By Adam Gibson | Sports Writer
At this point in the NFL season, fans can usually expect to see coaches getting fired, deemed the “firing season” and players getting traded depending on how the season is going for each team. This season was no different, and with it fans saw well-known players getting traded to different teams and head coaches packing their bags who now are out of a job.
One of the least surprising firings was of Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson. The only thing that was surprising about him being fired was that it took this long for him to be kicked out of the position. Over his tenure as head coach for the Browns, Jackson coached 40 games ending with a 3-36-1 record. A winning percentage of .088 percent. The fact that a coach in the highest level of football in the world was able to stay at a team for two and a half years is actually impressive.
The three wins for Hue Jackson came from one win in 2016 with Robert Griffin III at quarterback and two from this season over the Jets and Ravens with rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the offense.
Along with Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator Todd Haley was fired. Haley was hired in the offseason with the hopes of bringing out the best in Baker Mayfield to lead the offense to a decent season, something the Browns have not seen in a long time. The Browns have a lot to figure out right now and have been in this constant cycle of trying to figure out how to fix the team. As of now, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will take over the head coaching duties until a permanent replacement is found. Hue Jackson was the first coach fired this season, but other big news in the NFL had to do with the trade deadline.
For Denver Broncos fans, which includes me, it was a hard day as wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round draft pick. Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate, the Lions leading receiver this season, was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick in 2019. Green Bay Packers running back Ty Montgomery was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2020 seventh round pick.
These trades are the more notable trades that occurred this season. In the middle of the NFL season, the trade deadline and coach firings that never fail to occur give fans an interest in what the rest of the season holds.
Off the field, we get to see what players inevitably go through each season, unless you’re Tom Brady, with the fear of being traded. With those trades going through at this point in the season, each player will have to adjust to a new playbook, coaching staff, team and environment.
Demaryius Thomas is leaving the mile-high city where the air is thin, and snow is common at this time of year, to head to Houston to a stadium with a closed roof, heat and humidity. While he hasn’t been as good as he was a couple years ago, Thomas was still a reliable receiver for the Broncos and now joins DeAndre Hopkins as the top two receivers for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson to target. The Texans are currently at the top of the AFC South and the addition of Thomas will only help its chances in the playoffs.
Golden Tate was the leading receiver for the Lions with 44 receptions for 517 yards. Now as he joins the Eagles, quarterback Carson Wentz is set with plenty of weapons on offense. With Zach Ertz at tight end, Tate, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor all at wide receiver, Tate adds to the stacked offense that has a chance to go back to the Super Bowl and repeat as champions.
Ty Montgomery now is set to join Alex Collins at running back in Baltimore and will be sharing snaps with him as Ravens look to come back from a two-game losing skid. Head coach John Harbaugh, according to ESPN, told the media there is a chance for Montgomery to come in and make an impact this week against the Steelers.
