Demaryius Thomas will be one of this offseason’s top free agents and there’s no doubt he’s in line for big money. Still, the possibility exists that he would take a hometown discount from the Broncos.
“Of course, why not?” Thomas said in an interview with Dan Hellie of the NFL Network (via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com). “Peyton Manning is one of the best in the game, and I’ve been blessed to have him as my quarterback. I learned so much of him. Denver, of course I gotta take my hats off to them, because they took a chance of drafting me in the first round.”
Of course, how much of a discount the star wide receiver is willing to take remains to be seen and he might have a change of heart when he sees the offers that come his way. The Broncos surely hope they have that leg up over the competition as they’ll have to carve out space for both Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas. Ideally, Denver might look to lock the wide receiver for the long term while applying the franchise tag to the tight end.
In a recent poll, the overwhelming majority of you said that Demaryius Thomas should be Denver’s top extension priority over Julius Thomas and breakout cornerback Chris Harris. While they’re at the top of the list, the Broncos opted to table in-season deals for both Thomases back in October and will resume negotiations after the season. Demaryius Thomas currently has 88 catches, 1,255 yards, and ten touchdowns through 12 games this season. With 145 more yards, he’ll be only the third receiver in NFL history to enjoy a season with 1,450 yards and 10 touchdowns, joining Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison.
Demaryius Thomas currently occupies the No. 3 spot on Pro Football Rumors’ 2015 free agent power rankings.