Dec 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) runs a route in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Demaryius Thomas is still absent from Denver, Colorado. The Broncos are still focused on signing him to a long term deal. However, it still seems as if both sides are a long ways away from getting anything done.
With all the NFL Draft selections signing their deals this week, only Shane Ray and Jeff Heuerman are still without rookie contracts. With seven of the team’s nine draft picks signed, it could occur that the team will then focus on their other players. Most of the draft picks contract terms were not disclosed, but it brings in the question on how much the Broncos do have left to focus in on bring back Demaryius Thomas.
Both sides have until July 15th before the franchise tag becomes official for the entire season. This means that Demaryius Thomas will be making somewhere in the area of twelve million dollars during the 2015 season.
Asked @johnelway today if there was an update on talks on contract for @DemaryiusT -- he said "no update on Demaryius.''
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) May 12, 2015
Demaryius Thomas has already voiced his displeasure with being hit with the franchise tag and has decided to stay in Georgia in order to work out. We all know that did not go so well with John Elway as he stated that “There is zero reason for him being away from Denver.” Broncos fans, analysis, and writers (including myself) have voiced their opinions on the situation.
So, is the team closer to bringing back Demaryius Thomas? We are all uncertain at this point. But perhaps there are a few things that they could do to lure him into signing a deal.
If the Broncos can at least sign Shane Ray, they can focus on bringing back Demaryius Thomas. With Jeff Heuerman out for the season with an ACL injury, there is probably not a rush to get him into signing him, but it would benefit the team to get his deal taken care of.
After the Broncos finish that, they should focus on seeing what they have salary wise to construct a deal. If they do not have a lot, they should then focus on cutting players who are taking up cap space. Chances of the team releasing players early before training camp are rare. With that being said, the worst case would be that the team would have to wait until preseason ends in order to come up with something.
Remember, the Broncos came up with a deal for Chris Harris halfway through the season. This could be a possibility in the case something does not work out prior to the start of the season. In my honest opinion, if the Broncos do not have a deal for Demaryius Thomas in place, then it would concern me beyond anything. The last thing Broncos Country wants is for their franchise wide out playing for a different team in 2016.
It seems as if it is still a long shot to get Demaryius Thomas under contract. But hopefully John Elway has a plan. The Broncos faithful just needs to believe.