-year veteran Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans on Tuesday.

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 ahead of a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

The Texans found themselves thin at wide receiver when they lost Will Fuller for the season to a torn knee ligament and have had trouble keeping rookie Keke Coutee on the field.

Elway found himself a seller at the trade deadline after the Broncos slipped to 3-5 following last year’s 5-11 debacle.

Thomas has a salary cap figure of $15.53 million for 2019, the last year of his deal, and with the emergence of rookie Courtland Sutton as a big-play threat, Elway felt it was time to get something for Thomas.

The Broncos also have rookie DaeSean Hamilton and second-year pro Tim Patrick at wide receiver along with Jordan “Sunshine” Taylor, who’s about to return from double hip surgery in the offseason.

Despite averaging a career-low 11.2 yards per catch, Thomas’ three TDs were tied with Emmanuel Sanders for the team lead.

Thomas has 36 catches for 402 yards this season.

Demaryius Thomas, who was traded from Denver to Houston on Tuesday, has 36 catches for 402 yards.

(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

Golden Tate is traded to Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired wide receiver Golden Tate from the Detroit Lions for a third-round draft pick next year.

Tate has 44 catches for 517 yards and three touchdowns this season. He joins Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthews, giving Carson Wentz another target.

Tate wrote on Twitter: “It’s been real DETROIT! I’ll love ya forever. Philly Philly let’s get it!!”

The 30-year-old Tate 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. Tate spent his first four seasons with Seattle.

The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles are 4-4 and have a bye this week.

Seahawks’ Kendricks banned eight games for insider trading

The NFL has suspended Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks for eight games for his role in an insider trading scheme.

The suspension announced Tuesday includes time served.

Kendricks, who won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia last season, pleaded guilty in September to one count of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. He faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced in December.

Kendricks was suspended indefinitely by Commissioner Roger Goodell on Oct. 2. He is eligible to rejoin Seattle for Week 12 at the end of November. But he can’t play again until Week 14, when the Seahawks host the Vikings for a Monday night game Dec. 10.

Cleveland had signed the 28-year-old Kendricks in the offseason, then released him in August after he was charged. Seattle signed him in early September and he played in three games, with 12 total tackles and a sack in the last two games for Seattle before his suspension.

In other NFL news:

— Aiming to improve a defense that’s carried them to the top of the NFC East, the Washington Redskins added safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round draft pick. Clinton-Dix, who can become a free agent after this season, joins D.J. Swearinger to give the Redskins 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 by the Packers and has appeared in all 71 games since, starting 65. He has 14 interceptions, including three this season

—Defensive lineman Ziggy Hood has signed with the Miami Dolphins, his fifth team. A 10-year veteran, Hood was released two weeks ago by the Washington Redskins. He started 27 games for them at end and tackle in 2016-17.

— The Seattle Seahawks released wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who played only two offensive snaps in Seattles 28-24 defeat of Detroit on Sunday. Marshall appeared in all seven games this season and had 11 catches for 136 yards and one touchdown, which came in the season opener.

— Oakland Raiders cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie abruptly retired Tuesday, two days after not playing a single snap on defense for the second time this season. Rodgers-Cromartie’s retirement came hours before the NFL trade deadline, during which the Raiders were surprisingly quiet.

—The NFL says it will play four regular-season games in London next year, two at Wembley Stadium and two at the new stadium being built for Premier League team Tottenham.