Fresh off the bye week, the Broncos welcomed wide receiver Demaryius Thomas back to practice on Monday. Thomas, who had been out since the opening week of the season with a broken finger, will give the receiving corps a boost with his rare combination of size, speed and strength.
“(Demaryius has) size, speed, strength, all the things you look for,” Head Coach John Fox said after practice on Monday. “I think that’s probably why he was selected as high as he was. We’re looking forward to getting him back.”
The team’s top pick a year ago, Thomas caught 22 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns in 10 appearances as a rookie. He made a splash in his career debut, finishing with the second-highest reception total for a player’s NFL debut in Broncos history after posting eight catches for 97 yards against the Seahawks in a Week 2 victory last season.
His teammates are excited to see No. 88 back on the practice field, knowing that he will present problems for opposing defenses and create opportunities for the offense to move the ball.
“It was good (to get him back),” fellow wideout Eric Decker said. “I’m happy to see him healthy and get his chance because he’s one heck of a guy and he’s very athletic.”
Cornerback Champ Bailey knows the type of weapon that Thomas can be when healthy.
“He’s a good player. He’s going to be a good player for a while,” Bailey said. “It’s just staying healthy and getting back into shape, and he’ll do good things for us.”
Thomas, who battled back from an offseason Achilles tendon injury before breaking his finger is anxious to get back on the field and put the injuries behind him.
“I feel like I’m probably the healthiest I’ve been since I’ve been in the league,” Thomas said.
He knows that he’ll have plenty of opportunities waiting for him when he returns to game action.
“Basically I’m just going to come out and do my best and try to help the team and leave everything on the field,” Thomas said. “Hopefully it will be good and positive. It’s just a matter of going out there and not being timid or scared. I think I’m fine, but it’s just going out and playing.”
Below are some photos from a rainy practice on Monday.
Tags: Demaryius Thomas
Seems every other pic is tebow lol
Thats a good thing. DThomad has to step up big time. Time to show what he can do.
Am I the only one who is incredibly anxious to find out who replaces Lloyd on the roster? Will it be someone from the PS, or a last minute trade?
Or am I just ignorant, and DT didn’t count against the roster and so he’s the 53rd guy?
I’m hoping for a big tt to dmt connection show those two first round picks were worth it…
Wouldn’t it be great if he played in the rest of the games this season?
He played in 10 last year so playing 11 is a smal step in the right direction lol
I will see these guys on Sunday live I hope they all show up to play we have never beaten the fish in Miami I hope this is the first and I will be there.
Glad to see D Thomas back……It’ll be a Tebow to Decker/D.Thomas show Sunday! FUTURE OF THE BRONCOS!!!!!! GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!
Carsonic, you are correct we should have an open spot on the roster with Lloyd now gone, DT was never off the roster.
That’s correct, our roster currently stands at 52. Demaryius has been on our active roster, so today’s trade opens up one spot.
Glad to have Bay Bay Julius and Royal back. Still believe in Royal (I believe in everyone lol) and I expected big things from Julius and liked the acquisitions of the TEs to help out TT this year.
Bay Bay better be the healthiest he has ever been .. man has pretty much had 1yrs rest. Its time to get to work and so help me God if he gets hurt again …..
Lotta show of the offense and TT in the pics … love it. Gase doesn’t seem to thrilled in what he is looking at tho lol … he will change his mind come game time lol.
Im so amped for this game … get to see my 2 fave 15′s (Marshall and TT) … even tho the beast is 19 now a days. Should be a great game. Gonna be playing TT in my league (Vick is on bye) Decker and Broncos DST …. I think we can really get after moore and should have some sacks and picks.
TRB
Interesting how Orton is the farthest back i the pick. I guess he’s smiling himself to sleep at night though. Making a lot of money to be 4th string…
4th…
Lloyd about his departure:
“I think it’s a good situation for both sides,” Lloyd said. “(The Broncos) have an opportunity to take a look at their young guys, see what direction they want to go in. And I get to go into a system where they pass the ball more.”
“It stinks that I have to leave Denver,” Lloyd said. “But it feels like a smooth transition. I get along with Xanders. My agent David Dunn gets along with Xanders. That’s why this was so smooth. This wasn’t an angry, disgruntled situation. I loved my time here. If I ever say anything about Denver, the organization, the players, the city, it’s a mistake. It’s been awesome. I’m not angry, I’m not bitter. I’m ready to go play.”
The Broncos did offer Lloyd a two-year extension that included guarantees to be paid after this season, but there was no upfront signing bonus.
