The Texans are hoping Demaryius Thomas can fill a Will Fuller-sized void

The Houston Texans and Denver Broncos kicked off the trade deadline fun with an agreement that sends receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Texans in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

The official compensation for the trade was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Denver is sending a seventh-round pick with Thomas in exchange for the fourth-round selection from the Texans.

Houston is looking to fill the void left by Will Fuller’s torn ACL, which he suffered last week in the Texans’ 42-23 blowout win over the Miami Dolphins. Thomas can come in and be a solid No. 2 option for Deshaun Watson across from Deandre Hopkins.

Thomas hasn’t been as explosive as Fuller was this season, but he’s certainly no slouch — even in what’s been a down year for him. Thomas has caught 36 of his 56 targets for the season for 402 yards and 3 touchdowns.

While Thomas might not be as effective as he was during his 2012-2014 stretch when he totaled 4,483 yards and 35 touchdowns, he still adds some value to the Texans’ offense that suddenly found themselves with a huge hole at their No. 2 receiver spot.

Thomas should benefit from an upgrade at quarterback as well. Deshaun Watson is a big upgrade from Case Keenum and he’ll benefit from all the attention that Deandre Hopkins brings.

This is a trade that makes sense for both parties. The Texans believe they’re legitimate AFC contenders with a defense getting back to form — sending over a mid-round pick for Thomas is a fair deal for them.

Denver is falling behind in the AFC West with the Chiefs and the Chargers clearly establishing themselves as the top dogs. Since starting off the season 2-0, the Broncos have gone 1-5 and their chances of making the playoffs have greatly diminished. Getting a mid-round pick for an older receiver (Thomas will turn 31 in December) while they jump into a rebuild isn’t a bad return.

A rare win-win on the NFL trade deadline.