Demaryius Thomas

Broncos coach Vance Joseph challenges Pro Bowl WR Demaryius Thomas

Published Mar. 28, 2017 6:11 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

Denver Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he caught 90 passes and eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth consecutive season. But if you ask new Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, Thomas needs to be more engaged on every down.

“I want 88 to be a dominant player all the time,” Joseph said Tuesday at the AFC coaches breakfast session, via USA Today. “I don’t want him to ease into games. I want him to be a guy to step out. It’s time.”

Take a quick look at Thomas’ numbers last season, and you’d wonder what Joseph could be referencing, especially considering Thomas was catching passes from first-time starter Trevor Siemian. But dig a little deeper and there were some areas of concern.

Thomas ranked third in the league with seven dropped passes and his receptions, yards and touchdowns were his lowest since 2011. Joseph, who was hired by the Broncos in January after one season as the Dolphins defensive coordinator, believes Thomas is a game-changer and wants the four-time Pro Bowler to carry himself that way.

“He can take over a game,” Joseph said. “But I want his mindset, every game we play, to walk on the field and take over the game. OK?

“Running the football will force them to load 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.”

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Demaryius Thomas

Denver Broncos

National Football League