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De’Anthony Thomas

Ravens’ De’Anthony Thomas Opts Out Of 2020 Season

July 27th, 2020 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

A second player plans to opt out of the 2020 season. Following former Chiefs teammate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Ravens wide receiver/return man De’Anthony Thomas has expressed his intention to opt out, the team announced.

This will be a voluntary opt-out for Thomas, who re-signed with the Ravens in March. This would have been the wideout’s seventh NFL season.

Because this is a voluntary opt-out, and not a high-risk player choosing to bypass the COVID-19-clouded season, Thomas is set to receive a $150K stipend. He will not receive an accrued season toward free agency. His new deal was a one-year pact for the league minimum.

Players have only a handful of days to determine whether they will play in 2020, with August 3 serving as the deadline. Thomas operated as Baltimore’s primary punt returner last season, averaging 7.2 yards per return for his second NFL team. The Ravens, however, believe sixth-round rookie James Proche can fill Thomas’ shoes, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes (via Twitter).

Thomas, 27, spent five full seasons with the Chiefs. He worked as Kansas City’s primary kick returner for much of his stay, while also playing an auxiliary role as a wide receiver in K.C.’s Alex Smith-piloted offenses. Though, Thomas has never posted a 200-yard season and last caught double-digit passes in 2017. The eventual Super Bowl champions cut him last year, leading him to Baltimore. The former Oregon standout’s contract will toll to 2021.

Ravens Re-Sign De’Anthony Thomas

March 14th, 2020 at 8:25am CST by Ben Levine

De’Anthony Thomas is sticking in Baltimore for at least one more season. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the receiver/returner has re-signed with the Ravens. It’s a one-year deal for the 27-year-old.

The 2014 fourth-round pick spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Chiefs, and he earned a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team following his first year in the league. That rookie campaign proved to be Thomas’s best season in the NFL both offensively and in the return game.

Thomas re-signed with the Chiefs last offseason, but he was placed on the reserve list after violating the league’s policy on substance abuse. He was activated in mid-September, but he was released by the organization about a month later.

The wideout ended up catching on with the Ravens, and he proceeded to appear in eight games for his new team. While he really didn’t do anything offensively, he had 23 combined kick and punt returns, including three kick returns of 20+ yards.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/29/19

October 29th, 2019 at 6:59pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Here is an update on workouts around the league:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Chiefs Release De’Anthony Thomas

October 22nd, 2019 at 12:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs released wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas, according to a team announcement. In a related move, quarterback Kyle Shurmur was promoted to the 53-man roster. 

Thomas spent the last five years with the Chiefs, but his 2018 season was brought to a screeching halt after he broke his leg. Then, in January, an arrest for marijuana possession hurt his free agency stock. Before all of that, Thomas saw time both as a returner and receiver for KC. After some time away, he circled back to the club in August, but only managed 4.2 yards per punt return, well below his career average of 8.8 yards per attempt.

Shurmur, the son of Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, surpassed Jay Cutler as Vanderbilt’s all-time leader in passing yards and completions before leaving school. He’ll help backstop the Chiefs as they await the return of Patrick Mahomes. In the interim, KC will use Matt Moore as their starter.

Chiefs Re-Sign De’Anthony Thomas

August 20th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have signed wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas, according to a press release. In a related move, the Chiefs waived fellow wideout Davon Grayson. 

Thomas spent the last five years with the Chiefs, but his 2018 season was brought to a screeching halt after he broke his leg. Then, in January, an arrest for marijuana possession hurt his free agency stock. Before all of that, Thomas saw time both as a returner and receiver for KC.

On Tuesday morning, the Chiefs facilitated another reunion by signing guard Jeff Allen.

Chiefs Place WR De’Anthony Thomas On IR

October 13th, 2018 at 11:45am CST by Ben Levine

De’Anthony Thomas is heading to the injured reserve. James Palmer of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs have placed the wideout on the IR. They’ve promoted safety Leon McQuay from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

This isn’t unexpected, as we learned yesterday that Thomas had broken his leg in a “freak accident.” Another player reportedly stepped on Thomas’ leg, causing a fracture close to the one he suffered in the last game of the 2017 season. The team doesn’t believe the 25-year-old will need to have surgery, and he’ll be eligible to be activated from the IR after he sits out eight games.

