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Denver Broncos: Owen Daniels Excellent, and Cheap, Replacement For Julius Thomas

By Khaled Abdallah

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It was almost a foregone conclusion that tight end Julius Thomas would be on his way out of Denver this offseason. With the news that Thomas signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as announced by the team on Twitter early this morning, the Denver Broncos had to find a way to replace him and his production. The Broncos and John Elway did so brilliantly with the signing of 10th year veteran tight end Owen Daniels.

Daniels is not nearly as explosive as Thomas but he is a proven and reliable receiver that Peyton Manning can count on to move the chains. He spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Houston Texans, all of which with Gary Kubiak as his head coach. Kubiak loves to use his tight ends in his zone read offense and Daniels’ familiarity with the offense is a big plus as he will not have to spend any time learning the playbook.

The long time Texan spent the 2014 season with the Baltimore Ravens where he was brought in as a backup to Dennis Pitta. After Pitta suffered a season ending injury, Daniels stepped up and was a reliable and steady target for Joe Flacco. He finished the season with 48 catches for 527 yards and  4 touchdowns in an offense where he was not the focal point by any means. Kubiak was also the offensive coordinator last season for the Ravens so Daniels has yet to play an NFL season without being under his tutelage.

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In his nine seasons in the NFL out of the University of Wisconsin, Owen Daniels has put together a solid resume as one of the better tight ends in the league. With three seasons of over 60 catches and an average of 3.6 TDs a season, Daniels brings a level of consistency to the tight end position that the Broncos may have lacked with the departure of Thomas. More importantly they also will get that level of production at a much cheaper price than Thomas.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reported that the deal Daniels signed was for 3 years, $12 million with no specifics as to how much of it was guaranteed.  Add to that the re-signing of tight end Virgil Green, also reported by Mike Klis, on a three year deal worth $8.4 million. With cap space a major concern for a Denver Broncos team that is looking to win a Super Bowl before Manning retires, Elway did well to get two talented tight ends for the price of one.

Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Owen Daniels (81) reaches for the ball in front of New England Patriots outside linebacker Jamie Collins (91) during the fourth quarter in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Green and Daniels combined may not put together the lofty touchdown numbers of Julius Thomas but they could easily match his reception and yardage production. In his 27 games as a starter Thomas averaged close to 50 yards per game and just a bit over 4 receptions. Not exactly irreplaceable production for an offense run by a Hall of Fame quarterback. The Broncos will be lacking the deep threat that Thomas posed as well as his general dynamism but with an increased focus on running the ball under Kubiak the difference may not be as glaring.

Signing Owen Daniels is a smart and cost effective move for a team that is low on cap space with just $17 million to spend, including money to be spent on draft picks. Daniels may not be as flashy of a player or have as cool a nickname as Orange Julius but brining him to Denver will allow the Broncos offense to keep on trucking without missing a beat.

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