Why Denver Broncos' Demaryius Thomas Deserves to Be Paid Like Top WR

Within the next week, the Denver Broncos will need to come to an agreement on a long-term deal with star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. July 15 is the deadline for teams to sign players designated with the franchise tag to new deals.

If not, Thomas will play under a one-year franchise tender, and then all bets are off following the season.

Though he has not participated in offseason workouts to this point—something John Elway didn't seem thrilled about—this is a deal the Broncos must get done. Thomas is simply too valuable to the team.

He should be paid like one of the top wide receivers in the league and could come close to the seven-year, $113 million deal Calvin Johnson signed in 2012.

Here's why he's worth it.

Level of Production

Thomas got off to a bit of a slow start after being drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. But over the course of the last three seasons, he has posted mind-boggling numbers.

He has established a great connection with quarterback Peyton Manning, catching 297 passes for 4,483 yards and 35 touchdowns since Manning came to Denver. That's an impressive career for a lot of players, but Thomas has done it in three seasons.

Player	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Yards Per Rec.	TDs
Demaryius Thomas	297	4,483	15.0	35
Calvin Johnson	277	4,533	16.3	25
Mike Wallace	204	2,688	12.8	23
Vincent Jackson	220	3,610	16.4	17
Larry Fitzgerald	216	2,536	11.7	16
Randall Cobb	202	2,674	13.2	24

Only a handful of players in the league are going to be able to post numbers like that. Last season alone, Thomas had 10 100-yard receiving games. The Broncos had a 7-3 record in those games.

In Denver, he has established himself as one of the most dominant wide receivers in the league. Thomas can run deep patterns and go up to make catches over defenders, as well as catch a short bubble screen and turn it into a big play.

He is also quick for his size (6'3", 229 lbs) and is still just 27 years old.

When the Broncos met the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, Thomas looked like the only Denver player who wanted to be there. He set a Super Bowl record with 13 receptions in that game, recording 118 yards and the Broncos' only touchdown of the game.

Some may also argue that much of his success can be credited to the play of Manning, but don't forget about the 2011 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thomas caught four passes for 204 yards—a 51-yard average—and the game-winning touchdown.

Tim Tebow was the quarterback for Denver in that game, not Manning.

Too Many Big Free Agents Have Been Lost

In recent years, free agency has hit the Broncos as hard as any team in the league.

They have watched players like Eric Decker, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Julius Thomas, Orlando Franklin, Terrance Knighton and Rahim Moore depart. Most of those names were heavy contributors to the team.

The Broncos can't let all of their talent get away. They drafted many of those players and made little-to-no attempt to keep them. Most of these players are no longer in Denver because the team couldn't afford them or felt there were better options.

There are few better options than Thomas, and Elway must realize that.

"

#Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas ranked No. 20 last night on NFL Network's The Top 100 Players of 2015. pic.twitter.com/rLRrOzuP9Q

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) July 2, 2015"

Thomas has been selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls. He is already one of the best receivers in team history, despite having just five seasons and 69 games under his belt.

After trading Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins following the 2009 season, the Broncos were looking for his replacement in the draft. Thomas was the answer, and a very good one.

Who Would Pick Up the Slack?

It seems like just yesterday when the Broncos had one of the best corps of wide receivers in the league, at least on paper.

With Thomas, Decker and Wes Welker, the Broncos looked unstoppable. Along with tight end Julius Thomas, the team looked unbeatable, breaking NFL records. But the team still didn't reach its ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.

With Gary Kubiak coming in as the new head coach, the Broncos will be changing their offensive style dramatically. Perhaps Thomas won't put up the kind of numbers he has over the last three years, but that doesn't mean he's less valuable.

Behind Thomas, the Broncos are fairly thin at the position. If Cody Latimer looks a whole lot different than he did as a rookie, that could quickly change.

Emmanuel Sanders is an excellent complementary receiver, but how would he do as the No. 1 receiver in Denver, where he'd draw coverage from the best cornerback on the opposing side every week?

The Broncos could always find a replacement for Thomas in the draft, the same way the team did when it selected him as the successor to Marshall. But why? For what? So the Broncos can find themselves in the same spot a few years down the road, wondering whether or not to pay a player what the market indicates he deserves?

And that would only happen if they found the same kind of replacement.

Manning's Pay Cut

Back in March, Manning agreed to take a $4 million slice in pay. There is only one reason as to why a player of his caliber would be asked to do that.

To afford to keep players who might otherwise be lost.

It's not like the team asked just any player to take a pay cut. The team asked Manning, one of the greatest players ever. Sure, he had a high contract and will be 39 years old this season, but he was also just one season removed from setting a single-season record for touchdown passes with 55.

It seems like it would be tough for Broncos officials to explain not paying Thomas when it is public knowledge that Manning took less money.

Of course, the team could use that money to keep other players in Denver, but none of those players are more valuable than Thomas.

If you look at the NFL's highest-paid wide receivers on Over the Cap, you'll see that many teams have paid their top performers in recent years.

Aside from Johnson, the Green Bay Packers gave big contracts to Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson. The New York Giants shelled out big bucks to keep Victor Cruz, and the Arizona Cardinals made Larry Fitzgerald one of the richest players in the league at any position.

The Broncos need to follow suit with Thomas. They would rue the day they made the decision not to pay him what he deserves.