Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is the top free agent player at his position this offseason and if he decides to leave Peyton Manning, teams like the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, New York Giants and Washington Redskins could be interested in signing him.
Thomas is a dynamic player at the position due to his size and speed, but he had some injury issues and missed three games this past season. Thomas was limited during the second half of the season, but when he is healthy he has the potential to be as good of a tight end as anyone in the league. Jordan Cameron and Jermaine Gresham are both hitting the market this offseason and those two along with Thomas are likely to be the top free agent tight ends on the market.
Thomas is turning 27 years old and with the Denver Broncos needing to re-sign Demaryius Thomas to a new deal, it's likely that Thomas will be elsewhere in 2015. The Broncos have a number of significant free agents hitting the market and that could leave Thomas as the odd man out. Thomas comes in after making 43 receptions for 489 yards this season and 12 touchdowns in 13 games this season. Martellus Bennett led the league in receptions, but Thomas was tied with Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates for the league lead in touchdowns at the position.
Thomas's size makes him a matchup nightmare and that is why he will be a coveted target on the market. The Broncos would like to keep him, but they have other options on the roster and they could look at an option like Cameron on the market, as he is expected to be cheaper after an injury plagued season. Thomas had a breakout season in 2013 and over the past two years he has missed five games for the Broncos.
Thomas has been a safety valve for Peyton Manning with 24 touchdowns in the past two years, but he likely will be on another team next season. Thomas had 65 catches for 788 yards in 2013 and teams like the Raiders or Dolphins could be motivated to sign him. The Raiders are going to have a ton of cap space and they need to add some playmakers for Derek Carr and Thomas could help give the team a TE threat with Mychal Rivera.
The Dolphins are another team that could be an option for Thomas, as they may lose Charles Clay in free agency and they also have money to spend. The Cleveland Browns are one of the top teams in the league when it comes to cap space and if they let Cameron go, they could look at spending on Thomas. The Seahawks like what they have in Luke Wilson, but they could look at adding a big body like Thomas to help Russell Wilson. The Cardinals also could be an option, as Rob Housler is hitting the market and he could be an option to help give a boost to Arizona's terrible passing offense.