The 2014 fourth-round pick has spent his entire career with Kansas City. He hadn’t played the biggest role on offense this season, hauling in only three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown. He also had a single six-yard carry. The Oregon product also contributed on special teams, returning three kicks and one punt while compiling four tackles. With Thomas out of the picture, Demarcus Robinson and Marcus Kemp will have more opportunities to contribute on offense.

McQuay, a 2017 sixth-round pick by the Chiefs, was waived by the team following the preseason. He quickly caught on with Kansas City’s practice squad, where he’s spent the entire season. The USC product appeared in one game last season, compiling four tackles and one pass defended.

Chiefs’ De’Anthony Thomas Suffers Injury

October 12th, 2018 at 2:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs’ injury report continues to grow in advance of their Sunday night game against the Patriots. Wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas broke his leg in a “freak accident,” according to trainer Rick Burkholder.

Another player stepped on Thomas’ leg, causing a fracture close to the one he suffered in the last game of the 2017 season. Fortunately, the team does not believe that Thomas will need to have surgery, but his status for this season is murky.

Through five weeks, Thomas has three catches for 29 yards and a receiving touchdown, plus one carry for six yards. Thomas has also been involved in the return game, including a punt return for 48 yards against the Steelers.

The Chiefs have five other receivers on the roster, so they won’t necessarily have to sign anyone to fill in for Thomas. Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Chris Conley, Demarcus Robinson, and Marcus Kemp make up the rest of KC’s receiving corps.

Chiefs Re-Sign WR De’Anthony Thomas

March 14th, 2018 at 5:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs announced that they have re-signed wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas. In related news, linebacker Terrance Smith has also been retained.

Thomas, a return specialist, averaged 23.5 yards per kick return last season. He drew interest from other teams – including one offer that would have paid him $1.5MM more than what he got from KC, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter) – but he elected to stay with the Chiefs.

Smith has spent the past two seasons with the Chiefs after going undrafted out of Florida State in 2016. The 24-year-old has compiled 14 tackles and one interception in 24 career games (three starts).

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/18

January 2nd, 2018 at 8:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Promoted to active roster: T Blaine Clausell
  • Placed on injured reserve: TE Chris Manhertz

Kansas City Chiefs

AFC Rumors: Titans, Tunsil, Chiefs, Steelers

March 29th, 2016 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Although a report on Monday suggested that Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa remains in the mix for the Titans with the first overall pick, Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil still appears to be the overwhelming favorite to be Tennessee’s pick, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) outlines. According to Cole, the fact that Tunsil won’t run a 40-yard dash and is dealing with a lingering hamstring issue shouldn’t have any real impact on his draft stock.

Still, while Tunsil is the odds-on favorite to be the first player off the board next month, not everyone agrees he should be. Writing for the Florida Times-Union, Hays Carlyon makes the case that the Titans should select Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey first overall. As Carlyon details, landing Ramsey would fill a hole for Tennessee and would keep a talented defender away from the division-rival Jaguars, who would probably love to grab him with the fifth overall pick.

As we look forward to seeing what Tennessee decides, let’s round up a few more updates from around the AFC…

  • A report earlier in March suggested that the Chiefs and 49ers had discussed a possible trade that would send De’Anthony Thomas to San Francisco. However, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links), Kansas City GM John Dorsey said today that Thomas isn’t going anywhere, denying that he had spoken to the Niners about a deal. Even if the two sides did have a conversation about Thomas, it’s unlikely that Dorsey would confirm it now that the 23-year-old appears likely to stay put.
  • The Steelers remain on the lookout for defensive line help. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that free agent defensive tackle Mike Martin recently visited Pittsburgh, while Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club will also bring in defensive end Jack Crawford for a visit this week. Martin has been a backup in Tennessee for most of the last four seasons, while Crawford picked up four sacks as a part-timer in Dallas in 2015.
  • Houston cornerback William Jackson III is visiting the Dolphins today, a source tells Wilson (Twitter link). Jackson projects as a probable first-round pick.
  • The Texans guaranteed $37MM to a player that the team’s decision-makers had essentially never met, as Peter King of TheMMQB.com writes. Using the Brock Osweiler signing as a point of reference, King makes the case for why the NFL should expand its annual legal tampering period to allow for free agent visits.
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