The Denver Broncos sit atop the AFC West at 7-3. They are third in total offense in the NFL with 412.9 total yards per game and second in passing yards per game with 323. They are fifth in the league in points per game at 29.3.
Most of that has to do with the brilliance of Peyton Manning, but you can't overlook the talent of his weapons when discussing the high-powered Denver offense. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is second in the NFL in receiver yards with 1,105. He's also hauled in 72 catches and six scores for good measure. Tight end Julius Thomas leads the league in touchdown grabs with 12 to go along with 40 receptions for 426 yards. In layman's terms, these guys are really good at what they do.
But both are scheduled to hit free agency this off-season, so the big question for everyone in Denver is can they keep these dynamic pass catchers in Broncos uniforms next year?
ESPN's Adam Schefter seems to think the team will prioritize Demaryius over Julius once free agency begins.
"That is going to be challenging, and it will be the story of the Broncos' offseason," Schefter wrote. "My belief is there's no way that Denver lets Demaryius Thomas get away, and then it will work on Julius Thomas. Demaryius gets a long-term deal that could enable Denver to use a franchise tag on Julius, or it tags Demaryius and then keeps trying to sign Julius. But I don't think there's any way they let Demaryius out the door; he's just too good, talented and rare. The team will want to keep Julius as well, but my sense is there will be limits with that deal. If it fits within the Broncos' pay structure, in their perfect world they keep both. But it is going to be challenging."
Demaryius will likely be seeking a deal in excess of Miami Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace, who will earn $15 million this season after signing a five-year deal worth $60 million with $30 million in guarantees in 2013.
Julius will hope to sign a comparable deal to the six-year, $54 million contract with $13.1 million guaranteed signed by New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
