Could Demaryius Thomas be on his way out of Denver?
He was the talk of the town — and the sports world — Sunday morning as the target of possible trades, while his teammates Emmanuel Sanders, Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby and Brandon Marshall all were mentioned, too.
But, of those five names, the one most likely to be traded away by the Denver Broncos is clearly Demaryius Thomas. Why? Let’s get into the top three reasons.
1. On-field production — Since being drafted in the first round way back in 2010, D.T. has usually been a No. 1 receiver in terms of on-field production. After his somewhat shaky first two seasons, Thomas enjoyed five straight 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons. From 2012-14, he had 10-plus touchdown catches each year, including 14 during the 2013 season which featured the greatest offense in the history of the NFL.
But, this year, his production has dropped dramatically. Through seven games, D.T. has a mere 33 receptions for 372 yards and three scores; he’s on pace for his worst season since 2011.
Even when Thomas was putting up those 1,000-yard seasons, it was clear to see he has a problem with dropping the football. Over his eight-year career, Thomas has a catch percentage of 60.8 percent, which is No. 247th over that time frame. That’s to say, of 10 passes thrown his way, six are caught. Not all of those are due to drops, of course. But, this year he has three drops, and he had seven in each of the last two seasons, putting him in the top-three in the NFL.
2. Contract — Even before this season, Thomas was talked about as a possible trade candidate. Likely, part of that has to do with his beefy contract. This season, he’s making just north of $12 million total, and that number jumps to $17.5 million next season, the final year of his deal. If Denver doesn’t trade him now, and he plays for that incredible amount of money in 2019, he’ll be free to walk after that and the Broncos wouldn’t get anything in return.
If D.T. is going to be a No. 1 receiver, and bring in No. 1 receiver money, he’s got to perform like one. However, Sanders has taken over as the No. 1 receiver this season in Denver, and it’s not even close. Though, Sanders possesses a body type to better fit a No. 2 or even slot receiver role, so, if they trade away Thomas, who will be that big, physical receiver?
3. Courtland Sutton — The third reason Denver is able to trade away Thomas is the rise of rookie Courtland Sutton. Sutton was the training camp early all summer-long in Dove Valley, and while it took him a little while to get warmed up, he’s been excelling as of late.
Currently, Sutton has 14 catches for 246 yards with two touchdowns, including a 42-yard catch as his longest of the season. The 17.6 yards per reception average are not only best on the Broncos, it ties Sutton for seventh-best in the NFL.
Of course, he’s so young, the 6’3″ and 218-pound receiver will only continue to improve over time. Especially, if the Broncos find the quarterback of the future soon.
If Denver does, indeed, decide to trade away Thomas, it will have to happen in the next eight days. The NFL trade deadline comes at 2 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Oct. 30.