It can’t be all about money, though, because Lloyd is happy about his trade to St. Louis even though he is not immediately getting a contract extension.
“That’s what I’d like to point out,” Lloyd said. “I’m not going to completely dismiss that. But No. 1 was I was being used on the field. No. 2 was the contract. I wanted to be appreciated and the way teams show their appreciation to a player in this business is to pay them accordingly.”
Again, Lloyd broke out his enormous laughs.
“Obviously it matters but I want to play where my skill set can reach the best of my abilities,” he said.
His willingness to leave, he said, had nothing to do with the full-time quarterback switch last week from Kyle Orton to Tim Tebow. And indeed, trade discussions had started a couple weeks ago.
“No, the offense changed with coach (John) Fox,” Lloyd said. “We still had the same quarterback. There just wasn’t as many pass plays being called. Nothing against coach Fox. He’s the coach.”
“I think it’s a win-win situation for me because I get to go in and try to establish myself in a leadership role,” Lloyd said. “It’s a role I’m ready for at my age and my career. I think I’m mature enough to handle a leadership role because that was a role I was developing in Denver.”
I was thinking that to does that mean Denver considers him 4 th string in practice?
Pic, not pick… I guess that was a Freudian slip….
And this one is hilarious:
Other trade news
Rumors circulated Monday afternoon that Orton may be on the trade block to Oakland. But Orton has not requested a trade. With a newborn daughter, he does not want to be traded.
Why would he want to??? He is making 8.9 mil on the bench here, LMAO.
EVERY SINGLE MOVE IN THE NFL IS ABOUT MONEY, PERIOD.
ALWAYS!!!
It’s not about you and I as fans… unless they can get us to part with some $$
Money and in the case of wide receivers the spotlight… All I got from Lloyd’s statements was what Keyshawn Johnson used to say all the time… “Just give me the damn ball!” LOL.
Yup we got one spot which I would believe will be eron riley moving up … not unless we find some way to acquire a DT.
Also with Julius Thomas coming back, we might have less need for Rosario which would open up another slot on the 53man roster.
TRB
And by what Lloyd said about Xanders, it’s obvious that rather than doing the best thing for the Broncos, Xanders basically accomodated Lloyd with the best trade possible for Lloyd because he likes him, so I was definitely justified earlier in saying the organization did not do everything they could to get the best possible deal out of this trade.
This what Lloyd said once again:
“But it feels like a smooth transition. I get along with Xanders. My agent David Dunn gets along with Xanders. That’s why this was so smooth.”
Yeah, great for you….
Xanders has to learn to be a businessman, he is not a coach, not his job description, once again disappointed by Xanders, no GM material there, with all due respect.
Yea I bet Orton doesn’t wanna move if he can sit and make that money … i say we trade orton … and pay like half of what is left on his contract if that would gaurantee us a better pick and a better chance of shipping him out for something instead of him walking for nothing … but it would be like buying a pick … and with like 7.5 or so left on his contract they would have to pay like 3.5 if they are going to do what i suggest and is a 5th round pick really worth 3.5 mil? but then again is a no pick worth like 8 plus mil? lol TRB
If the organization did try to get the best out of this trade it would of not been done until just before tomorrow’s deadline, but I said all I had to say about that earlier so I’m done.
Anyone notice in the 3rd pic all the QBs are facing forward but Orton,he is looking off to the side! he knows he’s gone!!!
Glad to see Thomas back,he has the talent to be great,if he can stay healthy.
D.Thomas,Decker,Royal,Willis,Riley,J.Thomas,Fells…..that looks pretty Damn good to me,if they stay healthy,that’s a BIG if tho!!!!!!!!!
TRB,I beat Ocarina of time 3 times bro,it’s the best!!!!!
still got my 64,prob keep it forever!
Trade him to raiders for a 5th they pay all salary or a 4 th that could become a 3rd and we pay 2.75 of the 5. 5 left
I’m thinking Thomas and Royal must be pretty dang healthy,that’s why LLoyd was shipped off!!!
Loved Riley in preseason – I think it would be great to pull him up. Isn’t Riley another run back guy?
Will 4 WRs be enough on the roster or will Riley be the 53rd player???
Just read the story that popped up on the website a few minutes ago saying that the receivers met for a receivers only meeting once they heard about the trade. I wonder who called that meeting? Based on Decker’s comments in the story it seems like maybe he was the one who called the meeting. If that’s the case I’m ecstatic! It seems like he’s turning into quite a vocal leader.
But again I’m just guessing that he called the meeting, but it could have been coach Tolbert or one of the other receivers.
