Broncos GM John Elway confirmed that they will use their franchise tag on WR Demaryius Thomas if they’re unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, per Lindsay Jones.
This should surprise no one, seeing as reports have been saying as much for several months now.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported close to a week ago that the Broncos and Thomas have yet to begin talks regarding a new contract.
A few weeks before that, Jason Cole reported that Denver was planning to franchise Thomas and has “no intention” of allowing him to field offers from prospective teams next month.
The franchise tag would run them roughly $13 million guaranteed for the 2015 season. However, it would also buy them some time to negotiate a long-term contract.
Thomas, 27, is clearly one of the best receivers in the game and has earned a sizable raise from the Broncos. It will be interesting to hear the kind of numbers being discussed in his next contract, as he could come close to some of the largest contracts for receivers in the league.
Over the course of 16 games, Thomas caught 111 passes for 1,619 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 5 receiver in the league out of 110 qualifying players.
We have Thomas listed as the No. 4 player listed in our Top 75 Free Agents list.
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