As we heard earlier this week, the Broncos have begun extension talks in earnest with two of their top pass-catchers, and according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, discussions have progressed to the point of an offer for Demaryius Thomas. Per Renck, the club has offered the wide receiver a five-year extension. While Denver has also initiated negotiations with Julius Thomas, no offer has been made yet to the tight end.
“We’ve already talked to them to see if we can do something before the beginning of the year,” GM John Elway said earlier this week, referring to the pair of Thomases. “We’d like to get something done before the beginning of camp. We don’t want to do anything once training camp starts. They’re both in their last years and we’d like for them to stay and be Broncos for a long time.”
Demaryius Thomas, 26, has posted back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons since the arrival of Peyton Manning in Denver in 2012, averaging 93 catches, 1,432 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns per year. As Mike Sando wrote today in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, the former first-round pick is one of the best receivers headed into a contract year in 2014, ranking alongside Dez Bryant at the top of a star-studded list that also includes Michael Crabtree, Randall Cobb, and Jordy Nelson, among others.
While it’s not clear what sort of money the Broncos have offered Thomas over the course of five years, it certainly should exceed the $36.25MM that former teammate Eric Decker received from the Jets this offseason. Assuming Thomas aims to be paid like an elite NFL receiver, he’ll likely be looking to match or exceed the five-year, $60MM+ deals signed by Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin in recent years.