The Denver Broncos coming into 2015 after a disappointing loss in the playoffs and with Peyton Manning expected to return, the priority for John Elway and head coach Gary Kubiak is to sign back free agent Demaryius Thomas, while names like Larry Fitzgerald, Jordan Cameron and Torrey Smith are potential options over Wes Welker coming back.
The Broncos have a new head coach in Gary Kubiak taking over for John Fox and while Peyton Manning has not made it official yet, it is expected that he will return in 2015. John Elway decided to move on from Fox after four seasons and four straight AFC West division titles and now Kubiak takes over after serving as Elways's backup quarterback and offensive coordinator in the past. According to the Denver Post, Manning is expected to make his decision in the "next couple weeks" and sources say he is "almost certainly" coming back to play for the Broncos.
Manning struggled in the playoffs against the Indianapolis Colts and it was later revealed that he had been dealing with an injury over final weeks of the season. The Broncos have a number of players hitting free agency, including starters like Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas Orlando Franklin and Rahim Moore. Wes Welker and Terrance Knighton are also becoming free agents and with that many players hitting the market, it will be hard for the Broncos to keep them all.
Thomas is the main priority for the Broncos, as he was the top target for Manning, making 111 catches for 1619 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Thomas has had at least 90 catches, 1400 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons while not missing any games, meaning he will be getting a big contract. Julius Thomas could sign elsewhere since the Broncos have to tie up a ton in Thomas, as teams like the Cleveland Browns, Raiders and Seahawks reportedly will be looking to sign him.
The Broncos would like to work out a long term deal with Thomas, but if that doesn't happen they could use the franchise tag on him. The tag for 2015 should be around $13 million this year for the wide receiver position and while the salary cap is rising, the Broncos would be wise to sign Thomas long term. The team conceivably could use the franchise tag on Thomas the tight end if they get a deal done with Thomas the WR and that could be big for Peyton Manning, as the tight end has had 24 TD catches over the last two seasons.
The Broncos and Manning like to use the tight end position quite a bit and with Thomas, Virgil Green and Jacob Tamme hitting the market, the team could target other free agents. Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Cameron are hitting free agency and they could be potential replacements for Thomas and the backups. Pro Football Talk reports that Jordan Cameron is not expected to re-sign with the Browns and he could come cheap after dealing with injuries this season. The Broncos went 12-4 last season and they could have one last shot to win with Manning at quarterback.