Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.
***Official Julius Thomas Hype Train*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gianmarco
- Start date
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Peyton looks for this cat constantly! Me likey. 
Run It Up
Footballguy
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Got him last week in the 15th round of a 16-team draft. Lovin it.4/4 on 13 attempts.Peyton looks for this cat constantly! Me likey.
Which might make up for my earlier Fleener pick, which could be a disaster.
Bronco Billy
Footballguy
Might be worth noting that Tamme was playing on at least punt coverage.
rocketsauce
Footballguy
Picked him last weekend in the 20th round of my 12 team PPR, as "Mr Irrelevant", thinking I'd prob end up cutting him in preseason for the current flavor of the week...
But he's staying on my bench for now, for sure. I think we might have something developing here. Just can't ignore him pulling down 4 grabs a week in limited time.
But he's staying on my bench for now, for sure. I think we might have something developing here. Just can't ignore him pulling down 4 grabs a week in limited time.
Adam Harstad
Moderator
His run blocking looked really nice on the night, although he was getting pushed around a little bit on the second drive. The blocked field goal was 100% on Julius, though, as he performed an atrocious olé block and let two rushers through practically unimpeded.Two Deep said:
Julius wound up playing as the first-string "in-line" TE, while Tamme was the starter at the "move" position. Which doesn't provide much clarity at all, since I still think Dreessen is likely to retake the 1st string "in-line" position when he returns. Is the fact that Tamme started at the move mean he's first string over Thomas still, or will Thomas slide over to the move when Dreessen returns? Or will Thomas perhaps retain the first-string in-line designation while Tamme remains the starter at the move position? Right now, it's as clear as mud, although I still think it's too early to count out the veterans and assume that Thomas is going to be getting 500+ snaps this year.
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
So do we just chalk this up as coachQB-speak?
Adam Harstad
Moderator
Peyton says that about everyone, but my opinion of JT's playing time has definitely been trending upward.
If I were betting today, I'd set the over/under on number of snaps played at 400. If he steals Tamme's job, he'll wind up right around that neighborhood. If he steals Dreessen's job, he'll blow that number out of the water. If he steals neither job, then he'll finish well short of that.
With 400 snaps, I'd expect him to get about 400-500 yards. Touchdowns are hard to predict, but I could see anywhere between 2 and 6.
Polish Hammer
made of glass
Just in case anybody wants frame of reference on how Thomas is perceived in my league:
- 14 team league that has been together 11 years, pretty competitive
- Start 1 TE, can flex another
- TE gets 2PPR, other positions get 1PPR
- Based on these two things, TE is obviously at a premium in our league
Run It Up
Footballguy
PlasmaDogPlasma
Footballguy
That's nice, but even as someone that recently traded for Thomas I can't get too excited knowing that the other TEs missed time and Welker hasn't played much.
ShaHBucks
Footballguy
Shutout
Footballguy
I don't think anyone can possibly be buying this much hype on Thomas for 2013.
When the rubber meets the road, how likely is it that he is going to command a great number of targets with Thomas, Decker, Welker, 3 other Tes and the Rbs there?
Manning threw 583 times last year. That mumber will have to climb a bit or some Thomas, Decker, and Welker owners are going to have to be pretty dissapointed in order to command that kind of role. If nothing else, Welker's presence changes everything. That is where all the important money throws short are going.
When the rubber meets the road, how likely is it that he is going to command a great number of targets with Thomas, Decker, Welker, 3 other Tes and the Rbs there?
Manning threw 583 times last year. That mumber will have to climb a bit or some Thomas, Decker, and Welker owners are going to have to be pretty dissapointed in order to command that kind of role. If nothing else, Welker's presence changes everything. That is where all the important money throws short are going.
ROYALWITCHEESE
Footballguy
At his current catch rate, he only needs 5-6 targets per game to be fantasy useful IMO (TE2 in other words)...
Buffaloes
Footballguy
took him as a TE2 at the end of a draft. looking at other posters in here, it seems to me the same thing is happening in a lot of redraft leagues. not sure what's not to like about him as a bench player at the end of a draft?
