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Jamison Crowder: Demaryius Thomas Can Be 'Huge Weapon' for Jets' O

Trade with Patriots Brings In 'Smart, Versatile' WR Adam Gase Coached for 5 Years in Denver

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Demaryius Thomas, who didn't practice with the Jets Wednesday, has yet to talk with reporters about joining the Green & White offense for a hoped-for extended look this season.

But Thomas did pass his physical, the trade with the Jets and their AFC East foes the Patriots is official, and head coach Adam Gase addressed the four-time Pro Bowl wideout's availability with two one-word answers:

Will Thomas play right away?

"Yeah."

Is there a chance he will play Monday night against the Browns?

"Yeah."

More expansively, Gase talked about the player he knew quite well from 2010, when he was Denver's WRs coach and Thomas was the Broncos' first-round pick, through 2014, when Thomas enjoyed his third consecutive season of 90-plus receptions, 1,400-plus yards and 10-plus TDs and after which Gase, by then the Broncos' OC, headed to Chicago.

"He's smart, versatile. He can get the ball in his hands. He's a big man that can run," Gase said after today's practice at the Atlantic Health Training Center. "He's not 24 anymore — I'm not stupid in that aspect. I understand there is an aging process here. He's still a big man that can run really well for a guy his size."

See Best Images from Wednesday's Practice During Week 2

Thomas' new teammates also gave quick but glowing reviews of the new 6'3", 225-pounder in their meeting room.

"He's a proven guy. He's been a Pro Bowl guy," Jamison Crowder said. "So yeah, he can definitely step in and be a huge addition and a huge weapon for our offense."

"Great football player," Robby Anderson said. "He's definitely going to help us a lot."

The reason Thomas can fit right in with the Jets is due to his knowledge of the Gase offense that he played in Denver for a while plus the season-ending neck injury suffered by Quincy Enunwa during the season-opening loss to the Bills.

As for trading with the Patriots to get Demaryius' services, many Jets fans aren't thrilled about dealing with Bill Belichick's organization. In fact, except for three special cases of picks for personnel (the Bill Parcells compensation in 1997, the restricted free agency compensation for Curtis Martin in 1998 and the Belichick compensation in 2000), the teams hadn't completed a trade since the late Sixties, when the then-Boston Patriots sent an eighth-round pick in the 1970 draft to the Jets for DL Karl Henke.

Maybe it took Jets newcomers like general manager Joe Douglas and Gase to pop the question to the division rivals, who just last week signed big-ticket free agent WR Antonio Brown.

"We just looked at it as they added another guy and had some depth," Gase said, "so we took a shot."

The fact that Thomas was placed on Houston's IR with an Achilles injury last Christmas Eve was not an issue. The Jets' physical supported the showing that the 10th-year WR provided in the Patriots' preseason finale vs. the Giants, when he caught seven passes for 87 yards and two second-quarter touchdowns.

"He looked good in that last preseason game that we watched. He seems like he's in a good place," Gase said. "He knows the offense, he can easily be plugged in. He still remembers everything."

"We'll just kind of see where it goes."

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