Elway Shouldn’t Have Called Out Demaryius Thomas

Nov 23, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 39-36. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

With Demaryius Thomas franchised tagged by the Denver Broncos, he has decided to stay away from the team and practice on his own in Atlanta. John Elway decided to take out some of that frustration during the pre-draft media session. Perhaps that was not the best way to go about that.

While I can agree that John Elway could be upset with Demaryius Thomas because of the injury cost and the protection that he gets. Demaryius Thomas is covered while with the team and not while working out on his own. Another reason why John Elway could be frustrated with Demaryius Thomas is the fear of holding out, which I do not believe Demaryius Thomas is trying to do. I would be shocked if that was the case.

But for this article, I would have to side with Demaryius Thomas in this instance. And there are a few reasons why.

One reason is that he is recovering from an injury that kept him out of the Pro Bowl. He is coming off an exceptional season and wants to recover before starting any team workouts. Of course, he is missing out on valuable time with Peyton Manning, but Demaryius Thomas and Peyton Manning will only need about a few days of practice to get into the swing of things.

The biggest thing for me as to why I am siding with Demaryius Thomas in this situation is the treatment John Elway has shown pending free agents, basically not being as loyal as we all think. Some prime examples would be this offseason alone. Orlando Franklin was a solid player on the offensive line for the Denver Broncos in the past two years (minus the Super Bowl game) but Franklin was never given a new contract or an extension and was forced to walk away and join the Chargers. Franklin even showed some disappointment in the situation.

Terrance Knighton is another example. This guy who showed up in the past year or so and played exceptionally. He was even willing to take a discount to stay in Denver rather than go anywhere else. While there were questions about his weight, at least he was loyal and wanted to stay. Yet John Elway was not loyal. Rahim Moore I feel like would not have cost a lot to keep in Denver, yet Elway decided to part ways.

An interesting tidbit from Bronco Mike at Mile High Report. Going back to Elway’s first draft, the only two players that are still with the team from four or five years of drafts are Von Miller and Virgil Green. Everyone else on the team is no longer there. This surprises me quite a bit, because it makes me think of all the reasons as to why he would not keep most of them around. Why not build a franchise around the players you have drafted and then get stronger while keeping key players from other drafts in the past.

And my final reason for siding with Demaryius Thomas is his nature as a player. He is one of the most humble players in the game and for good reasons. He is a hard worker and is the epitome of class in the NFL. Telling him that it makes zero sense for him to be away from the team is quite harsh in my opinion. Let him figure things out and if Elway is serious about wanting to bring him back, there is one result. Speed up the process. I believe Demaryius Thomas has earned every dollar for what he has done for the Broncos organization.

While I can understand that John Elway is frustrated with Demaryius Thomas not showing up. Demaryius Thomas should be a team player and show his dedication to the team, but the way Elway went about blasting him amid his history with players was not ideal. Being frustrated by that should stay behind closed doors.

Next: John Elway Cryptic (Mostly) At Broncos Pre-Draft Presser