MCguidance
Footballguy
I went Sudfield and JT remains undrafted. Cin toss at this point.rsd1244 said:
Shutout
Footballguy
I guess that will work if the Broncos throw 35-40 times a game to sustain that kind of ratio (you would have to think that if Thomas gets 5-6 targets a game that Thomas is getting, what, 8? Decker or Welker are getting 6 or 7 themselves? Backs are going to get 3-6 as a group on any given Sunday). Just that alone is 33 and you have to figure a 4th WR and the other 3 TEs get an occasional bone tossed their way.
Its just hard to think that he can get 100 targets all unto himself with those teammates. I mean, hey, it IS Peyton Manning so anything could happen but to generate that kind of weekly production the Broncos are either going to have to be trailing alot more than I think we expect or some teams are going to have to rise to the occasion or one of the other big pass catchers is going to have to be lost for a large portion of the year. I haven't looked at the Broncos schedule up and down but I know they have 6 games against the Chargers, Raiders, and Chiefs where I can't really see more than 1 of those games forcing Manning to sling it more than 24-27 times, especially if Ball actually becomes what so many people have him hyped to be. If he truly can come in and command some carries grinding the clock out, the Broncos aren't going to be the Patriots and throw 20 times in the 4th quarter. They are going to feast on the weak competition, get up something like 38-16 in the 4th and put it on cruise and we are going to see a lot of Peyton Manning in the baseball cap in the 4th quarter.
ROYALWITCHEESE
Footballguy
5 targets per game would be 80, which is probably at the high end, but not unreasonable.
Peyton threw 36 times per game last season. With no McGahee, the defense already falling apart, and, by all accounts Peyton feeling much better, I would expect that number to hold nicely.
Last edited by a moderator:
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Getting Thomas 80 targets SOUNDS easy enough, but consider . . .
There were 2 NFL teams last year that had 4 players with 80 targets over the course of the season: BAL and NOS.
In 2011, there were 4 (BAL, DET, NE, and PHI).
In 2010, there were 2 (DET and NYJ).
In 2009, there were none.
Again, not to keep beating the horse that died a long time ago, if the other Thomas, Decker, and Welker will be targeted to the level that many people are projecting, it's going to be hard for Thomas to "get his."
There were 2 NFL teams last year that had 4 players with 80 targets over the course of the season: BAL and NOS.
In 2011, there were 4 (BAL, DET, NE, and PHI).
In 2010, there were 2 (DET and NYJ).
In 2009, there were none.
Again, not to keep beating the horse that died a long time ago, if the other Thomas, Decker, and Welker will be targeted to the level that many people are projecting, it's going to be hard for Thomas to "get his."
moleculo
Footballguy
I don't see them throwing 20x in the 4th quarter, but if Saturdays game vs StL was any indication, 20+ attempts in the first half is very reasonable. He had 34 attempts in the 1st half alone...of course, there were some circumstances that contributed to extra possessions (i.e. Hillmans fumble returned for a TD).
also, I am very much down on the Broncos running game. I continue to believe that they want to run the ball when they are up, but I'm not convinced they have the horses to allow them to do that. So - when a team wants to close out the game and run time off the clock and you know you can't trust your backs or the line, you go to a quick passing, possession type game.
There are some concerns about the defense as well. We know Von will be gone for six games, who knows how much rust he will have on him when he comes back. Champ is in a walking boot right now, they are shuffling the pieces at MLB...this D may not be as studly as they were last year.
Adam Harstad
Moderator
"We have some young players, we have some first-year starters, potentially at tight end, and we're going to have a young running back. Montee Ball is going to play a lot."
