The Denver Broncos reportedly are looking to move on from Pro Bowl wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, according to Benjamin Allbright on Twitter, Monday morning.
Allbright stated that the Broncos quietly shopped Demaryius Thomas near the trade deadline, and will be potentially looking to move on from the longest-tenured current Bronco on the team.
https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/932675212923064320
That report was later deemed “false” by Broncos Executive Vice President of Public & Community Relations, Patrick Smyth.
False. https://t.co/THsQVa6pwB
— Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) November 20, 2017
Regardless of accuracy of the report, the Broncos will have decisions to make on Thomas in the offseason. To date, Thomas has 53 catches on the season and three touchdowns, tallying 633 yards on the year.
The ‘source’ Allbright cites suggests that the team feels Thomas lost strength when he switched to a vegan diet, something he and other receivers on the team, like Bennie Fowler, have said to have done.
The Broncos have been unquestionably poor on offense, but if they were to decide to part ways with the with their longest-tenured player, it could also cause more problems than solutions.
Here are three reasons why the Broncos should keep Thomas on the roster.
1. The Broncos offensive problems aren’t caused by the wide receivers.
The offensive problems the Broncos are facing aren’t due to the wide receivers.
Poor quarterback play and offensive line play plague the Broncos as the roots of all their issues on offense. A quarterback can’t distribute the ball to a wide receiver if he’s not given time — and a poor quarterback only makes that worse.
Trading or releasing a strong offensive playmaker doesn’t heal any wounds — and likely only amplifies the problem.
2. Leadership lost.
NFL players can bring value to a team on and off the field, and Thomas brings value tremendous value both on the field and off it.
Thomas is a strong leader in the Broncos locker room. While many view him as a more quiet, keep-to-himself type, Thomas is anything but. Thomas is the longest-tenured Bronco, and commands attention when he speaks. The Broncos named him a team captain this year for the third time in his Broncos career.
3. One less round of ammo in the fight for a free-agent quarterback.
Removing Thomas from the offense would mean removing a Pro Bowl wide receiver, and a significant enticement for any free-agent quarterback that Elway might want to pursue.
The Broncos will certainly have their eye on premier quarterbacks that might be able available in the offseason, and if Denver is to win a sweepstakes for a strong arm in free-agency, it will be, in part, due to the weapons that the quarterback will have at his disposal.
Money is still green, no matter where a player goes. If the desire is to win, the quarterback will surround himself with the best chance to win — and the players to win with. Thomas is a obvious asset in that capacity; losing him makes it that discussion much more difficult.
But while moving on from Thomas has drawbacks, there are potential positive outcomes.
Here are three reasons why the Broncos might benefit by moving on from Thomas.
1. Declining production.
Thomas’ production has steadily declined over the past three years. Every year since 2014, Thomas has failed to meet or better his overall receiving yards total, receiving touchdowns total and even his target numbers have dropped year after year. It’s worth noting that the trend began under Peyton Manning, not only with the subpar quarterbacks that Thomas has been saddled with since Manning retired.
This trend appears likely to continue in 2017. Call it quarterback woes, call it an aging veteran, but the numbers that No. 88 have put up aren’t what they used to be.
2. Drops
A massive problem, year-in and year-out, Thomas’ dropped passes earn derision from many fans. Thomas has finished in the top five in dropped passes over the last three years. His untimely drops do plague the Broncos’ offense, and the hard truth is the raw number of mishandled passes aren’t acceptable for someone with Thomas’ talents.
3. Rebuilding money.
After a 3-7 start, the Broncos’ season is far from needing just a ‘reboot’ as head coach Vance Joseph suggested in the off-season. The offense needs serious rebuilding, and Thomas’ massive salary potentially hinders that.
According to OverTheCap.com, there is a $4 million dollar option in Thomas’ contract that will buy back the 2018 and 2019 league year. If that option is not exercised in March, the final two years of Thomas’s contract will void, making him a free agent. From there, the Broncos would likely receive a compensatory pick based on the NFL’s formula for awarding picks to teams.