Report: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos at ‘impasse’

The Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Houston were the first pair to agree to a long-term deal ahead of today’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for franchised players, and that news came as no surprise, given the fact that both sides have seemed to make plenty of progress (elite OLBs also seem to be more valuable than elite WRs right now).

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Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos and Demaryius Thomas seem to be the furthest apart, and it doesn’t seem like things have changed despite the possible pressure a deal between Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys could put on the Broncos and/or Thomas (depending on what happens in the Bryant deal).

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Pro Football Talk reports that while both sides still have approximately four hours before the deadline, the Broncos and their star wide receiver remain at an “impasse”, and I’m sure concern is mounting for fans who are looking for both sides to come to a middle ground.

The Broncos are reportedly unwilling to pay more than about $13 million per year for their No. 1 receiver, whereas Thomas is said to want about $16 million per year (or Calvin Johnson money). There’s little doubt in my mind that Thomas, who is a great receiver but isn’t even a top five player at the position, isn’t worth Johnson-type money (especially since Megatron’s deal was helped by the old rookie salaries), but there’s also little doubt in my mind that he would make more than $13 million on the open market due to a bidding war among WR-hungry teams.

Thomas is an amazing receiver who is coming off of three straight 90-catch and ten-touchdown seasons, and the Denver Broncos clearly want him back. But they only want him back at their price, and unless if Bryant shockingly agrees to a team-friendly deal (he already has a deal on the table worth over $13 million), it looks like Thomas won’t agree to their contract.

At the very least sounds like Dez and Demaryius going to have to think long and hard about taking the bird in hand vs. Play it out in 2015
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) July 15, 2015

La Canfora brings up an interesting point that is worth keeping in mind for the rest of today (or, at least, until 4 p.m. ET), but Thomas hasn’t missed a game since the 2011 season. I’m sure he’s willing to bet on himself and his durability, even if I highly doubt he’s willing to go through with holding out.

I wonder if we’ll see the Broncos and Thomas make significant progress in negotiations today, because it seems like both sides are just too far apart right now. Something big needs to happen, and I wonder if that “something big” could be a Bryant deal, as the Cowboys superstar has more leverage, a more lucrative deal on the table, and seems a lot closer to signing something than Thomas.

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