The Jacksonville Jaguars were looking hard at DeMarco Murray in free agency and now names like Pierre Thomas, Stevan Ridley or Trent Richardson could be options for the team and this comes as the Jags may also look to the draft, as players like Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, TJ Yeldon, Duke Johnson and Ameer Abdullah could be targets from a deep RB class in 2015.
The Jaguars have been one of the most active teams in free agency this offseason, signing Julius Thomas, Jared Odrick, right tackle Jermey Parnell, Sergio Brown, Ryan Davis and Bryan Walters to contracts. The team brought in Thomas and now he will be a top target for Blake Bortles and according to ESPN.com, the team is not done making moves.
Dave Caldwell wants to continue being active and Michael DiRocco writes that names like Stevie Johnson, Stevan Ridley and Pierre Thomas could be potential options for the team. The Jaguars have Denard Robinson, but they also may look at names like Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, TJ Yeldon, Duke Johnson and Ameer Abdullah in the draft. The team likes Robinson, but they want more depth and in the draft this year there is a deep class of RBs.
The Jaguars made a quick move and signed Julius Thomas to a deal this offseason and he comes in as one of the most productive tight ends over the past two years. Thomas had 24 touchdowns while playing with the broncos the past two seasons and while he may not keep up that production in Jacksonville, he will be a prime target for opposing defenses to watch out for.
The Broncos lost Thomas in free agency to the Jaguars and he was a target for the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, Houston Texans and New York Jets. Thomas has been one of the most dominant tight ends in the league over the past two seasons and he is got a big pay day this offseason. Thomas had 12 touchdown receptions last season and he was limited by an injury and he was expected to get priced out for the Broncos.
The Broncos had a number of significant free agents hitting the market this offseason, which is one reason why they couldn't fit Thomas back in. Thomas comes in after dealing with some injuries over the past two seasons and that has forced him to miss five games, including three last season. Eric Decker was the last major offensive player to be allowed to walk for the Broncos, but unlike Decker, the team doesn't have a solid replacement ready to take over.
Thomas and Manning have combined for 24 touchdowns over the past two seasons and his size gives the Broncos a major advantage in matchups. Thomas had 43 catches this season for 489 yards and in 2013 he set career highs with 65 catches for 788 yards. The Miami Dolphins likely will have Charles Clay back after hitting the market and while Thomas cost more than Clay, he is a more dynamic player. Thomas was a coveted player because of his size and skill and that lead him to end up outside of Denver after two productive seasons.