Demaryius Thomas

Thomas Likely To Skip Camp Without New Deal

July 15th, 2015 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos and Demaryius Thomas now have just a matter of hours to work out a new long-term contract extension, with this afternoon’s deadline looming. And according to Mike Klis of 9News, Thomas is expected to skip training camp and the preseason if he doesn’t get a new deal from the team today.

Of course, with the deadline for a multiyear contract only hours away, both sides figure to use whatever leverage they have, so there’s a possibility that Thomas is bluffing. But it’s not uncommon for unsigned franchise players to miss a good chunk of training camp and the preseason. Since he has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender, the star wideout wouldn’t be subject to fines for his absence.

Considering Peyton Manning is a player known for his meticulous preparation, the Broncos quarterback likely won’t be thrilled about the possibility of being without his No. 1 receiver this August, particularly with a new head coach and offensive coordinator in place. So the threat of Thomas’ absence could push the Broncos a little harder to get something done with him today.

However, based on this week’s reports, Thomas appears to be seeking a long-term deal in the Calvin Johnson range — Megatron’s contract with the Lions averages more than $16.2MM per season, with $48.75MM in fully guaranteed money. According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Broncos have made a “significant” long-term contract offer to Thomas, with agents speculating that the guaranteed money exceeds $40MM. It’s not clear if that entire amount would be fully guaranteed.

A compromise today is possible, but not particularly likely, according to Klis, Renck, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). If the two sides can’t finalize an agreement by 3:00pm central time, Thomas will have to play on a one-year pact in 2015. That doesn’t mean he necessarily has to sign the franchise tender as is — he and the team could negotiate a slightly different salary, or include various clauses, such as the Broncos not having the ability to tag him again in 2016.

While Denver appears to have most of the leverage once today’s deadline passes, Thomas’ absence from the camp and preseason could seriously impact the development of the club’s new offense, which may put pressure on John Elway and the front office to make concessions in negotiations.

Demaryius Thomas Rumors: Tuesday

July 14th, 2015 at 6:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we rounded up Tuesday’s rumors and updates on Dez Bryant‘s contract talks with the Cowboys. Now, we’ll shift our focus to another Pro Bowl wide receiver and franchise tag recipient, Demaryius Thomas. Here’s the latest on the Broncos’ star:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Thomas is willing to miss games. He adds that the wide receiver won’t be at camp on time if a deal isn’t reached.

Earlier updates:

Contrary to earlier reports, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Broncos and Thomas have not exchanged any proposals nor had any dialogue in over a month.
Echoing Monday’s report from Mike Klis, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network reports that there’s still a “significant gap” between the Broncos and Thomas in extension negotiations. Denver is willing to pay the 27-year-old north of $13MM per year, but Thomas is seeking a Calvin Johnson-type deal, and it seems unlikely that the club will go that high.
Based on his observations of the Broncos, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) doesn’t expect John Elway and company to budge significantly when it comes to the figures being discussed for Thomas.
In the wake of news that the NFLPA plans to move forward with its collusion complaint against the Broncos and Cowboys if either Thomas or Bryant remain unsigned after tomorrow’s deadline, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets that the Broncos have “zero concern” about the issue.

Dez Bryant Rumors: Tuesday

July 14th, 2015 at 6:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys and Dez Bryant have less than 30 hours to reach a long-term contract agreement before Wednesday’s deadline, and the wideout has threatened to miss training camp and regular season games if the two sides don’t come to terms. Here’s the latest on Bryant’s contract situation, with the clock ticking:

The Cowboys’ offer to Bryant is more than the $12.8MM/year tag number, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That marks a significant climb from their original offer of $10MM per year over six years. Bryant, meanwhile, still wants Calvin Johnson money and one source says there’s still a “long way to go” (link). Echoing earlier reports, Rapoport says the Cowboys aren’t buying Bryant’s threat to miss regular season games (link).

Earlier updates:

If Bryant and the Cowboys can compromise on a total dollar value that both sides find acceptable, the language regarding the voiding of future guarantees figures to become a major factor, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, though Bryant has avoided off-field trouble for several years, the Cowboys will likely push for language that would allow the team to void guarantees if the star receiver is suspended, or if he even just misses a practice or meeting. Bryant’s camp, of course, will attempt to restrict that sort of language.
While not many people are taking Bryant seriously when he talks about missing regular season action, Florio suggests in a separate PFT piece that it could make sense for the Cowboys wideout to threaten to sit out 10 weeks, rather than just one or two. That would still allow Bryant to earn more than $5MM in the season’s final few weeks, which is more than he has ever made in a season before.
Of course, Florio’s argument hinges on the fact that he believes Bryant would still be in line for a 20% raise if he sits out most or all of the season and gets the franchise tag again in 2016, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. That’s not how I read the CBA — it looks to me like the 20% raise only applies if Bryant earns his full $12.823MM salary in 2015. As Florio observes though, the language in convoluted enough that it could result in a grievance, if necessary.
Having already informed the Cowboys and Broncos that they need to preserve emails, phone records, and other records of communication, the NFLPA intends to move forward with collusion charges against the two teams if Bryant and Demaryius Thomas don’t sign long-term contracts this week, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Based on Graziano’s report, it sounds like the NFLPA plans to go ahead with its complaint even if one of the two receivers lands a new deal this week.

