The New England Patriots are known for signing or acquiring veteran players and helping them revitalize their careers in the latter stages. That could be the case once again with veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who was signed to help bolster the offense.
After losing Rob Gronkowski to retirement and Chris Hogan in free agency, the Patriots needed to make a move. Thomas may not be the star that he once was, but he is an intriguing pickup. Of course, everything depends on how he recovers and bounces back from the torn Achilles that he suffered last season.
Clutch Points has previously reported that Thomas has a chance to return earlier than expected from his torn Achilles.
Thomas could be available and ready to play for Week 1, but that is not a guarantee. New England will not rush him back to the gridiron and would prefer him to take his time and get back to 100 percent health before getting back into playing.
It will be interesting to see how his rehab progresses as the season draws nearer. Having him at the start of the year would certainly be nice, as it would give him time to work and grow chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady.
All of that being said, let's take a look at three way-too-early bold predictions for Thomas in 2019. We are making these bold predictions based off of him playing a full season.
3. Thomas Bounces Back with 80 Receptions and 1,000 Yards
No one is going to claim that Thomas is still as good as he was a few years back with the Denver Broncos. Age has begun taking its toll on him, but he still has some good football left in the tank.
Playing with a quarterback like Brady will help aging receivers have bigger years. That will be the case for Thomas in 2019. He will catch at least 80 passes for 1,000 yards on the season, assuming he stays healthy.
New England needed a receiver that Brady can trust and throw to often, which is exactly what he will get with Thomas.
2. Brady Finds Him for Eight Touchdowns
Let's keep this statistical for the second point. Thomas will catch 80 passes for 1,000 yards, but will also find the end zone eight times. Brady loves to spread the ball around, but Thomas is a veteran wideout that he will trust with everything he has.
Not having Gronk is going to be a major factor in the red zone. Thomas may not be the kind of physical presence that Gronkowski was for Brady, but he is more than capable of being a sure-handed option.
Catching eight touchdowns may be tough to believe, but New England will get much more out of Thomas than the Broncos and Houston Texans did last season.
1. Demaryius Thomas Ends Up Being the No. 1 Receiver
Finally, New England will be getting a lot back from taking this risk. Thomas may not be a superstar anymore, but he will end up being the Patriots' No. 1 wide receiver.
It will be good to see him back to being a productive wide receiver. New England had interest in trading for him at the deadline last year before Houston got him. They obviously feel like he will fit within the Patriots' offense and will make a major impact.
Brady still has Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett to work with, but Thomas will be his top target. New England also brought in tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Expect to see Thomas put up big numbers in New England and to help them contend to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 54.
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