Demaryius Thomas is one of the most physically gifted wide receivers in the NFL, but the Denver Broncos star has a tendency to pack it in when things aren’t going well. His new head coach would like to see that change going forward.
At the AFC coaches’ breakfast in Phoenix on Tuesday, Vance Joseph urged Thomas to play with intensity for 60 minutes every game.
“I want ‘88’ — that’s what I call him — I want him to be a dominant player all the time,” Joseph said, per Mike Klis of 9 News in Denver. “I don’t want him to ease into games. I want him to be a guy. I want him to step out and be a guy. It’s time.”
Thomas dropped seven passes last season and has been among the league leaders in drops over the last five years. Transitioning to Trevor Siemian from Peyton Manning has been a challenge, and Thomas still managed to catch 90 passes for more than 1,000 yards last season. Still, anyone who watches him play knows he is capable of far more — including Joseph.
“He’s a great player,” the first-year head coach added. “He can take over a game, but I want his mindset every game to be every game we play to walk on the field and take over the game. Again, running the football will force them to load up the box and give him one-on-one opportunities. I want him to win every one-on-one. I want him to become a leader of our football team.”
If you believe this report from the middle of last season, the Broncos were unhappy with their former first-round pick at times. With his combination of speed and size, Thomas should be dominating defensive backs a lot more regularly than he does. Joseph obviously feels he can motivate the 29-year-old to do just that.
