The Denver Broncos have roughly one day to sign wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to a long-term contract. While the Broncos have gone down to the wire and come away victorious before (left tackle Ryan Clady's contract was done with minutes to spare in 2013) the same is not expected with Thomas.
Per a source for Pro Football Talk, it is "not likely" that the Broncos and Thomas come to terms on a new deal before the close of business on July 15. That means that Denver and Thomas would be operating on a one-year contract.
That one-year deal could change, with Thomas getting a raise on the $12.8 million tender to entice him to actually show up for training camp. The Broncos could also guarantee not to use the franchise tag on him again in 2016.
If Thomas does agree to the $12.8 million tag in 2015, he would be eligible for a 20-percent raise on the tag next season. That would amount to north of $15.3 million.
One potential roadblock is the future of quarterback Peyton Manning. Many believe the 39-year-old quarterback will retire after this season, so investing top dollar into a receiver may not be the best utilization of Denver's cap space. In addition, the Broncos may be regretting Clady's contract at the moment. Clady suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the 2013 season and is already slated to miss the entire 2015 campaign with a torn ACL.
Given all of this uncertainty, it's not a guarantee that Thomas remains with the Broncos past this season. However, there's no denying that Thomas is one of the game's preeminent pass-catchers. Thomas has hauled in at least 92 passes for 1,430 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. He set career highs in receptions (111) and yards (1,619) last year.
