Denver Broncos Rumors: Demaryius Thomas Contract Issue For John Elway With Jeremy Langford, Maxx Williams Draft Targets For Peyton Manning?

The Denver Broncos have Demaryius Thomas on the franchise tag heading into offseason workouts and John Elway would very much like his star receiver to be with the team during this time as the sides work on a contract and this comes with the draft a week away and players like Jeremy Langford, Maxx Williams, Breshad Perriman and Phillip Dorsett potential targets for Peyton Manning.

The Broncos are coming into the season with a new head coach in Gary Kubiak and he will try and get them back to the Super Bowl after the disappointing loss to the Colts in the playoffs. Peyton Manning returns after dealing with some injury issues last year and he is looking to have another strong season. Thomas has been hit with the franchise tag and while the Broncos and the wideout have until July to work out a deal, reports have Thomas waiting until at least Dez Bryant signs a deal before doing anything.

According to Pro Football Talk, Broncos exec John Elway spoke about the situation with Thomas and said that it makes "no sense" that Thomas is not with the team during workouts. Most players stay away from voluntary team workouts when they get hit with the franchise tag, but Elway still sees it as a bit of an issue. Elway cites the fact that if Thomas is working out with the Broncos and gets hurt, "he's covered" whereas if he is on his own, he is not.

Earlier in the offseason, the Denver Post reported that Thomas and the Broncos "were not close" on an extension. Reports came out later on that Thomas likely will wait until Bryant signs a deal, as he is younger and could get even more money than the Cowboys star. The franchise tag is worth over $14 million for a wide receiver on a one year deal this season and if the two sides can't work out a deal, Thomas could sign the tender. Most players stay away in the hopes of getting some leverage in negotiations, but clearly Elway wants Thomas in the mix this offseason.

Part of that is the fact that Kubiak is coming in with a new offense and it would behoove the team to have as many of their players participating in workouts as possible. The Broncos still have a strong offense coming back, but with Kubiak coming in and Manning learning a new offense, Thomas would benefit from working out with his teammates in Elway's eyes.

The Broncos lost Julius Thomas in free agency this offseason and while they sign Owen Daniels, the team could look at adding a tight end in the draft. Maxx Williams is a potential target and the team also could look at running backs after dealing with injuries last season. Jeremy Langford from Michigan State came in for a visit and there is a deep class this year with names like Ameer Abdullah and Duke Johnson.