Always a difficult player to categorize and define in a single position, De’Anthony Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs is moving from something of a running back to primarily being a wide receiver next season.
Thomas was one of the most exciting players in the nation during his three years with Oregon, which included a lot of mind blowing runs from the back field, some impressive route running as a receiver and five touchdowns off kickoff and punt returns.
Because of his size, it was always going to be a tough transition for him in the pros. He was used sparingly by Andy Reid during games, getting 113 yards on 14 rushing attempts with one touchdowns and 156 yards on 23 receptions. He also scored one touchdown off of a punt return.
This season he’s likely to have a bigger role, at least in the passing game, but that means losing some weight to get some speed back. He has lost almost 10 pounds heading into the offseason, hoping to be more useful and beneficial in his more defined role as a wide receiver, although using him in special plays out of the backfield, similar to how Percy Harvin is utilized sometimes, isn’t out of the question.