Broncos' Demaryius Thomas: No longer dealing with hip soreness

Thomas said his hips are both healthy, The Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala reports. "This is the best I've ever felt in nearly my whole career," he said Thursday. "That helps. I don't feel pain running routes on this side or that side. It's basically equal now, so there's more joy. I'm having more fun and am not worried about guys covering me on one side or another."

Analysis:

Thomas aggravated a preexisting issue in his left hip in Week 1 last season and spent the rest of the year playing through pain, including some discomfort in the other hip. He still played all 16 games and drew a team-leading 145 targets, but his 90 catches, 1,083 receiving yards and five touchdowns all represented his worst marks since 2011, when Tim Tebow spent most of the season at quarterback. Thomas did hint earlier this offseason that the hip issues could resurface, but he also said he has a plan in place to minimize the chances of that happening. The larger concern is Denver's quarterback situation, though Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch should fare better this upcoming season, as the team upgraded its porous offensive line via free agency and the draft. Thomas has proven he can produce without the benefit of strong quarterback play, having caught 105 passes for 1,304 yards and six touchdowns in 2015 while playing with Brock Osweiler and a washed-up Peyton Manning. The entire Denver passing game also figures to benefit from the return of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, whose scheme is more pass-oriented than that of former head coach Gary Kubiak.