Zach Miller never quite seemed to live up to the free agency hype in four mostly forgettable seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks announced Friday that they had released the veteran tight end with a "failed physical" designation, after he missed nearly all of the 2014 season due to ankle surgery - the second ankle surgery he's undergone in less than a year.
With the Seattle depth chart at tight end looking particularly barren - Luke Willson finished the year as the top guy but only managed 22 receptions for 362 yards - would pending Denver Broncos free agent Julius Thomas make sense as a replacement/potentially massive upgrade?
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com revealed earlier this week, prior to the Seahawks decision to part ways with Miller, that Seattle could be a dark horse candidate to land the athletic tight end during the NFL free agency period.
Whether Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson simply isn't a fan of utilizing the tight end position or the weak prospects at the position have pushed him to look elsewhere, the group hasn't offered much for Seattle the past few seasons - Miller topped out at 396 receiving yards on 53 targets in 16 regular season games in the 2012-13 season.
Were the team to bring in Thomas, that would, no doubt, change.
Thomas, performing as a key cog in the Broncos' unstoppable offense led by future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, has finished each of the last two seasons with 12 touchdowns.
He broke out in 2013-14, nabbing 65 receptions for 788 yards in just 14 games. In 13 contests this past season, he hauled in 43 catches for 489 yards.
He's a phenomenal size-speed athlete who possesses the physicality to consistently beat cornerbacks and the agility to get behind slower linebackers.
He's a former college basketball player who has become Manning's go-to red zone target.
The only knock against him at this point is his injury history and perceived lack of toughness - the Broncos were reportedly unhappy with his unwillingness to play through an ankle injury this past season.
