Sun 1/11/15 11:42 PM

Thomas caught 6-of-7 targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 24-13 loss to the Colts. Thomas shined on the opening drive, hauling in a 32-yard reception to get Denver to the two-yard line, and then drawing a holding penalty on the next play. Demaryius Thomas got the short touchdown, and Julius didn't catch another pass until late in the third quarter, when he had receptions of four, six and four yards within a span of four plays. He then added catches of four and three yards in the fourth quarter, as the Broncos threw a slew of short passes. Once again, Thomas often gave way to Virgil Green on early downs, with Denver valuing Green's blocking over Thomas' receiving skills. Thomas is set to become a free agent, and while the Broncos have a pretty favorable cap situation for a team with so much veteran talent, there's little question that re-signing Demaryius Thomas will be the team's top priority. The late-season usage indicates that Denver probably won't want to give Julius a huge contract, though it's only fair to mention that the tight end seemed hampered by the ankle injury that sidelined him in Weeks 14 and 15. Thomas was a valuable red-zone weapon earlier in the season, with 12 touchdowns in 11 games, despite catching just 41 passes for 456 yards over that span. A move to another team might lead to more targets, but there are obviously fewer touchdowns to go around in offenses that aren't led by a top quarterback.