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Patriots Sign Veteran WR Demaryius Thomas

BOSTON (CBS) -- In their quest to add to Tom Brady's arsenal this offseason, the Patriots have signed veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.

The Patriots announced the signing of the nine-year NFL veteran Tuesday afternoon.

Thomas split his 2018 season with the Broncos and Houston Texans, finishing the year with 59 receptions, 677 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He played seven games with Houston following a mid-season trade, catching 23 passes for two touchdowns before an Achilles injury ended his year in the final week of the regular season.

The 22nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft made a name for himself during his eight-plus seasons with the Denver Broncos, and has 688 career receptions for 9,330 yards and 62 touchdowns over his career. His best season came in 2014 when he was catching passes from Peyton Manning, hauling in 111 receptions for 1,619 yards -- both career highs -- and 11 touchdowns. His career-high for touchdowns in a season is 14, which he did in 2013 in Denver.

Thomas has an additional 53 receptions and six touchdowns in his 10 career playoff games. He won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2015, but had just seven receptions on 21 targets that postseason.

While Thomas has been a top receiver for much of his career, there are some serious questions about his health going forward. It's fair to wonder what the 31-year-old has left after tearing his Achillies just four months ago. But coming to New England will reunite him with Josh McDaniels, his head coach in Denver during his rookie year, and more importantly, means he'll have Tom Brady throwing him the football.

The Patriots certainly had a serious need for a veteran pass-catcher, with Thomas now Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, Bruce Ellington, Maurice Harris, Demoun Patterson and Braxton Berrios on the New England depth chart. Josh Gordon is signed, but it's unclear if he'll be allowed to play next season following another suspension by the NFL.

Translation: After Edelman, the Patriots really don't have much at the wide receiver position for next season. Sprinkle in Rob Gronkowski's retirement, and they have a big need for people who can catch passes from Brady.

With 12 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, there's a good chance the Patriots aren't done adding to their wide receiver depth chart ahead of the 2019 season.

 

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