Julius Thomas situation proves John Elway’s wisdom in free agency

The recent situation with Julius Thomas getting traded to the Miami Dolphins for almost nothing proves John Elway’s wisdom in free agency…

Less than two years ago, the Denver Broncos were preparing to lose free agent tight end Julius Thomas to the highest bidder. It wasn’t unexpected, as there was some reported discord between Thomas, his father, and the Broncos’ organization with the way his ankle injuries were handled.

With all of that behind him, Thomas signed a big time contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, worth $46 million over five seasons, and $24 million in initial guarantees.

It was a hefty price to pay, and unfortunately for the Jaguars, it didn’t really pay off. Thomas played in 21 games, starting in 16, and caught nine touchdowns in that time. It’s not that Thomas isn’t a good player, but his inability to stay on the field made him expendable for the Jaguars, an offense that is in need of supplementary options in the passing game along with Allen Robinson.

Now, his value is this:

Just two years after signing a massive contract in free agency, Thomas is now being traded for a 7th round draft pick. That’s startling for the former Pro Bowler, who caught 24 touchdown passes in two (mostly) healthy seasons with the Denver Broncos from 2013-14.

Thomas was an elite third option in the Broncos’ passing game when Peyton Manning was dominating the NFL through that timeframe. Two seasons after signing his big deal with the Jaguars, he finds himself now reuniting with former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase in Miami.

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Last offseason, the Broncos acquired a third round compensatory pick for Thomas, and with that pick, they selected safety Justin Simmons. Simmons has already become a key piece of the Denver Broncos’ secondary and will be even more so in 2017 after a solid rookie year.

I’m sure the Broncos would have liked to have brought Thomas back for the right price, but having patience in the free agency process paid off for John Elway once again. Elway knew that Thomas would bolt to the highest bidder, and that the Broncos weren’t going to be able to get a very good value from him due to his inability to stay healthy.

Elway let Thomas get to the open market, and he was proven correct for letting that happen, despite the ire of many fans.

Elway hasn’t hit 1.000 in free agency, but this was a very necessary move and Thomas getting sold on the cheap heap is evidence that in Elway, we should continue to trust.