Broncos Courtland Sutton Studying Former Buckeyes WR Michael Thomas Tape
Courtland Sutton became a staple of the "Pony Up" offense run by Sonny Dykes at Southern Methodist down in Dallas, Texas, but he's taking a page from a pass-catcher that called "Wide Receiver U" home this offseason.
Under the direction of former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, Sutton told reporters last week he's spent time throughout OTAs watching tape of the "Slant God" and Ohio State alum Michael Thomas. Both players have similar builds, leading to traits that should correlate in the passing game under the new head coach.
Drafted in 2016, Thomas made headlines four years into his playing career by breaking the single-season reception record with 149 catches. Consistency running slant patterns inside gave Thomas the edge over more than a dozen defensive backs and made him a security blanket for Drew Brees.
In Denver, Sutton is trying to emulate Thomas' shiftiness win at the line of scrimmage as the go-to target for Russell Wilson. In return, Wilson is hopeful that last season's mishaps were a one-year fluke instead of a new norm for the AFC West franchise.
"Just diving into it, [I’ve] been able to see how he may have run a route that we are learning right now," Sutton said of watching Thomas' 2019 tape.
Thomas, who hopes to be healthy for an entire season for the first time since his breakout 2019 campaign, was more than just a consistent route-runner. He averaged 107.8 yards per game along with 10.1 catches per contest.
Consistency put Thomas on the radar of rosters coming out of Columbus in 2016. As the Buckeyes' leading receiver, the 6-3 212-pound Thomas recorded back-to-back nine touchdown seasons in 2014-15. He also registered at least 56 catches per season for over 780 yards.
Sutton, who stands 6-4 and weighs just over 215 pounds, offers the same physical traits that made Thomas a nightmare to guard when lined up inside. What he lacks in speed could be made up for in technique, an area Thomas mastered during his time in college.
"Obviously he had a really good year that year, so to be able to find ways to implement the things he did well into my game, I feel like we'll be able to have a lot of success," Sutton said.
While Sutton continues to draw rave reviews from the new staff in Denver, Thomas looks to build a rapport with new quarterback Derek Carr in New Orleans. The Raiders cut ties with the four-time Pro Bowler his offseason after finishing 6-11.
Thomas, who's set to be on his third different quarterback since Brees' retirement following the 2020 season, seems to be on the same page as Carr entering mandatory minicamp. The two connected following Carr's release from Las Vegas and played an essential role in linking up in New Orleans.
Both players have had a sense of respect for one another from afar. Now, they hope to build a promising connection for the foreseeable future as teammates instead of colleagues. Thomas, who reworked his contract to stay in the Bayou for another season, told reporters last week that through the early stages of OTAs, he sees similarities of discipline in the huddle from Carr to that of Brees.
“He’s been amazing,” Thomas said. "Amazing. I can’t wait to play with him and just be out there and execute and create something special with him, a connection, you know? Just like the way he demands the huddle, the sense of urgency, just the way he handles himself, he’s a pro.
"Kind of how Drew was, you could watch Drew ... you could learn from him, the locker room you could learn from him."
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