What can veteran WR Demaryius Thomas bring to Patriots?

Provided he can stay healthy, the addition of Demaryius Thomas provides another layer of depth to the thinned-out New England receiving corps. Beyond that? No one is quite sure what he 31-year-old might have left.


Thomas had tremendous production from 2012 through 2015, averaging 100 catches a year while developing into one of the top targets in the AFC. When he was healthy, he was a big target with an impressive catch radius. However, he’s slipped a bit recently — he went from 90 catches in 2016 with the Broncos to 59 in 2018 where he split his time between Denver (eight games) and Houston (seven games).

That might be at least partially attributable to Denver's struggles at QB in the post-Peyton Manning landscape, but he also saw his 2018 season end in late December after a torn Achilles. (The second of his career.) So between his age and his recent health issues, it’s wise to seriously temper expectations when it comes to his potential production in a New England uniform.

But the 6-foot-3, 229-pounder does have a deep background with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels — Thomas was drafted in 2010 when McDaniels was the head coach of the Broncos — which could theoretically allow him to get up to speed quicker than another potential addition. Of course, Eric Decker walked into a similar situation last summer, and quickly found out he was in over his head.

The truth of the matter is that there’s an air of inevitability when it comes to this move — the Patriots reportedly inquired about him last year, and it’s fairly well-established McDaniels has always been a big fan of the Georgia Tech product. So what’s a reasonable level of expectation? In the end, while there's not a ton of positional versatility there, Thomas represents something of an insurance plan for a New England team that is hoping for a potential Josh Gordon return, but bracing for the possibility Gordon won’t be available for the foreseeable future.

One other thing to keep in mind: I wouldn’t think the Thomas acquisition takes them out of the running when it comes to the possibility of a potential trade for a wide receiver, or their need to bolster depth at the position via the draft later this month. Their pursuit of free agents this offseason suggests this is a team well aware of the fact it needs to build back depth at the receiver position. It won't stop here.