Denver has built the league's best offense by surrounding quarterback Peyton Manning with arguably the best group of weapons in the NFL.
Two of those weapons, tight end Julius Thomas and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas - both of whom are among the best at their positions - are in the last year of their contracts.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Broncos have tabled contract talks with both players until the end of the season, letting them play out their contracts. There had been ongoing negotiations, but they have not been able to reach an agreement with either player.
Denver does have the option to use the franchise tag on one of them, but in order to keep both (as they hope to do), they have to sign one of them - and both players know that.
Slot receiver Wes Welker is also on an expiring deal, but he's not as big of a priority for Denver as the two Thomases are.
This route could allow for them to hit the free agent market before signing and extension, in which case the Broncos would be out of luck if they signed somewhere else. It's a risky hand to play, but Denver seems to feel confident they'll have the issue resolved before it gets to that point.
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