The Denver Broncos and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas agreed on a new 5-year, $70 million contract with $43.5 million guaranteed. Denver had until 2 p. m. Mountain Time yesterday to get a deal done otherwise Thomas would have been playing under the franchise tag which is $12.823 million in guaranteed money. That would have been for only one year if Thomas’ signed. Thomas could have been a free agent after next season and contract talks couldn’t have started up again until March. Denver didn’t want to risk losing Peyton Manning’s major target and Demaryius Thomas wanted a long-term contract. Is this really a good deal for the Denver Broncos?
Demaryius Thomas has been one the best wide receivers in the league for the last three years. He has a total of 297 receptions for 4,483 yards with 35 touchdowns. Since the start of the 2011 season, Thomas is also second in the NFL with 28, 100-yard receiving games. Last year, he had 10, 100-yard games. In week 5 he had the best game of his career with 8 catches for 226 yards. That set a Broncos’ single game franchise record for most yards gained in a game by a wide receiver. His 1,619 yards were the most by a Broncos’ wide receiver in a season.
According to the Denver Post general manager John Elway said, “Well, we had our number set out. We tried to figure out what was correct value for us and Demaryius. It took awhile to get to that point. We wanted to get a deal done. They knew that. And ‘DT’ wanted to be in Denver. It was a matter of getting to those terms.”
Demaryius Thomas wanted to be one of the highest paid wide receivers in the game. This contract makes him the third highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. The two players whose salaries are larger are Calvin Johnson and Dez Bryant in terms of guarantee money.
According to the Denver Post, one player is excited to have him back. That is cornerback Chris Harris. Harris said, “I am happy he got it done. I am ready to see him back in the building.”
The Denver Broncos had to get an agreement completed with Thomas. He is one of the best wide receivers in the game and is a big weapon for Peyton Manning. This assures that he will be the number one wide receiver for the next five years and in a Broncos uniform when quarterback Peyton Manning retires.
What do you think of the Denver Broncos signing Demaryius Thomas to a long-term deal?
I glad my boy DT is staying with the Broncos and for a long time. They needed him to stay, to have that one, two punch even after Peyton retires. This benefits, whomever replaces #18 , it could be Oz (the backup now) or possibly a free agent (Rivers??). Who ever it is, having DT there is always threat to the defense; he could make 5 yard pass in an eighty yard gain and that would put pressure of the qb to make those high risk throws to a minimum.