The clock is ticking to get Demaryius Thomas under contract. There have been mixed reports coming out about what is happening between the Denver Broncos and the wide receiver as the team is running out of time to get Thomas inked to a long-term contract. The team is trying to place numbers in front of the receiver that are getting rejected which could mean the Broncos do not see Thomas for some time. Are they built to withstand the loss of their leading receiver?
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, talks are dormant between Thomas and the Broncos. This follows a report from Mike Klis of the Denver Post that said the Broncos placed an offer that would pay Thomas $12 million per season that was promptly rejected from the receiver. Schefter says proposals have not been exchanged in a month which is leaving little hope that a contract will get done in time of the 4 p.m. deadline.
If a contract is not complete, Thomas will be forced to play under the one-year franchise tag. He has already held out of all offseason workouts and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the Broncos can expect more holding out if the receiver is not re-signed. Dez Bryant is threatening to miss regular season games and Thomas could easily follow in his footsteps as he aims for a long-term deal.
"As a player, you want to get a deal, but if it doesn't happen you just got to deal with it," Thomas said, via ESPN.com. "You just go out and play. I'm still going to play, still going to put my best game up, not going to do anything to hurt the team. I'm going to go out and put my best game up and have another great year."
The Broncos are trying to decide if they are willing to break the bank on the receiver or not. The issue is that without Thomas, their offense is lacking following the departure of Julius Thomas to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That would leave Peyton Manning without his two top targets from last season. The Broncos are prepared to move forward with Emmanuel Sanders taking over the top spot until Thomas reports. Cody Latimer will also be getting a lot more responsibility and is confident he can handle it.
"Last year was a disappointment to myself," Latimer said, via Carmeron Wolfe of the Denver Post. "I hated not being on that field. I took it as an oath of mine. This year I'm going to get on that field. I'm going to study extra and do whatever I need to do. I didn't have the opportunity to get on the field because I wasn't doing my job. This year, they'll know who I am."
If Dez Bryant signs before the clock hits 4 p.m. than there might be a chance Thomas inks a deal as well. Until then the Broncos are preparing for a holdout from the receiver and adjusting the roster to fit the hole on the field.
