Jaguars pay handsomely for TE Julius Thomas' potential
The Jacksonville Jaguars finalized a contract with Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas on Wednesday morning.
Thomas, who caught 24 touchdowns over the past two years while playing with Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos, signed his five-year, $46 million deal ($24 million is guaranteed) at the team's facility.
It's the kind of payday Thomas had been seeking after his breakout season in 2013, his first fully healthy NFL season, when he caught 65 passes for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns and established himself as one Manning's favorite red-zone weapons.
He turned down an offer from the Broncos last summer, betting he could get a better deal with more guaranteed money. That gamble paid off — just not with the Broncos, who chose to let Thomas head into free agency. There were concerns from Denver officials about Thomas' durability and toughness — worries that increased late last season after he suffered an ankle injury in mid-November and never returned to form.
Instead, Denver re-signed tight end Virgil Green, a member of John Elway's first draft class in 2011 along with Thomas, and added longtime Gary Kubiak pupil Owen Daniels. The Broncos are also looking at tight ends in the draft, but this is not considered a strong class at that position.
What makes Thomas such an intriguing signing for Jacksonville is that, despite such big touchdown numbers over the past two years, he is still quite raw as a football player and likely hasn't reached his peak yet.
Thomas played four years of basketball at Portland State and only turned to football as a fifth-year senior with one year of eligibility remaining. The Broncos drafted him in the fourth round in 2011 based on potential — and it took two years to see any of it. He suffered an ankle injury after making his first career catch early in his rookie year and needed multiple surgeries to repair it. He had only one catch in his first two seasons, while playing in nine games.
Then came the breakout season in 2013, and the hot start to 2014, when he had nine touchdowns in Denver's first five games.
He'll now be expected to serve as a weapon while assisting with the development of second-year Jags quarterback Blake Bortles, who relied heavily on three rookie wideouts in 2014.
Jacksonville entered free agency Tuesday with more than $60 million in cap space. Former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Jared Odrick, former Dallas Cowboys tackle Jeremy Parnell and former Green Bay Packers cornerback Davon House will be joining Thomas in the team's bid to become a bigger factor in the AFC South.
The Jags could also be a dark horse for other desirable free agents remaining on the market, including 2014 rushing champion DeMarco Murray.
Contributing: Nate Davis
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