Demaryius Thomas finished with 105 catches and 1,304 yards, both seventh in the league. And yet throughout the offseason the narrative has been Thomas had a "bad" year.
He signed a $70 million contract before training camp began a year ago and many among the Broncos' faithful expected more than 105 catches, 1,305 yards and a lot more than six touchdowns, which tied Thomas for 29th in the league.
And there were the drops, anywhere from 11 (Thomas' number) to 17, depending on the particular set of statistics being used. Whatever number you choose, it was the highest total of Thomas' career and the major item he has spent this offseason trying to repair.
"If I would have come up with those plays, it might have been a totally different year," Thomas said. "I probably would have had over 120 catches, easily over 1,600, 1,700 yards. I look back on it now and leaving those plays out there, those would put you in a position to be top five, top three in the league. This year, I make those plays and people can see what I'm really about."
Thomas says he traces the drops to a combination of factors. He missed the offseason program, like Von Miller did this year, because he had been designated a franchise player and his agent advised him to skip the offseason program until he signed a long-term deal. That meant Thomas got a late start learning Gary Kubiak's offense. In PPR formats, Thomas finished #5 in 2012, #1 in 2013, #2 in 2014 and #9 last year. The main issue leading to his 3rd round ADP in 2016 drafts is the quarterback situation in Denver. Paxton Lynch figures to start eventually, but there’s no guarantee that Thomas will enjoy quality targets this year.
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