The Denver Broncos are going to be fine despite trading away receiver Demaryius Thomas. Here is why I believe that will be the case.
When the Denver Broncos traded wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans on Tuesday before the deadline, many people among Broncos Country were upset.
Rightfully so.
He was the longest-tenured player on the team, since being drafted alongside Tim Tebow back in 2010. He accumulated 665 receptions, 9,055 receiving yards and 60 touchdown receptions in eight-and-a-half years with the team.
Every now and then, we as an NFL fan community see start players leave the team they were with for so long. That’s just the nature of the business. Tuesday was Thomas’ turn. His departure marks the end of an era.
Now he gets to go to Houston. The Texans have an obvious starter at quarterback. He should be able to enjoy many years with the same supporting cast around him.
As for the Denver Broncos, the team closed a significant chapter in their franchise. They are starting over.
It felt like a foregone conclusion that Thomas would not finish the season with the Broncos and the decision to move on from him was easier since the team drafted Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton.
Sutton and Hamilton were part of a 2018 draft class that was labeled by many to be the best draft class by any team this year.
Sutton becomes a starter with Thomas’ departure and that is fantastic news. The move allows Sutton to be atop the depth chart alongside Emmanuel Sanders, therefore giving him more experience.
Through eight games, Demaryius Thomas caught 36 passes for 402 yards and three touchdowns. Sutton has significantly less receptions (17), but is on a better pace than Thomas was in terms of yardage (324). Thomas averaged 11.6 yards per reception, while Sutton currently averages 17.8.
Averages constantly change and every game is going to be different. However, it’s important to note that A lot of Sutton’s production comes from deep passes.
His ability to stretch the field is amazing.
Now, as the team’s number two receiver, Sutton’s role is going to change and the Broncos are going to use him in multiple ways. They’re going to give him more routes; more responsibilities. As a receiver, that can be a challenge. However, we have seen many great wide receivers in the history of the league.
I also think that the Demaryius Thomas trade takes a little bit of pressure off of quarterback Case Keenum. Crazy, right? Well, it puts more pressure on Emmanuel Sanders being the top guy. The good news is that Sanders already has emerged as Keenum’s top receiver.
The Broncos are already a run-first team but I anticipate the team having greater success through the air. I am hoping Keenum progresses better than he did during the first half of the season.
If Keenum improves, that means that Sutton should have an even greater impact on the results of games. That’s exactly what the team needs. DaeSean Hamilton is currently injured, so the Broncos should be heavily reliant on their first two receivers.
Any type of experience the young players get with Thomas gone is a good thing. I think trading Demaryius Thomas was the right thing to do. The team gets a head start in developing its younger guys and that is exactly what John Elway’s plan was.
It may hurt now, Broncos Country, but the pain will let up.