Julius Thomas's agent says he couldn't reach agreement with Broncos

It appears to be increasingly likely that Julius Thomas will have a new team next season. 

Thomas's agent, Frank Bauer, said Friday he met with the Denver Broncos but couldn't reach an agreement on a new contract with the club. 

"The Broncos came to me, we tried to get it done, it didn't work," Bauer said to The Denver Post's Mike Klis. "Does Julius love Denver? Yes. Does Julius love the fans there? No question. Does he love the organization and the community? Look at what he does for kids in that town.

"But for some reason people are trying to tear him down. In my opinion, what they're doing by tearing him down is pushing him away."

If Thomas were to hit the open market, he'd be the most highly sought-after tight end. The Broncos' star caught 43 passes for 489 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games in 2014. 

It was reported Thursday that Broncos general manager John Elway opted not to meet with Bauer, who wasn't pleased with the terms the team presented for his client. 

"The main thing was the structure," Bauer said. "In any contract in the National Football League, it all has to do with how the guarantees are written. Are there full skill/injury/cap guarantees? Or are they conditional? There are clubs that do it the old way. And they're getting their players done and keeping their own.

"In this case, the guarantees were too low. The guarantees were conditional."

Thomas's agent went on to say that the 26-year-old is the best tight end in the red zone and described him as an elite player. Bauer also reiterated his client's strong desire to remain a Bronco despite the stalled contract negotiations. 

"Julius loves playing in Denver. He has always talked positively about Denver and what great fans they have. The ball is in Denver's court."