We already have 5 active BFE:
Willis, Royal, Decker, Thomas, Cosby
I think the best we could get being a 5th sucked too but lets be real … people could easily have said … why not just wait till the end of the year and get him for free. Rams are losing … he really offers NOTHING to them … so to be able to get something, anything for it aint bad.
Im glad we got Lloyd for watever before the deadline was up. Tryign to get too much for Orton hurt us in the offseason … get wha tu can if u know u aint gonna be signign them at the end of the year.
TRB
I say we trade proton or cut Rosario bring up Riley and sign a dt
I meant orton I hate this ipad
TOTALLLY forgot about Cosby lol
The Broncos had two paths to take with LLoyd: 1) Keep him and hope they can resign him next year 2) Trade him and get something.
LLoyd wants to be in a system where he’ll get lots of catches. Not going to happen in Denver. The trade gets the Broncos a pick for somebody that almost ceratinly wouldn’t be a Bronco next season. The Rams get LLoyd on loan for 10 games. What are the odds that LLoyd will want to be with the Ramsa next season and that the Rams will accomodate his contract demands? Pretty slim I’d say. Remember, the Steelers got only a 5th round pick for a receiver more skilled than LLoyd. A positive outcome for the Broncos.
Plus TRB, it’s also possible that all the teams involved were offering the same compensation but since the Rams have the worst record of all those teams, their 6th (or conditional 5th) was higher than all the others, at least at this point.
I say we cut Cosby … move up Riley … and let royal feel more loved in special teams and as a WR … put him to work … I think he is eager to prove.
so we definitely don’t need to move up a WR since Cosby makes 5 … nice … maybe we should trade Orton to Oakland for one of thier DTs or something … or maybe we can pick up one or something.
TRB
True Milehigh … a 5th from the rams could be as good as a 4th. TRB
That’s funny, I was about to say I think everyone forgets about Cosby, LOL.
But that’s no knock on him. He’s an excellent return man and I think can eventually develop into a really good WR. The only problem is we haven’t seen him in the offense yet since he’s so new so most people forget we have him.
I guess we could cut Cosby, but I’ve been a fan of him since his college days so it’s hard for me to say that. He reminds me of a young Rod Smith. An undrafted receiver that everyone said was too small and slow for the NFL but all he does is take advantage of his opportunities.
Not saying he’s as good as Rod Smith because that’s blasphemy of course. But I see a lot of potential in him.
Eron Riley is a pretty tall guy too … I had no Idea … probably because he is soo fast … he is 6’3 and ran a 4.29 … undrafted FA in 2009 … short stints with ravens and panthers … maybe we should try HIM in KR lol … sounds like a burner … sure took off on that weber pass in preseason lol … but I think he is coming into his own. He reminds me of Willis … Willis is another Burner who was once with the ravens but didn’t stick for whatever reason but we see the guys got skills … so does riley … I trust him more as a receiver than I do Cosby thats for sure … but Cosby has been nothing but nice in the return game. TRB
That’s why I said bring up Riley we will have 6 wr and it would be good insurance if we have another bad injury at wr
Bring in Riley!
Ladies and Gentleman – we must keep Cosby. Cosby is a key element in special teams. Forget Cosby as anything but a last ditch WR.(Just ahead of Orton – I liked you calling him Proton) Keep him healthy and on the roster just for runbacks.
Bring in Riley – I’d rather have Riley than DT. DT is a huge risk to my way of thinking.
It will be interesting to see what direction the Broncos take with the open spot on the roster. I personally would like to see Riley take it, but we desperately need DT help. Either way, I’m glad we are moving forward with our future. We will finally see what Tebow Prime can do, I think he will be a better passer than what everybody expects. We will get to see how good he can be in the passing game against the dolphins since they will probably try to limit his running ability. The kid is a winner so far, I feel confident that he can continue that trend. I know the games will be more exciting now, and really looking forward to seeing DThomas and JThomas out there. Willis will make some plays too.
TRB, I want Riley brought up too, but not at the expense of Cosby. Trust me that guy is special as a return man and has a special attitude too. Didn’t we already establish that the Lloyd trade leaves us one roster spot open? I think we can bring Riley up without cutting anyone actually
I thought Weber was sent to practice squad, possibly trying to shop Orton again? Tim Tebow, Eddie Royal, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Virgil Green, and Julius Thomas. That sounds like a young passing attack to me, hopefully one that can gel and show some potency. WIllis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno with the running attack, Moreno needs to step up, we might have a little offense before long. I sure hope so, the defense could certainly use it.