Demaryius Thomas: How Broncos receiving core works without DT
By Aric Manthey
Hey, fellow Broncos fans! My name’s Aric Manthey. I’m the newest staff writer here on Predominantly Orange. I’m a long time Bronco fan and I am honored to be a part of the Predominantly Orange team. I look forward to giving fellow Broncos fans a unique and insightful take on our favorite team.
For my first write up, I decided to take a look at the situation revolving around Demaryius Thomas. No one will doubt his ability and our desire to have him on our team, but what if the two sides can’t reach an agreement by tomorrow’s deadline? What if we had to start training camp and the regular season without our biggest playmaker? I’m going to look at some of the obvious (and not so obvious) options to step up in the receiving core in the event that DT misses a significant amount of time. Let’s begin.
The Obvious
This category includes the receivers and tight ends that will make an immediate impact, regardless of DT’s presence. These are the guys that will be the direct beneficiaries of an absence from #88.
Emmanuel Sanders
Coming off his most productive season in 2014 (101 rec, 1404 yards, 9 TD’s), Sanders is primed for the #1 spot on our offense if DT misses time. A shifty route runner with great hands, Sanders is a skilled receiver that quite frankly, would be considered a #1 target for most NFL teams. He just had a knack for making great plays on a consistent basis last year and I look forward to that continuing with another year of catching passes from Peyton Manning.
If Demaryius were to miss regular season games, Sanders is the clear lock to be our #1.
Aside from his ability and past production, he is one of the more experienced receivers on the roster and most importantly, has the trust of Manning in this offense. Although the next guy in this category is a highly coveted draft pick of the current regime, Sanders has the chemistry and timing built up with Manning to give him the edge as the #1 target in our offense.
Cody Latimer
A 2nd round pick in 2014, Latimer was heralded as the next great receiver in the Broncos offense. Despite his size, athleticism and excellent blocking ability, he found himself riding the bench for most of the 2014 season. Latimer is a perfect example of what happens when you don’t understand the playbook.
Like I mentioned above, Sanders made the most of his opportunities with Manning last year because of his knowledge in our offensive scheme. Although Latimer was a rookie last year, he was not able to fully grasp the offense and it limited him to only a handful of snaps on offense.
Aug 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer (14) on the field during the game against the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium. Denver beat Dallas 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Aside from DT’s possible absence, another thing working for Latimer this off-season is the change of offensive philosophy. Gary Kubiak’s offense places more of an emphasis on traits that Latimer possesses, as opposed to making him learn something he hadn’t done before.
While going through the draft process, Latimer was praised for his blocking ability and willingness to bring that skill set to the team that drafted him. Through his college experience, he adapted to an offensive scheme that asks all of its skill players to be excellent blockers. This approach will pay dividends for him this year, as the Broncos offense will place a heavy emphasis on the running game and having all offensive players buy into blocking on a regular basis.
While this offense doesn’t feed the ball to their receivers as much as the previous offense did, Latimer’s combination of athleticism, size, blocking ability and a more straight forward offensive approach will give him the opportunity to emerge as a playmaker in the Broncos offense this year.
Owen Daniels
The professional equivalent of a teacher’s pet, Daniels has patterned his career around where Gary Kubiak has coached and the philosophies he brought with him. Entering his 10th year in the NFL (all with Kubiak), Daniels is line to be the most frequent target of Manning’s to start the season.
A two time pro bowler, Daniels is a savvy player that knows the offense like the back of his hand. Aside from the obvious Kubiak connection, Denver served as the best opportunity for Daniels to come in and start as a #1 TE. Over time, I think the next player on our list will take on a larger role in our offense, but for the immediate future, Daniels will serve as a great offensive mentor to his teammates and an easy target for Manning to go to until the rest of the offense gets up to speed.
Virgil Green
Although his role has been primarily as a blocker in the past, Virgil Green has the opportunity to cement himself as our #1 TE by the end of this upcoming season. A 7th round pick in 2011, he is only one of two players that remain on the roster from that draft class. Although he only has one career TD and a handful of reception through his first four seasons as a Bronco, there is a good reason why the Broncos front office quickly re-signed him to a 3 year deal this off-season.
