Thomas back in action for Broncos

ENGLEWOOD • The clock was ticking for receiver Demaryius Thomas. If the first-round pick was going to be of optimal use to the Denver Broncos this season, he had to start practicing soon.

That’s why, even though Thomas took no repetitions against a defensive player Friday, his return to practice was big for the Broncos, even bigger than offensive tackle Ryan Harris (toe) and running back J.J. Arrington (knee) also coming back this week. It’s bigger than quarterback Tom Brandstater being released, too. The Broncos also signed fullback Kyle Eckel, who played for the Naval Academy before spending time with four NFL teams, and released offensive tackle Maurice Williams.

But in the big picture, Thomas’ progress is quite important for Denver this year. The Broncos are thin at receiver after trading Brandon Marshall, and Thomas will play a big role in replacing him.

But he couldn’t do that sitting out with a foot injury. He broke his foot before the NFL scouting combine in February. He went through meetings while he was hurt, and that helped, but it’s tough to replicate practice repetitions.

“It’s just exciting to just be out there with my teammates,” Thomas said. “It was different. I’m just trying to come out here to learn some stuff.”

There’s a lot to learn. At Georgia Tech last year, Thomas said he ran three different routes in a triple-option offense. He is up to 15 different routes that have been installed in the Broncos’ offense this offseason. That’s a huge transition, and it wasn’t going to come easier without practicing.

“He’s doing a nice job of staying up with the material,” Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. “I think ultimately it’s going to come down to him coming out there and taking reps, making some mistakes and correcting them, then doing better the next time.”

There is a lot of pressure on Thomas this season. Not only do the Broncos need him to play a big role, he will be compared to Dallas rookie Dez Bryant, whom the Broncos passed on in the draft and is getting rave reviews in Cowboys camp.

Being out of practice for all of May set Thomas back a bit. He looked a bit rusty Friday making two bad drops in uncontested drills. The Broncos hope that he can catch up quickly and have a good training camp.

“If I know the kid as well as I hope I do, and I think he’ll put in plenty of time on his own and plenty of time with other players, work on it and make sure he’s ready to go as soon as possible,” McDaniels said.

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