That's from Peyton Manning at the post-game press conference. I think it'll serve as something of a Rorschach Test regarding JT- his fans will assume it means Thomas will be the week 1 starter, his detractors will focus on the "potentially" and assume that he still hasn't earned the job yet. Really, my big question is whether Thomas will be starting at in-line (as he has been during preseason) or move (as I projected him to originally). In-line will get him a *TON* more snaps, and would make it easier for him to hit the numbers a lot of people are projecting. At the same time, in-line TE is rarely a primary read; in this offense- he's basically a blocker first and an outlet second. And Thomas, while much improved, is still a decidedly mediocre blocker. That blocked field goal attempt is 100% on Thomas, who olé'd a pair of St. Louis defenders and gave them free run to the kicker. Thomas had some good blocks in the running game on Saturday (see the first drive), and he got pushed around a little bit (see the second drive). On the other hand, just because the offense has historically been one way doesn't mean it will always remain that way- even as seemingly immutable an offense as the classic Peyton Manning / Tom Moore offense.
Right now, I see three possibilities for Thomas. The first is that he remains the starting in-line TE. That possibility means 1,000 snaps on offense, and I think a lot of these projections are achievable. The second possibility is that Dreessen resumes his duties as the in-line TE, but Thomas becomes the starter at move. That puts his snap count at somewhere in the neighborhood of 400, and suddenly he has a very hard time reaching some of these projections. For example, even assuming Denver runs just 40% of the time from 2-TE sets- a bad assumption, since 2 TEs means Denver is more likely to run, not less- then 400 snaps means at most 240 chances to run a route, so 80 targets means Thomas would have to be targeted 33% of the time he's in a pass pattern, and he'd average more than 2.5 yards per route run. Both of those numbers are absurd fantasies.
The third possibility is that Dreessen and Tamme both hold on to their jobs once they're healthy. In that case, Thomas is scrapping and clawing just to get 200 snaps. Based on Manning's comments and how the preseason has gone so far, I think that's extremely far-fetched at this point. So the real question becomes where Thomas will be getting his playing time. Again, based on where JT's blocking is right now, I lean towards believing that Dreessen retakes the in-line job. Denver needs a strong blocker far more than they need another reliable pass-catcher when they already have Demaryius, Decker, and Welker on the field.
Regardless of which possibility turns out to be true, though, I have a hard time seeing Thomas top 80 targets. It's possible. Tamme even did it last year (85 targets), although Tamme was the #3 receiver last year, and some guy named Welker will probably be assuming that mantle this year. Denver's 4th option had just 58 targets (as did Denver's 5th option). Thomas could probably be fantasy viable with just 80 targets, but his upside is pretty heavily capped there.
Just my opinion, though. We'll see how it plays out in about 10 days, assuming Dreessen is cleared to return.
That's from Peyton Manning at the post-game press conference. I think it'll serve as something of a Rorschach Test regarding JT- his fans will assume it means Thomas will be the week 1 starter, his detractors will focus on the "potentially" and assume that he still hasn't earned the job yet. Really, my big question is whether Thomas will be starting at in-line (as he has been during preseason) or move (as I projected him to originally). In-line will get him a *TON* more snaps, and would make it easier for him to hit the numbers a lot of people are projecting. At the same time, in-line TE is rarely a primary read; in this offense- he's basically a blocker first and an outlet second. And Thomas, while much improved, is still a decidedly mediocre blocker. That blocked field goal attempt is 100% on Thomas, who olé'd a pair of St. Louis defenders and gave them free run to the kicker. Thomas had some good blocks in the running game on Saturday (see the first drive), and he got pushed around a little bit (see the second drive). On the other hand, just because the offense has historically been one way doesn't mean it will always remain that way- even as seemingly immutable an offense as the classic Peyton Manning / Tom Moore offense.
Right now, I see three possibilities for Thomas. The first is that he remains the starting in-line TE. That possibility means 1,000 snaps on offense, and I think a lot of these projections are achievable. The second possibility is that Dreessen resumes his duties as the in-line TE, but Thomas becomes the starter at move. That puts his snap count at somewhere in the neighborhood of 400, and suddenly he has a very hard time reaching some of these projections. For example, even assuming Denver runs just 40% of the time from 2-TE sets- a bad assumption, since 2 TEs means Denver is more likely to run, not less- then 400 snaps means at most 240 chances to run a route, so 80 targets means Thomas would have to be targeted 33% of the time he's in a pass pattern, and he'd average more than 2.5 yards per route run. Both of those numbers are absurd fantasies.
