It has been a marvel to watch the perseverance, dedication and natural talent of Julius Thomas rise in Denver.
Julius Thomas turned his athleticism, sheer hustle and will into a 2011 4th round selection by then new head coach John Fox’s staff. Yes, he came from (at least by fan standards) nowhere to become an NFL project tight end. Immediate comparisons to Antonio Gates flooded, as is to be expected.
His career started off poorly, with injuries taking 2011 and 2012 from him. He amassed a mere 1 catch, for 5 yards in 9 games played his first two seasons in Denver.
As this reporter expected, 2013 saw him healthy, and he made the most of it. He caught 65 passes from Peyton Manning, racking up 788 yards and 12 touchdowns. 2014 saw him pick up where he left off, tallying 12 touchdowns in his first 9 games. An NFL record for tight ends. Unfortunately, the injury bug found him once more, and he limped to the season’s finish line hauling in a pedestrian 4 catches for 66 yards. Zero touchdowns.
There were rumors of a disconnect between Manning and Thomas caused by an open questioning of Thomas’ toughness by Manning for not playing through his injury. Friction between the two was seen in September during a home victory against the Chiefs, when a gaffe by Thomas on his route disrupted a 3rd down pass to Demaryius Thomas. This dwindling faith in Julius Thomas from Manning reportedly then caused friction between Thomas and former offensive coordinator Adam Gase, ultimately seeing Thomas in the dog house of not only former head coach John Fox, but (allegedly) teammates as well.
After the tail end of a season that saw the Broncos team’s performance as a whole mirror the struggles of Thomas, including a brutal playoff defeat at the hands of Manning’s former Indianapolis Colts team, the guillotine fell and heads rolled. Fox and Gase were ushered out, and the grind to get back to the Super Bowl began again.
Enough history.
Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison have moved into the coaches’ offices directly adjacent to the post-game media room at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. A new offense and defense have been put in place. The same quarterback (pockets and offensive line a little lighter) will be under center. Demaruyius Thomas has been locked up for (at least) the 2015 season.
The spotlight is now on Julius Thomas as he prepares for free agency, and according to at least one person close to him, for much friendlier pastures.
So whether it is the Seattle Seahawks, the Oakland Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars or whoever best shows him the “Jerry MaGuire” treatment, Thomas will be elsewhere in 2015. So where does that leave the Denver Broncos?
Troy Renck of the Denver Post provided his list of best options to replace Julius Thomas.
This writer admits that Charles Clay was the personal favorite to replace him in the new (refurbished?) west coast, zone-blocking variant scheme Kubiak will deploy. The others Renck mentions all bring positives by way of productivity and in Daniels, a familiarity with Kubiak. They all also bring abundant negatives by way of age, injuries or a lack of “want to” in the blocking game.
With the Manning-led “championship window” only a sliver ajar, money heaped at this position is unwise. With 3 spots on the offensive line in question, the centerpiece of the 3-4 defense Phillips will run (a mammoth, blocker-gobbling nose tackle) missing after the westward departure of Terrance Knighton and the likely departure of underrated safety Rahim Moore? Denver has bigger (literally) problems than tight end.
That is why this writer proposes three lesser-known, and therefore less costly, replacement options. None of their numbers will dazzle, but they all have upsides in both the passing and running game, the latter of which was a widely acknowledged weakness for Thomas.
First among them, in this writer’s opinion is former St. Louis Ram Lance Kendricks. The biggest knock I have on him is that Josh McDaniels drafted him. He was ascending until the Rams’ acquisition of Jared Cook. While his numbers took an understandable plummet, he has shown explosive play-making abilities, witnessed by his career long 80 yard touchdown. He can adequately slide into a fullback role, so the physical mindset is there for the run game. At 6’3″, 250-260 he is no bruiser mind you. However, he is only 27 and Kubiak can bring out the best in his tight ends. Ask Owen Daniels and Joel Dreessen. He simply plays each play as if it is his last. Definitely worth a look.
Former Cardinal Rob Housler is next. Almost identical measurables and youth (also 27) to the above mentioned Mr. Kendricks at 6’4″, 250-260, he has been a bit more of a grinder. Showing some “flash” coming out of college, he ran a sub 4.5 in the 40. He had back to back 400+ yard seasons before former coach Bruce Arians arrived, and seems primed for more production in a different system. For a team that wants C.J. Anderson to take the next step, he would bring much to the run game since Arians reportedly made this a point of emphasis for Housler. Add to all of this that the New England Patriots have reportedly expressed interest? Mr. Elway might bring him in for a “look-see.”
Finally, former Chief and Dolphin Anthony Fasano. On the wrong side of 30 and looking for his 4th team going into his 10th NFL season, he displays a known willingness to get down field and open lanes in the running game. While with the Dolphins, he was known as more than a “capable” run blocker, though that talk dropped off a bit in Kansas City. He is a “capable”-”adequate” pass blocker, especially when leaving a back with the quarterback for insurance or helping with a “chip”. Pure speed rushers and rushers with great hand placement have been known to give him trouble. Still, there is a bit of “nasty” in his in-line and second level blocking game. Seemingly a trend here, he is 6’4″ and 250-260 but plays much larger. He is a “moment player”, as I like to call those like him. He is a wily veteran. A steady, rare “highlight reel” guy that can pop out of nowhere every other game or so for a play that makes opposing staffs scratch their heads and ask, “Was that Fasano?!” Just ask Fox and Del Rio.
Virgil Green has been praised widely by John Elway as “the rock” of the Broncos. I expect him to get the first shot as the team’s “three down” tight end. He was the team’s best tight end down the stretch. That is not saying much in light of Thomas’ performance. Still, he proved he can be a receiving threat, and the Broncos already know of his tenacity in the blocking game. Heck, Manning wanted him to flash his receiving skills enough that he fed the play to Osweiler that allowed for Green’s first NFL touchdown. Say what you will, that was a message from a future Hall of Fame quarterback. This young man has Elway and Manning on the same page about him. That tells me something personally.
Most pundits seem to see 20 year old, former Minnesota Gopher tight end (and soon-to-be 2nd generation NFL-er) Maxx Williams as the solution. Maybe (likely?) so.
I, for one, hope not. He is too young, speed is questionable, routes are not crisp and often telegraph the ball’s destination. Add that one NFC scout at last month’s combine told NFL.com that the young man “came across as all about himself“. Don’t get me wrong, he is a proven chain mover and red-zone threat. But does Denver need a project, mentally and physically, when trying to replace Thomas? No. Especially with the little crack left in the above mentioned “championship window” (Manning era) growing increasingly more slim.
NFL free agency 2015 begins tomorrow as teams are officially permitted to contact and negotiate with unrestricted free agents and/or their representatives.
Enjoy the ride reader!
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