Broncos WR Eric Decker Will Test Free Agency, Per Reports

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker (87) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Heath Farwell (55) in the third quarter in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Losing the Super Bowl is tough. The reality of the business side of the NFL after said loss is possibly even tougher.

The Broncos drafted wide receiver Eric Decker out of Minnesota in 2010 as a third round pick, though if not for an injury his senior season, he would’ve undoubtedly gone higher. He’s proven that and then some for the Broncos with two straight 1,000 plus yard seasons and two straight years with over 1,000 yards.

Decker was shut down in the Super Bowl, held to one catch for six yards, but obviously teams will look at the big picture of things, and per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Broncos fear they could lose Decker this offseason.

According to Rapoport, Decker will test free agency, though the Broncos hope to have him back. He says the Broncos want Decker to “take his best offer [and] come back to them,” meaning they want him to go out and see what he’s worth, and then allow them a chance to match.

The problem with that is, Decker is going to want #1 receiver money, and Denver views him as the Robin to Demaryius Thomas’ Batman, and I don’t think Decker is blind to that. He’s going to need to take a bit of a discount to stay in Denver, and a lot of people don’t see that happening.

Teams are willing to overpay for playmakers in this market, but I was shocked by how last year’s market played out. Decker is all-around a really good receiver, and he deserves a nice contract. The Broncos are between a rock and a hard place because they want to keep Decker but also know they have Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas up for new contracts after the 2014 season, as well as star pass rusher Von Miller.

Things could be changing drastically in Dove Valley in the coming months.