In the second-to-last practice of training camp, Demaryius Thomas took off down the right sideline. Cornerback Bradley Roby ran with him, stride for stride. Peyton Manning peeked left then lofted a tight spiral in Thomas’ direction. In NFL parlance, it was a throw-to-open play; the quarterback throwing to a spot where he believes the wide receiver will be when the ball plummets from the sky.
Thomas never got open. It didn’t matter. He reached back and plucked the throw as it prepared to hit Roby’s helmet then trucked into the clear.
Wide receiver, by definition, remains a dependent position. But watch Thomas’ athleticism and it’s easy to realize much of the Broncos’ big-play success depends on him.
They didn’t sign Thomas to a five-year, $70 million contract (with $43 million guaranteed) in July to run underneath routes. He stretches defenses and runs over defenders.
“He does things other receivers just can’t do,” said defensive end DeMarcus Ware.
Thomas opened eyes before training camp when he stated his goal was to break Calvin Johnson’s NFL season record of 1,964 yards receiving.
Thomas is a three-time Pro Bowler, a two-time all-pro, including last season, but is it realistic to put up those kind of numbers in Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking offense? History suggests it’s possible. As head coach of the Houston Texans, Kubiak has employed the league leader in yards rushing (Arian Foster, 2010), yards receiving (Andre Johnson, 2008-09) and yards passing (Matt Schaub, 2009).
Kubiak had no problem with Thomas raising the bar.
“As a coach, you love that. He’s a great player,” Kubiak said. “I’m looking forward to him doing great things.”
General manager John Elway, who has been eager for the Broncos to play with attitude and an edge, appreciated the confidence. That’s why the Broncos committed to Thomas as a cornerstone rather than let him play out this season on the franchise tag.
“No. 1, I like having guys with goals like that,” Elway said. “That’s what it’s about. You always have lofty goals, and the bottom line is with Demaryius, he has that ability to be able to do that. I like his mind-set and the fact that he wants to be that, he wants to be that good and he set that goal. I’m hoping he can get there. You never know. I think there’s a concept with the offense and how we do that, but there are also a lot of things that are built into it. Bottom line is I like the idea that he’s thinking that way.”
Thomas flourished in former coordinator Adam Gase’s aerial-assault offense. Thomas turned bubble screens into touchdowns and provided difficult matchups on outside routes. The new offense, Thomas explained, provides opportunities for big plays coming off play-action passes.
Fewer catches perhaps, but bigger gains. It harkens back to his final season at Georgia Tech, when he caught 46 passes for 1,154 yards.
“I know I will have more than (46) catches, so I am fine with that,” Thomas said, smiling. “Big time, I like this offense. It’s going to leave me one-on-one and probably open down the field a lot.”
The tight end combination of Owen Daniels and Virgil Green remains critical to helping Thomas. Last year, after tight end Julius Thomas suffered an ankle injury and wide receiver Wes Welker faded, opponents could slide double-teams toward D.T. and Emmanuel Sanders. Daniels masters the underneath crossing route, and Green showed good hands in training camp.
Thomas, 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds, doesn’t need much space to be effective. He led the NFL in yards after the catch in 2013 with 718 and ranked fifth last season with 680. When Kubiak first met Thomas at the start of training camp — Thomas skipped the offseason work while waiting for a new contract — he left impressed with his physical presence. Kubiak sees a lot of Johnson in Thomas.
“No. 1, that’s the first thing that jumps at you,” Kubiak said. “Those guys with that type of size are hard to bump. And they’re workers. I know D.T.’s a worker. But when you’re able to run with that type of size outside, it’s very difficult for people to get their hands on you.”
Thomas spent part of August getting into football shape and adjusting to new play calls. The routes are similar in Kubiak’s offense, he explained, but the verbiage is different. Timing came quickly with Manning, who has worked the past three seasons with Thomas. Manning appreciates Thomas’ reliability as much as his ability.
“He’s been a real pleasure to play with, been a great teammate, been very accountable,” Manning said. “He’s a guy that he’s there for you every single Sunday. He’s played through a lot of injuries. He’s dependable. That’s what you want in your premier receiver.”
This represents a special season for Thomas in multiple ways. His new contract comes with new responsibilities to have a larger voice in the locker room. It also features a new audience. His mother, Katina Stuckey Smith, is expected to see him play in person for the first time in November after President Barack Obama commuted her prison sentence. That figures be more nerve-wracking than trying to break Johnson’s record.
“I can’t wait,” Thomas said. “I am not going to say I’ll play different, but I’ll feel different, knowing she’s in the stands. I had enough pressure when she was in prison and watched on the TV. So I know I’ll get more now.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or