The third possibility is that Dreessen and Tamme both hold on to their jobs once they're healthy. In that case, Thomas is scrapping and clawing just to get 200 snaps. Based on Manning's comments and how the preseason has gone so far, I think that's extremely far-fetched at this point. So the real question becomes where Thomas will be getting his playing time. Again, based on where JT's blocking is right now, I lean towards believing that Dreessen retakes the in-line job. Denver needs a strong blocker far more than they need another reliable pass-catcher when they already have Demaryius, Decker, and Welker on the field.
Regardless of which possibility turns out to be true, though, I have a hard time seeing Thomas top 80 targets. It's possible. Tamme even did it last year (85 targets), although Tamme was the #3 receiver last year, and some guy named Welker will probably be assuming that mantle this year. Denver's 4th option had just 58 targets (as did Denver's 5th option). Thomas could probably be fantasy viable with just 80 targets, but his upside is pretty heavily capped there.
Just my opinion, though. We'll see how it plays out in about 10 days, assuming Dreessen is cleared to return.
Adam Harstad
Moderator
"We have some young players, we have some first-year starters, potentially at tight end, and we're going to have a young running back. Montee Ball is going to play a lot."
That's from Peyton Manning at the post-game press conference. I think it'll serve as something of a Rorschach Test regarding JT- his fans will assume it means Thomas will be the week 1 starter, his detractors will focus on the "potentially" and assume that he still hasn't earned the job yet. Really, my big question is whether Thomas will be starting at in-line (as he has been during preseason) or move (as I projected him to originally). In-line will get him a *TON* more snaps, and would make it easier for him to hit the numbers a lot of people are projecting. At the same time, in-line TE is rarely a primary read; in this offense- he's basically a blocker first and an outlet second. And Thomas, while much improved, is still a decidedly mediocre blocker. That blocked field goal attempt is 100% on Thomas, who olé'd a pair of St. Louis defenders and gave them free run to the kicker. Thomas had some good blocks in the running game on Saturday (see the first drive), and he got pushed around a little bit (see the second drive). On the other hand, just because the offense has historically been one way doesn't mean it will always remain that way- even as seemingly immutable an offense as the classic Peyton Manning / Tom Moore offense.
Right now, I see three possibilities for Thomas. The first is that he remains the starting in-line TE. That possibility means 1,000 snaps on offense, and I think a lot of these projections are achievable. The second possibility is that Dreessen resumes his duties as the in-line TE, but Thomas becomes the starter at move. That puts his snap count at somewhere in the neighborhood of 400, and suddenly he has a very hard time reaching some of these projections. For example, even assuming Denver runs just 40% of the time from 2-TE sets- a bad assumption, since 2 TEs means Denver is more likely to run, not less- then 400 snaps means at most 240 chances to run a route, so 80 targets means Thomas would have to be targeted 33% of the time he's in a pass pattern, and he'd average more than 2.5 yards per route run. Both of those numbers are absurd fantasies.
The third possibility is that Dreessen and Tamme both hold on to their jobs once they're healthy. In that case, Thomas is scrapping and clawing just to get 200 snaps. Based on Manning's comments and how the preseason has gone so far, I think that's extremely far-fetched at this point. So the real question becomes where Thomas will be getting his playing time. Again, based on where JT's blocking is right now, I lean towards believing that Dreessen retakes the in-line job. Denver needs a strong blocker far more than they need another reliable pass-catcher when they already have Demaryius, Decker, and Welker on the field.
Regardless of which possibility turns out to be true, though, I have a hard time seeing Thomas top 80 targets. It's possible. Tamme even did it last year (85 targets), although Tamme was the #3 receiver last year, and some guy named Welker will probably be assuming that mantle this year. Denver's 4th option had just 58 targets (as did Denver's 5th option). Thomas could probably be fantasy viable with just 80 targets, but his upside is pretty heavily capped there.
Just my opinion, though. We'll see how it plays out in about 10 days, assuming Dreessen is cleared to return.