Community Tailgate: 7/14/15

July 14th, 2015 at 4:24pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re still almost two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Today, we’ll be discussing the impasse between Demaryius Thomas and the Broncos. The Broncos and Thomas‘ agent, Todd France, have recently exchanged proposals, which signifies some level of progress as the Wednesday deadline looms. However, there’s a significant divide between the two sides that needs to be crossed in less than 24 hours. Denver is offering “substantially more” than the contract of Minnesota’s Mike Wallace, who is currently the league’s second-highest paid receiver with a deal that averages $12MM a year. However, Thomas wants a deal that would exceed Calvin Johnson‘s mammoth contract.

Megatron, for the uninitiated, is in the midst of a $113MM+ deal with the Lions that is paying him upwards of $16MM per season with nearly $49MM guaranteed. GM John Elway doesn’t feel that Thomas should get quite that much. Johnson’s contract, the Broncos argue, is an outlier when it comes to wide receiver salaries. In fact, Elway (allegedly) told Cowboys COO Stephen Jones as much when the two (allegedly) discussed their respective contract talks with Thomas and Dez Bryant. At the time, Johnson was being paid under the old rookie scale and the Lions were forced to give him that hefty long-term deal in order to avoid their cap being hampered in the short-term.

Thomas’ stats over the last three years compare favorably to Megatron’s. The Broncos standout has hauled in 297 catches for 4,483 yards and 35 touchdowns while Johnson has 277 catches for 4,533 yards and 25 touchdowns. Thomas is also coming off a career year in which he racked up 111 catches and averaged more than 100 yards per game. Thomas’ camp was also quick to point out that Megatron’s deal was actually signed when the salary cap was $120.6MM rather than $143.3MM.

Earlier today, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report noted that he doesn’t expect Elway to budge significantly when it comes to the figures being discussed for Thomas. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Thomas’ camp bend with a compromise that looks more like Wallace’s deal than Johnson’s.

What’s your gut feeling at this time? Will the Broncos and Thomas work out a long-term deal before the Wednesday deadline? If so, how much will Thomas get from Denver? Let us know in the comment section below!

Latest On Broncos, Demaryius Thomas

July 13th, 2015 at 8:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos and Demaryius Thomas‘ agent, Todd France, have recently exchanged proposals, multiple NFL sources tell Mike Klis of 9NEWS. However, there’s a pretty big gap for the two sides to bridge. Sources say that Thomas is looking for a deal that would exceed Calvin Johnson‘s mammoth contract. Denver, meanwhile, is offering “substantially more” than the contract of Minnesota’s Mike Wallace, who is currently the league’s second-highest paid receiver with a deal that averages $12MM a year, but less than the Johnson deal.

Johnson, of course, is the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL by a significant margin. The 29-year-old inked a $113MM+ deal with the Lions that is paying him upwards of $16MM per season with nearly $49MM guaranteed. The Broncos would argue that Johnson’s deal is an outlier because of the unique circumstances surrounding those negotiations – Johnson was set to earn a cap-crippling amount of money under the old wage scale and the Lions had to pay up in the long term order to prevent that from happening. However, Thomas’ camp is pushing to top that contract on the grounds that the salary cap has risen from $120.6MM to $143.3MM in the last few years.

Thomas’ stats over the last three years compare favorably to Megatron’s. The Broncos standout has hauled in 297 catches for 4,483 yards and 35 touchdowns while Johnson has 277 catches for 4,533 yards and 25 touchdowns. That disparity can partly be chalked up to Johnson’s injuries, however, as he has missed five games during that span. Thomas is also coming off a career year in which he racked up 111 catches and averaged more than 100 yards per game.

Latest On Cowboys/Broncos Collusion Allegations

July 13th, 2015 at 6:55pm CST by Zachary Links

6:55pm: The NFLPA letter to the Broncos and Cowboys doesn’t spell out specific transgressions but it does ask clubs to preserve certain documents and communications, Breer tweets.

6:04pm: Evidence of possible collusion between the Cowboys and Broncos stems from a conversation that took place between Dez Bryant and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT.

