New England Patriots 2019: 5 surprise veterans on the 53-man roster bubble

Demaryius Thomas, WR

Is Demaryius Thomas a washed-up receiver?

If the veteran playmaker has anything left, you better believe the New England Patriots will get it out of him.

Coming off a torn Achilles injury that ended his brief stint with the Houston Texans, Thomas has been the least talked about receiver on the Patriots new depth chart that includes Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Phillip Dorsett, Dontrelle Inman and perhaps a reinstated Josh Gordon.

Signed to a one-year deal, there is no guarantee Thomas will make the 53-man roster.  But, his familiarity with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and skillset should give him a fair shot depending on how strongly he recovers from the torn Achilles.

While that could land him on the PUP list to start the season, Demaryius Thomas could be cut depending on the chemistry the other receivers form with Tom Brady.  Now, there is always hope a receiver who has multiple 1,000-yard seasons under his belt can gel with the six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, but we’ve seen this story before.

If Thomas is even on the roster come Week 1, they he got a lot further than the likes of Eric Decker and Reggie Wayne who both retired before they could be cut.

Is that a similar path Thomas could take?

Again, it all depends on how well he has recovered from his injury and his desire to continue on as a productive wide receiver in the league.