Denver Broncos news: Vance Joseph calls out Demaryius Thomas
By John Buhler
New Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph is going hard after his No. 1 wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to be a better player in 2017.
The Denver Broncos didn’t live up to lofty expectations in 2016. They failed to qualify for the AFC Playoffs after winning Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers, who also failed to qualify in the NFC.
Former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak abruptly retired at the end of last season. Denver opted to hire former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph as his replacements. While Joseph specializes on the other side of the ball, he’s going hard after Broncos’ No. 1 wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to be better this fall.
"Joseph told USA TODAY Sports in Phoenix, “I want 88 to be a dominant player all the time. I don’t want him to ease into games. I want him to be the guy. It’s time.”"
This will be Thomas’ seventh season for the Broncos out of Georgia Tech. He has been a Pro Bowler four times and helped the Broncos get to two Super Bowls, winning one of them.
Thomas’ bread and butter in the NFL has been as a big splash playmaker in the passing game. He is strong outside the numbers, but Thomas wants him to be more efficient in possession receiving in 2017.
This is probably in line with what Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy wants to further bring along young quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. Siemian played better than expected as a first year starter last season, but may have hit his ceiling. Lynch’s head is still swimming after leaving Memphis a year early as the Broncos’ first-round pick last year.
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Getting more consistent production out of Thomas will help Denver’s offense out no doubt. However, the Broncos need better protection schemes up front and a reliable running game if they want to orchestrated a deep run in the AFC Playoffs next January.