Demaryius Thomas

Denver QB Peyton Manning's arrival could be the best thing that ever happened to wide receiver Eric Decker. The same likely will be true for fellow wideout Demaryius Thomas, but it might take a bit longer for the Manning-to-Thomas connection to bear fruit.

Where Decker began working out with Manning a week after the four-time MVP signed a five-year contract, Thomas was a month behind, held back because he'd just had pins removed from his surgically repaired pinkie finger.

At times during practice, the timing has been balky between Manning and Thomas, and after Thomas rounded off multiple pass routes in the preseason, there remains lingering concern over the precision of his cuts.

Manning and Thomas will become a potent threat, but expect Decker to be the No. 1 option for now.

The offseason work is one reason we moved Decker ahead of Thomas in our preseason rankings. Thomas has more physical ability, but Manning has proved in the past (with Marvin Harrison and Austin Collie) that he can be productive with receivers who may not have the prototypical WR1 body.