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Projected Stats for Demaryius Thomas and Golden Tate with New Teams

SBD Staff Writer

by SBD Staff Writer in NFL Football

Updated Mar 26, 2020 · 10:37 AM PDT

Golden Tate as a member of the Detroit Lions
Golden Tate was acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2018 NFL Trade Deadline. Photo by Mike Morbeck (Flickr) [CC License]
  • Houston replaces Will Fuller with Demaryius Thomas
  • Philadelphia adds Golden Tate to help out Carson Wentz
  • How will the two WRs perform with their new teams?

The NFL trade deadline came and went with only a few trades being made. But the ones that went through could prove to be very significant.

Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Texans are in the thick of the playoff race. And both teams added to their offenses, bringing in wide outs Golden Tate and Demaryius Thomas, respectively.

The hope is that this move might be the “Steve Pearce” addition that helps them win a championship. Here’s the kind of impact books feel these two players will have on their new teams.

Projected Stats For Demaryius Thomas and Golden Tate

Player Team Projected Receptions  Proj Rec Yards Proj Rec TDs
Demaryius Thomas HOU 36.5 475.5 3
Golden Tate PHI 35.5 435.5 3

*The odds are -120 for both the OVER and UNDER on each projected stat

Texans Replace Fuller with Demaryius Thomas

After posting 1,400 receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns each season from 2012-2014, Demaryius Thomas has cooled off mightily.

In fairness to DT, he was catching balls from future HOFer Peyton Manning in those seasons, and has since had a carousel of lousy quarterbacks over the last four years, including Trevor Siemien, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch, and Case Keenum.

Although the rumors were floating of a possible trade, the odds were against the Broncos trading Demaryius Thomas. So while it may have come as a bit of a surprise, the WR could not have found a better home to go to than Houston.

His first start as a member of the Texans will be against the team that just traded him, in a place he called home for nearly nine years.

Deshaun Watson is a gigantic upgrade over Case Keenum, and the Texans have been on a roll lately. Winners of five straight, this is a team that felt the need to make a move after Will Fuller tore his ACL, finding a complement to DeAndre Hopkins for their playoff push.

It is a very good bet to think that Thomas will average nearly 5 catches per game, and at least 60 receiving yards with Hopkins drawing most of the defense’s attention. Also, look for him to reach the end zone more than 3 times down the stretch.

Tate to Boost Eagles Receiving Corps

The Philadelphia Eagles have the core to repeat and win another Super Bowl.

However, something has been off with the Eagles this season, and the offense just isn’t ticking the same way it did last year.

Alshon Jeffery has played well since returning from injury, and Zach Ertz remains the team’s most reliable pass-catcher, but the production really drops off there. Enter Golden Tate.

Tate brings them a player who can play in the slot and on the outside.

As a member of the Detroit Lions (4.5 seasons), Tate had 416 catches for 4,741 yards and 22 touchdowns. And he is extremely durable, having not missed a game since 2012.

What makes Tate so effective, is his great route running and terrific hands, often able to catch the ball in traffic.

Wentz and the Eagles need a guy like that right now. Someone who can move the chains on 3rd and 5 with a tough catch.

However, unlike the situation with Thomas, Tate might suffer from less targets with more options in Philadelphia. While the bet on the OVER for receptions is a strong one, it will be tougher for Tate to score touchdowns and pile up the yards with Jeffery and Ertz around.

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