That's from Peyton Manning at the post-game press conference. I think it'll serve as something of a Rorschach Test regarding JT- his fans will assume it means Thomas will be the week 1 starter, his detractors will focus on the "potentially" and assume that he still hasn't earned the job yet. Really, my big question is whether Thomas will be starting at in-line (as he has been during preseason) or move (as I projected him to originally). In-line will get him a *TON* more snaps, and would make it easier for him to hit the numbers a lot of people are projecting. At the same time, in-line TE is rarely a primary read; in this offense- he's basically a blocker first and an outlet second. And Thomas, while much improved, is still a decidedly mediocre blocker. That blocked field goal attempt is 100% on Thomas, who olé'd a pair of St. Louis defenders and gave them free run to the kicker. Thomas had some good blocks in the running game on Saturday (see the first drive), and he got pushed around a little bit (see the second drive). On the other hand, just because the offense has historically been one way doesn't mean it will always remain that way- even as seemingly immutable an offense as the classic Peyton Manning / Tom Moore offense.
Right now, I see three possibilities for Thomas. The first is that he remains the starting in-line TE. That possibility means 1,000 snaps on offense, and I think a lot of these projections are achievable. The second possibility is that Dreessen resumes his duties as the in-line TE, but Thomas becomes the starter at move. That puts his snap count at somewhere in the neighborhood of 400, and suddenly he has a very hard time reaching some of these projections. For example, even assuming Denver runs just 40% of the time from 2-TE sets- a bad assumption, since 2 TEs means Denver is more likely to run, not less- then 400 snaps means at most 240 chances to run a route, so 80 targets means Thomas would have to be targeted 33% of the time he's in a pass pattern, and he'd average more than 2.5 yards per route run. Both of those numbers are absurd fantasies.
The third possibility is that Dreessen and Tamme both hold on to their jobs once they're healthy. In that case, Thomas is scrapping and clawing just to get 200 snaps. Based on Manning's comments and how the preseason has gone so far, I think that's extremely far-fetched at this point. So the real question becomes where Thomas will be getting his playing time. Again, based on where JT's blocking is right now, I lean towards believing that Dreessen retakes the in-line job. Denver needs a strong blocker far more than they need another reliable pass-catcher when they already have Demaryius, Decker, and Welker on the field.
Regardless of which possibility turns out to be true, though, I have a hard time seeing Thomas top 80 targets. It's possible. Tamme even did it last year (85 targets), although Tamme was the #3 receiver last year, and some guy named Welker will probably be assuming that mantle this year. Denver's 4th option had just 58 targets (as did Denver's 5th option). Thomas could probably be fantasy viable with just 80 targets, but his upside is pretty heavily capped there.
Just my opinion, though. We'll see how it plays out in about 10 days, assuming Dreessen is cleared to return.
msommer
Footballguy
Doesn't this assume an immutable offense? That the promise of Thomas as a move TE is no more than Tamme's?
I'm not saying I disagree with your conclusion, I just think you may have taken a short cut here, despite saying that Peyton's offense can change - or at least that these two statements contradict.
I don't think 2013 is JT's year. For that he needs one of the other receiving options to go away or to clearly separate from it by showing it on the field. Unless one of the TEs gets cut this week I don't see him getting enough of an opportunity to do so, for many of the reasons you mentioned above. Unless Peyton drops the chicken dance there won't be growth in snaps to get Thomas in play on a consistent basis without significant changes in the WR/TE corps.
We'll see if we got the conclusion right and whether any of us pinpointed the right reason over the next weeks.
Last edited by a moderator:
Adam Harstad
Moderator
Assuming that JT wins the "move" job, the difference between 1TE sets and 2 TE sets is just that Wes Welker gets traded out for Julius Thomas. I would go out on a limb and say that Wes Welker (768 career receptions) is probably a bigger threat in the passing game than Julius Thomas (1 career reception). I would also go out on a limb and say that Julius Thomas (6'5", 246lbs) is probably a more effective blocker in the running game than Wes Welker (5'9", 185lbs). It only makes sense that if you go from a superior receiver/inferior blocker to an inferior receiver/superior blocker, you'll probably lean more on the run, not less.Doesn't this assume an immutable offense? That the promise of Thomas as a move TE is no more than Tamme's?