Jones explained to Bryant that the Calvin Johnson contract, which is the most lucrative deal for a wide receiver in the NFL, has no relevance to other receivers because of the unique circumstances surrounding those negotiations. Then, according to Bryant’s account (per the source), Jones told the receiver that he talked to Broncos GM John Elway about the situation. Because the Broncos also have a franchise-tagged receiver in Demaryius Thomas, the admission that Jones and Elway communicated about the situation constitutes evidence of collusion.

There could be significant penalties for the Cowboys and Broncos as the league’s collective bargaining agreement prohibits such contact. However, it could also be hard to find the smoking gun. Bryant could give testimony to support his claims, but if there is no tangible evidence of a conversation between Elway and Jones, the investigation might not get far.

July 15th is the deadline for franchised players to sign long-term extensions with their teams — if no agreement is reached by that date, a player who received the franchise tag will have to play on a one-year deal in 2015, if he intends to play at all. Given the relatively similar statistical production posted by Bryant and Thomas – as well as Bengals wideout A.J. Green and Falcons receiverJulio Jones, who are playing on fifth-year options this year – there’s been a sense that everyone is waiting for one team to extend its star receiver to establish the market.

The NFLPA letter containing the collusion claims against the Broncos and Cowboys went to the clubs today, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.

Franchise Tag Updates: Houston, WRs, JPP

July 13th, 2015 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the five recipients of franchise tags around the NFL this year, only Stephen Gostkowski immediately signed his one-year tender. He’ll have until Wednesday to negotiate a longer-term deal with the Patriots, but the focus this week is on the other four franchised players, who are still technically free agents, albeit not unrestricted ones. With the July 15 deadline for a multiyear contract looming, let’s check in on those four stars….

Negotiations between Justin Houston and the Chiefs are expected to resume on Tuesday, one day before the deadline, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that guaranteed money will be the major factor in those talks, with Houston likely seeking a sizable signing bonus.
Houston may have the best chance of the four unsigned franchise players to actually land a long-term extension this week, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, the two sides have made “significant progress” since they first started negotiating, and Kansas City would like to avoid having to franchise the star pass rusher two years in a row. La Canfora expects it to cost at least $15MM per year for the Chiefs to get something done.
Within the same piece, La Canfora addresses Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, noting that the two wideouts are stuck in similar situations. Although a deal for either player could be reached if one decides to settle for something in the range of $13-14MM annually, the Cowboys and Broncos are both in a good position to wait until after the season to get something done, if need be. We passed along more extensive updates on both Bryant and Thomas earlier today.
The fourth unsigned franchise player, Jason Pierre-Paul, has virtually no chance of getting a multiyear contract this week, as we’ve heard repeatedly since his July 4th fireworks accident. However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com suggests that if JPP is able to contribute to the Giants this season and land a decent contract elsewhere in 2016, he could eventually net New York a draft pick.

Long-Term Deal Unlikely For Thomas, Broncos

July 13th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

With two more days for the Broncos and Demaryius Thomas to finalize a long-term contract extension for the standout receiver, it doesn’t appear likely that the two sides will come to terms, according to multiple reports. Both Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk have characterized the chances of a multiyear deal as possible, but unlikely.

According to Cole, the NFLPA’s investigation into possible collusion between the Broncos and Cowboys has slowed contract talks for Thomas, whose demands are still well above what Denver feels comfortable doing. Florio points out that, given Peyton Manning‘s uncertain status beyond this season, it may not make sense for the Broncos to invest a huge amount of long-term money into a wide receiver, since it’s not clear who would be throwing him the ball throughout most of that contract.

As Florio also observes, the Broncos’ last long-term deal for a franchised player came in 2013, for left tackle Ryan Clady. Since he signed that extension, Clady has suffered two major injuries, including an ACL tear that will sideline him for the 2015 season. While Thomas is a different player in a different situation, the Clady deal could nonetheless make the team more inclined to go year to year on its current franchised player.

Assuming the Broncos and Thomas don’t reach an agreement by the July 15 deadline, the two sides will still have some wiggle room to negotiate terms on the one-year tag. Denver could opt to increase the $12.823MM salary a little, or include a clause in the contract that prevents the team from franchising Thomas again in 2016.

With a new head coach and offensive coordinator in place for the 2015 season, it would be in the best interests of Manning and the Denver offense to get Thomas to camp as soon as possible. As such, the Broncos may be willing to give it a little ground on that one-year tender, even if they’re not comfortable with giving their No. 1 wideout a sizable long-term guarantee.

Sunday Roundup: Bills, L.A., Dalton, McClain

July 12th, 2015 at 8:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Among all the chaos surrounding Aaron Kromer in Buffalo, the Bills are more than likely going to be looking for a new offensive line coach for the upcoming season. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report is asked if the organization could convince former Bills offensive line coach Jim McNally out of retirement.

