Demaryius Thomas is expected to be the star of the show in 2015. The wide receiver will be the alpha-dog of the offense after the departures of players like Julius Thomas and Wes Welker as Peyton Manning will lean heavily on his talents. The issue is that Thomas has yet to appear at practices with mini-camps kicking off. Battling contract disputes, Manning has made it clear that he supports Thomas' stance on the matter and is not happy Denver has yet to get a deal done.

Manning has spoken out in favor of Thomas' holdout, supporting the idea the receiver must do what is best for him and his family, but the quarterback is not thrilled over the lack of work they are getting in as a new coaching staff and offensive system get instilled. According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, Manning is upset with the Broncos that a deal is not complete for his leading wide receiver as it is being reported Thomas will not show up to training camp is a contract is not completed.

The Broncos are in a hard place with Thomas as are the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals who all have elite receivers needing new deals. Julio Jones, Dez Bryant and AJ Green are all either on franchise tags or entering the final years of their contracts and teams are waiting for the wide receiver market to set before pulling the trigger on a contract. That means there is a standoff with no one making the first move.

John Elway and head coach Gary Kubiak have made it clear they are hopeful things get sorted out with Thomas in the near future while making note that it is hard to determine a potential price tag. Rapoport believes the receivers will get paid on par with what Calvin Johnson is earning after he signed an eight-year, $130 million deal back in 2012. Right now, teammates are simply trying to remain hopeful that Thomas comes back soon.

"We know it's just part of the business we're in," Sanders said, via ESPN.com. "We all face it sometimes. ... I think we want him to get what he's earned, and I think they're getting closer and closer all the time."

It remains to be seen what will happen with Thomas. The Broncos are entering a crucial season as the clock is ticking for Manning. They want to capitalize now with the roster in place which means getting everyone on the same page, including Thomas.