Patriots re-sign Demaryius Thomas to one-year deal
Aug 29, 2019; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots wide receiver Demaryius Thomas carries the ball for yards during the first half against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
As always, there was a definite method to Bill Belichick’s madness over the weekend, as the Patriots released Demaryius Thomas on Saturday with the intentions of bringing the veteran wideout back into the fold at a later date.
It turned out that Monday, with rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry placed on the injured reserve because of an ankle injury, was that date for Thomas and the Patriots, Patriots now are re-signing WR Demaryius Thomas to a one-year deal, per source. Thomas was released with the idea of returning.
Originally signed by the Patriots in April, Thomas worked his way back from a torn Achilles suffered with the Texans last year and shined in New England’s preseason finale, with seven grabs (on eight targets) for 87 yards and two scores.
And while his return came without the majority of Patriot regulars in action (namely quarterback Tom Brady), just being with the Patriots throughout training camp had Thomas excited for what may await this team in the 2019 season.
“Just being around [the team], watching the guys work, watching the guys week-in and week-out, from Detroit to Tennessee, we’ve got a lot of potential,” Thomas said. “But there are a lot of guys around the league that I feel like are going after the Patriots, because I know when I was on other teams, we were going after them. We might look good on the roster, but we’ve got to go out every week and get better and better every week.
“If I can be a part of that, I’ll be happy.”
It didn’t take long for Thomas to land “back” in Foxboro, either, as Here’s Demaryius Thomas at #Patriots practice. Full attendance today. pic.twitter.com/LZTNO4ZIBq
A five-time Pro Bowler, the 6-foot-3 Thomas caught 59 balls for 677 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games between the Broncos and Texans last season.
And with Thomas projected to be ready for next Sunday’s banner-raising home opener against the Steelers, the Patriots are likely to line up with Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, and Thomas as their top three wide receivers.
