Denver Broncos: How Owen Daniels Will Make Fans Forget Julius Thomas

For most teams in the NFL, replacing a player who has caught 108 passes and 24 touchdowns over the course of the past two seasons would be quite difficult, but the Denver Broncos are built to withstand such a loss.

Though Julius Thomas left to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent, the Broncos were able to bring in a tight end that has the ability and experience to soften the blow.

Owen Daniels will begin his 10th season in the league as a member of the Broncos. Though fans will be quite skeptical that any tight end will be able to produce the numbers Thomas did, one could argue Thomas was a product of Denver's system and his numbers were inflated because he had Peyton Manning throwing to him.

That is debatable, but Daniels brings several things to the Broncos that were absent from Thomas' game. Let's take a look at how Daniels will be more than an adequate replacement for Thomas.

Route Running

Thomas didn't run bad routes, but he benefited from the direction of Peyton Manning and his quick passing attack. Thomas has more speed than Daniels, but Daniels is better at getting open and not relying only on his size.

Due to his experience, Daniels is very adept at recognizing zone coverage, and he may have even better hands than Thomas. He is capable of making the types of catches you wouldn't expect him to make.

In his nine seasons, Daniels has averaged 48.1 receptions per year. That shows consistency over a good chunk of time.

Looking at this play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Daniels ran a quick route over the middle of the field and easily beat the linebacker to the inside. Flacco saw there was no safety help on that side and threw to a wide-open Daniels, who gained 30 yards on the play.

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Scoring inside the red zone may be the biggest concern when it comes to losing Thomas, especially since Manning looked his way so often. Daniels almost certainly won't score 24 touchdowns in two seasons, but he is still a great option inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

In this play, Daniels runs a quick hook route, locating a soft spot in the defense and sitting down, providing a solid target for Flacco to throw the ball to for a touchdown. Though there are three Atlanta Falcons in the area, none of them had a chance to stop the scoring play.

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Blocking

As many Broncos fans will remember, blocking was something that was almost completely missing from Thomas' game. He just didn't—or possibly couldn't—do it. That won't be the case with Daniels.

Lined up in-line at tight end, Daniels is capable of blocking very well in the running game, helping open big holes for his running back. You will often see Daniels go in motion prior to the snap in order to create an advantage on one side. A running play is often called in that same direction.

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In the play above, Daniels gets a great block on Carolina Panthers linebacker A.J. Klein. He holds the block to help create a huge alley for running back Justin Forsett, springing him for an 11-yard touchdown.

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In this instance, Daniels gets the defender turned around and is able to push him completely out of the play, allowing fullback Kyle Juszczyk to get through. Forsett follows and picks up 20 yards on the carry. The Broncos already have an excellent blocking tight end in Virgil Green, but Daniels will also be a great complement to the running game.

When defenses saw Thomas on the field, the Broncos either had a pass play called or they were going to run the ball while using Thomas as a decoy, but not as an effective blocker. Daniels gives the team more of a dual threat who makes the offense less predictable.

Familiarity with Gary Kubiak

This is the main reason why Daniels is in Denver. He has spent each season of his career working with the Broncos' new head coach, and he understands Kubiak's offensive style better than perhaps any player in the NFL.

As a result, he will bring invaluable knowledge to the team, and for that reason alone, he's a better fit than Thomas going forward. He may even be able to teach Manning a thing or two.

Playing his only season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014, Daniels was one of Flacco's most reliable targets. In this play, Flacco runs a bootleg—a staple of Kubiak's offense—and throws to a wide-open Daniels for 18 yards.

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While Manning probably won't run a bootleg very often, Daniels clearly knows what Kubiak is looking for in the passing game.

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Here, Daniels shows his versatility, lining up as a wide receiver. That is something Thomas did on a regular basis. As soon as Flacco recognizes that Chandler Jones is bringing pressure, he just throws it up for Daniels.

The result is an 11-yard touchdown as Daniels goes up and gets it over two New England Patriots defenders.

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Kubiak likes to get creative with his tight ends, so don't be surprised to see Daniels line up in the backfield from time to time where he can serve as a lead blocker on running plays. If a pass is called, Daniels can come out of the backfield, creating a big mismatch against linebackers.

How Will Daniels Fare in 2015?

Though it will be difficult for Daniels to put up the kind of statistics that made Thomas one of the NFL's most feared tight ends, he is capable of posting respectable numbers.

It made perfect sense for the Broncos to sign Daniels due to the reasons listed above, and he should become a fan favorite because of his team-first attitude and work ethic. This is the kind of player you want on your team.

Many fans may have hung their heads when Thomas left for Jacksonville, but he'll be forgotten once Daniels shows what he can bring to the team.

Manning has always favored tight ends, and Daniels will be no exception. Expect him to have one of the best seasons of his career.