I'm not saying I disagree with your conclusion, I just think you may have taken a short cut here, despite saying that Peyton's offense can change - or at least that these two statements contradict.
I don't think 2013 is JT's year. For that he needs one of the other receiving options to go away or to clearly separate from it by showing it on the field. Unless one of the TEs gets cut this week I don't see him getting enough of an opportunity to do so, for many of the reasons you mentioned above. Unless Peyton drops the chicken dance there won't be growth in snaps to get Thomas in play on a consistent basis without significant changes in the WR/TE corps.
We'll see if we got the conclusion right and whether any of us pinpointed the right reason over the next weeks.
Really, the only way I see Denver running more often out of 1TE sets than they do out of 2TE sets is if there's a far more seismic shift in the offense Peyton Manning has been running for the last 15 years, such as a move towards 2-back sets (not likely).
BigSteelThrill
Footballguy
That is until you see the defense, then Peyton audibles to take advantage of any and all mismatches.Assuming that JT wins the "move" job, the difference between 1TE sets and 2 TE sets is just that Wes Welker gets traded out for Julius Thomas. I would go out on a limb and say that Wes Welker (768 career receptions) is probably a bigger threat in the passing game than Julius Thomas (1 career reception). I would also go out on a limb and say that Julius Thomas (6'5", 246lbs) is probably a more effective blocker in the running game than Wes Welker (5'9", 185lbs). It only makes sense that if you go from a superior receiver/inferior blocker to an inferior receiver/superior blocker, you'll probably lean more on the run, not less.Doesn't this assume an immutable offense? That the promise of Thomas as a move TE is no more than Tamme's?
I'm not saying I disagree with your conclusion, I just think you may have taken a short cut here, despite saying that Peyton's offense can change - or at least that these two statements contradict.
I don't think 2013 is JT's year. For that he needs one of the other receiving options to go away or to clearly separate from it by showing it on the field. Unless one of the TEs gets cut this week I don't see him getting enough of an opportunity to do so, for many of the reasons you mentioned above. Unless Peyton drops the chicken dance there won't be growth in snaps to get Thomas in play on a consistent basis without significant changes in the WR/TE corps.
We'll see if we got the conclusion right and whether any of us pinpointed the right reason over the next weeks.
Really, the only way I see Denver running more often out of 1TE sets than they do out of 2TE sets is if there's a far more seismic shift in the offense Peyton Manning has been running for the last 15 years, such as a move towards 2-back sets (not likely).
If Welker is out there with an extra 185lb CB and Thomas is out there with an extra 255lb LB, the passing advantage may lean more towards the Thomas side of things.
moleculo
Footballguy
I don't know if JT's role is that black and white. I think he plays some at in-line TE, and some as the move TE. There are some positional advantages if JT is on the field with 11 personnel. Yes, Broncos are giving up some push by not having Dreessen on the line, but JT is a more dynamic target. If they are in a position where they need to throw the ball late, the personnel they are most likely to go with IMO is 11 with JT in-line.
Conversely, Tamme will get some reps in as a move TE as well (assuming he makes the team).
If JT truly is as great of a target as I think he is, and as camp reports have led us to believe, the Broncos will find a way to get him on the field, period.
Adam Harstad
Moderator
That's always a possibility, too. Even if Thomas is behind both Dreessen and Tamme, it's a lock at this point that the Broncos are going to do what they have to to get him on the field some. He does present a completely different threat than either, and neither of those guys is the long-term answer in Denver, while Thomas very well might be.
karmarooster
Footballguy
Rotoworld: http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/267694/peyton-montee-ball-is-going-to-play-a-lot
So maybe he's starting now?
