That means Thomas is due elite money. The free-agent-to-be joined Dan Hellie on NFL Network's NFL Total Access for an interview that will be aired on the Friday Night Spotlight. Hellie asked Thomas if he would be willing to take a hometown discount to stay in Denver.
"Of course, why not?" Thomas asked. "Peyton is one of the best in the game, and I've been blessed to have him as my quarterback. I learned so much from him. Denver, of course I gotta take my hats off to them, because they took a chance of drafting me in the first round."
Thomas' agent might feel differently and has plenty of leverage. The Broncos have a good problem this offseason when their two talented pass-catching Thomases near free agency. It's possible that Denver could use the franchise tag on tight end Julius Thomas, while giving Demaryius the long-term deal he's earned.
Broncos VP John Elway knew this issue was coming, and we believe that's part of the reason he let Eric Decker walk via free agency. Elway knows that Demaryius Thomas would be a lot harder to replace.