McNally spent 28 seasons as an NFL offensive line coach, retiring in 2007 after a four-year tenure in Buffalo. He semi-unretired in 2010 to serve as a consultant to the Jets under Rex Ryan for two years, before taking on a similar role with the Bengals, where he began and spent most of his NFL career.

Cole notes that at 71 years old, McNally isn’t a prime candidate for the job, but that he does have the background to make him an interesting option (via Twitter).

Here are some more notes from around the NFL:

With all the excitement surrounding the possibility of a team coming to Los Angeles, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times makes several predictions about what to expect in the coming months from the NFL regarding the potential move. Among them, he opines that San Diego and St. Louis will present their cases at the owners’ meeting in New York but Oakland will not, that the league will sign leases with one or two temporary stadiums by the end of the year, and that the NFL will begin counting potential season ticket holders this fall.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton took some swings during the Legends and Celebrity Softball Game as part of All-Star Weekend in Cincinnati, but he arrived to a mix of boos and cheers among the hometown fans, writes Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com. Dalton was not worried about the reaction, and went on to hit two mammoth home runs during the game, to which brought the cheers in the stadium, and plenty of snark from the Twitter faithful, many of which Dehner compiled in his piece.
With linebacker Sean Lee set to return for the Cowboys and Rolando McClain suspended for the season’s first four games, Bob Strum of the Dallas Morning News says he wouldn’t assume McClain will stick with Dallas all year, suggesting the club may decide at some point that the off-field issues aren’t worth it.
The Broncos have until Wednesday to reach a long-term deal with franchise player Demaryius Thomas, leading Benjamin Hochman and Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post to debate as to the receiver’s value. Noting that Denver has a limited Super Bowl window given Peyton Manning‘s age, the scribes agree that the club will want to work out an extension, ultimately landing on a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $65-70MM. PFR’s Luke Adams projected the exact same figures last June.
Staying in Denver, Broncos general manager John Elway is still positive that the disappointing 2014 draft class will have a bigger impact, even with a brand new coaching staff, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Only Bradley Roby saw significant snaps, with a number of the players selected not seeing any action at all. Second-round pick Cody Latimer saw only 37 snaps at receiver for the season, but the group should see significantly increased roles in 2015.

Luke Adams and Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFLPA Looking Into Cowboys, Broncos

July 10th, 2015 at 7:15pm CST by Luke Adams

7:15pm: Suspicions in the matter stew from both the Cowboys and the Broncos refusing to use Calvin Johnson‘s contract with the Lions as a comparable during negotiations with Bryant and Thomas, respectively, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That seems a little odd, as the total value of Johnson’s contract is nearly twice that of Mike Wallace, the second-highest paid receiver, and as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap tweets, Megatron’s deal has always been viewed as an outlier. Nevertheless, Florio reports that the NFLPA believe it has reliable information that the two clubs involved “have been communicating to set, control, or manipulate the [receiver] market.”

Meanwhile, the Broncos say they have not been contacted by the NFLPA regarding this issue, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

5:48pm: Asked about the NFLPA’s investigation, a Cowboys source tells Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Telegram (Twitter link) there’s “nothing to it.” That’s what you’d expect to hear from a team source, though I wouldn’t be surprised if that turns out to indeed be the case.

3:59pm: With five days left for franchised players to negotiate multiyear contract agreements with their current teams, only two of the four unsigned franchise-tag recipients play the same position: Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the NFL Players Association is reviewing information to determine whether the Broncos and Cowboys have colluded in regard to contract talks for their two star receivers.

Per Schefter, the NFLPA believes the Broncos and Cowboys were in contact about Thomas’ and Bryant’s contract situations, despite the fact that the the league’s collective bargaining agreement prohibits such contact. The NFLPA is investigating the situation to determine whether or not collusion did in fact occur, and when to potentially file a claim.

July 15 is the deadline for franchised players to sign long-term extensions with their teams — if no agreement is reached by that date, a player who received the franchise tag will have to play on a one-year deal in 2015, if he intends to play at all. Given the relatively similar statistical production posted by Bryant and Thomas – as well as Bengals wideout A.J. Green and Falcons receiver Julio Jones, who are playing on fifth-year options this year – there’s been a sense that everyone is waiting for one team to extend its star receiver to establish the market.

Of course, if one team were to lock up its receiver to a lucrative new extension that exceeds his expected worth, it could adversely affect negotiations for other teams locking to lock up their own wideouts, driving up the price. As such, it makes sense that the Cowboys and Broncos might want to discuss the situation with one another, though Schefter’s report doesn’t suggest there’s any hard evidence that happened.

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