Adam Harstad
Moderator
I would suspect that Welker vs. a slot corner is a better matchup than Julius vs. a linebacker. There's a reason why Welker averages 120 receptions a season, and that reason is because no CB in the league can cover him man-to-man. Chris Harris is one of the top 3 slot CBs in the league, and Wes Welker could make an entire career out of making Harris look silly.That is until you see the defense, then Peyton audibles to take advantage of any and all mismatches.Assuming that JT wins the "move" job, the difference between 1TE sets and 2 TE sets is just that Wes Welker gets traded out for Julius Thomas. I would go out on a limb and say that Wes Welker (768 career receptions) is probably a bigger threat in the passing game than Julius Thomas (1 career reception). I would also go out on a limb and say that Julius Thomas (6'5", 246lbs) is probably a more effective blocker in the running game than Wes Welker (5'9", 185lbs). It only makes sense that if you go from a superior receiver/inferior blocker to an inferior receiver/superior blocker, you'll probably lean more on the run, not less.Doesn't this assume an immutable offense? That the promise of Thomas as a move TE is no more than Tamme's?
I'm not saying I disagree with your conclusion, I just think you may have taken a short cut here, despite saying that Peyton's offense can change - or at least that these two statements contradict.
I don't think 2013 is JT's year. For that he needs one of the other receiving options to go away or to clearly separate from it by showing it on the field. Unless one of the TEs gets cut this week I don't see him getting enough of an opportunity to do so, for many of the reasons you mentioned above. Unless Peyton drops the chicken dance there won't be growth in snaps to get Thomas in play on a consistent basis without significant changes in the WR/TE corps.
We'll see if we got the conclusion right and whether any of us pinpointed the right reason over the next weeks.
Really, the only way I see Denver running more often out of 1TE sets than they do out of 2TE sets is if there's a far more seismic shift in the offense Peyton Manning has been running for the last 15 years, such as a move towards 2-back sets (not likely).
If Welker is out there with an extra 185lb CB and Thomas is out there with an extra 255lb LB, the passing advantage may lean more towards the Thomas side of things.
Adam Harstad
Moderator
I doubt Tamme gets cut, even if JT gets the #1 move position over him. His salary is a bit high for a backup, but not too exorbitant, and Denver can certainly afford it. He might get traded (I wonder if New England would be interested), but I think Denver would rather roster 4 TEs (more likely) or cut Virgil Green (less likely) than let Tamme go for nothing (least likely).
I'd still set the over/under on JT's snaps somewhere in the 400-450 range, although if he manages to keep the in-line job once Dreessen returns, he could log upwards of 1,000.
Tamme being cut seems doubtful, and only a money saving move, but still seems like potential is there.
I've seen some doubt for JT's role after he was the inline for Denver.
I watched that game and I could of sworn I saw a drawn up bubble screen to JT while Peyton was in the game. He also had 6 targets.
It just seems like he is going to be called upon whether inline or not. Thus, the Tamme/Dreesen influenced projections could be misleading...
I've seen some doubt for JT's role after he was the inline for Denver.
I watched that game and I could of sworn I saw a drawn up bubble screen to JT while Peyton was in the game. He also had 6 targets.
It just seems like he is going to be called upon whether inline or not. Thus, the Tamme/Dreesen influenced projections could be misleading...
purestrength
Footballguy
Maybe we'll get some clarity on the Denver TE situation tonight. #wishfulthinking
Restricted
Footballguy
So, did JT take the field last night, as a second or third stringer would or did he sit like a starter?
purestrength
Footballguy
Anyone know the answer to Restricted's question (two posts above mine)?
Young 8
Footballguy
Last edited by a moderator:
pantherclub
Footballguy
Buffaloes
Footballguy
Anarchy99
Footballguy
At best he seems to be the 4th in line for receptions, assuming he earns the starting TE spot outright and the other TEs don't see much action.
Adam Harstad
Moderator
moleculo
Footballguy
I wouldn't say so, not yet. Not until we see how he is used in a regular season game.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I have Julius Thomas rostered on five of my teams so far ($1 in every auction) as my backup TE. Here's hoping the hype was worth it!
moleculo
Footballguy
4th in one of the top passing offenses in the league, that is.We may soon see that the #4 passing option in Denver is a better TE play than many other TE1's.