Coming out of college at Nevada, Green was lauded for his great athleticism and pass catching ability. Throughout his tenure as a Bronco, he had to patiently wait his turn behind other tight ends like Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen. On top of that, the Broncos offense had shuffled to put more of an emphasis on three wide receiver sets, giving Green less opportunities to shine.
With Julius Thomas leaving in free agency, Jeff Heuerman on IR and heavy use of two tight end sets in our offense, Green has a chance to establish himself as a “brick” player in the foundation of the Broncos offense for many years to come.
James Casey
The official “swiss army knife” of the Broncos offense, Casey was signed this off-season as a TE-HB hybrid. Despite the fact that he is coming off a disappointing two year stint in Philadelphia (he signed a 3 year, 14.6 million dollar contract with the Eagles in 2013), he was a highly coveted player by many teams after he was released by the Eagles this past February.
He ultimately ended up signing with the Broncos, reuniting him with the coach that drafted him in Houston and an offensive scheme that he is well versed in. His ability to play multiple positions (especially fullback) is what makes Casey an intriguing fit in our offense. He may not be viewed as an immediate threat to opposing defenses, but like Daniels, he is fluent in our offense and will serve as a road map for the other offensive players to get up to speed.
Don’t be surprised if he ends up having far more receptions than carries and becomes a key player in moving the chains this year.
Not so obvious
This group includes a few players that are fighting for roster spots, but in the event that DT misses time, could make the team and have an impact in our offense.
Andre Caldwell
Entering his 4th season with the Broncos, Caldwell is the longest tenured wide receiver on the Broncos roster (outside of DT). With that said, I see very few advantages he has over his peers in the receiving core. Like in years past, I can see him carving our a prominent role on special teams. In my opinion, if Caldwell wants to stick on the roster, that may be the best route to doing so.
Even if DT misses time, I don’t see a spike in Caldwell’s offensive production. Some of the reasons why he won’t play a larger role are out of his control. Like with the other receivers, Caldwell will see less targets this year with the offense putting a stronger emphasis on two tight end formations and running the ball.
Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Andre Caldwell (12) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Any targets he may have gotten in the previous offense will now go to a tight end or other receiver in this offense. When he does get his opportunities, I don’t see him making a huge impact. I’m not against Caldwell and his abilities, but from what we’ve seen him provide to the offense the past few years, I don’t expect him to be a big contributor. He strikes me as a veteran who can play special teams and get the occasional play on offense. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jordan Norwood
A journeyman player, Norwood was a having a great camp last year until he tore his ACL. A speedy wide receiver with great return ability, Norwood has the opportunity to crack the 53 man roster and provide an immediate impact for the team. With 36 career receptions, he’s no stranger to an NFL field and has the ability to provide a dynamic playmaking ability to the offense and special teams units. Depending on how he recovered from his ACL injury, I can see Norwood having a great camp and becoming a surprise contributor to our offense this year.
Joe Don Duncan
A tight end by trade, Duncan has spent this off-season learning the ropes as a fullback. A hidden gem in the 2014 draft class, Duncan went undrafted out of little known Dixie State University. After getting a tryout from the Baltimore Ravens (With Kubiak leading the offense), he spent the 2014 season out of football. With this opportunity in Denver, Duncan has a chance to make the roster and contribute on offense this year. Although he has never taken a snap in an NFL game, Duncan can be a direct beneficiary of a depth chart that is unproven behind Owen Daniels, James Casey and Virgil Green. With the Broncos offense going into more two tight end sets, the Broncos will look to keep 4, possibly 5 tight ends on the roster (Maybe they’ll list Casey as a FB, giving the Broncos up to four other spots for TE’s). If that’s the case, then Duncan has a fantastic chance to impress in camp and make the 53 man roster.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s really impossible to replace Demaryius Thomas’ impact on our team. He’s one of the best playmakers in the NFL. With all of the change going on this off-season, it’ll be difficult to get DT back and up to speed on the new offense. As Broncos fans, I’m sure we can all agree that Thomas’ presence on the field positively impacts our team. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, two sides will have an agreement in place and we don’t have to consider our other options. If no agreement is reached in time, we’ll have to make due with “Plan B”.