Broncos fans will wake up Monday Morning and quickly learn that one of the players the team expects big things from in 2008 could be in a lot of trouble. DT Marcus Thomas, the team's 4th round draft pick in last year's draft, a player that many believe had first round talent, was arrested in Florida early Saturday morning for "suspicion of possession of a controlled substance" and spent the night in jail. Thomas, what was kicked of the Florida Gators team that eventually won the National Championship for, in large part, testing positive for marijuana multiple times. Officially, Thomas was kicked off the team for "failure to follow team rules" stemming from a trip home to Jacksonville, but the drugs played a large role in the situation getting to that point.
According to Thomas' agent, Richard Burnoski, Thomas received and passed a drug test upon his release.
"I don't think charges will be formally filed," Burnoski said Sunday night. "But the damage has been done. In the court of public opinion, this looks horrible. Marcus knows it. He has been very upset. He's depressed by this. He's embarrassed. He never wanted to let the Broncos down."
Burnoski said police found a trace amount of cocaine in the middle console of a car in which Thomas was the passenger.
Burnoski said Thomas, a Jacksonville native, was coming back to Denver and was having a going-away party.
"Marcus was drinking, but he did the right thing by getting a ride," Burnoski said. "He had no idea there was drugs in the car."
Burnoski said that Thomas took a drug test after his release and that it came back negative. Burnoski said the NFL and the Broncos will be sent the results of the test.
According to the report By Bill WIlliamson --
Thomas said several times last year that he had learned his lesson and didn't want to jeopardize his chances of NFL success.
"Honest to God, Marcus didn't know the cocaine was there," Burnoski said. "But because of the past, people will have a hard time believing him. But I do believe he will not be charged with this."
A full police report was not available at press time Sunday evening.
Thomas, 22, a former University of Florida and Mandarin High standout, was a passenger in the car, according to Charles Truncale, Thomas' attorney.
"He [Thomas] was in a vehicle in which a small plastic baggie containing what appeared to be a trace amount of cocaine was found. He [Thomas] did not possess it, nor did he have knowledge of it, until the stop of the vehicle. That's what happened. He is not guilty of the charge from which he has been arrested," Truncale told the Times-Union.
Truncale said both the driver and Thomas were arrested because police didn't know which man to charge.
Thomas recently finished his rookie season with the Broncos after being selected in the fourth round last April. He was suspended for most of his final season at Florida in 2006 after he had a positive drug test, then for violating curfew and drug rehabilitation class provisions of a contract he signed to remain with the team.
Thomas played in all 16 games for the Broncos in 2007 and had 20 tackles.
I am not one to give the benefit of the doubt, but I will use restraint this time. All we know now is that Thomas was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over, and what appeared to be cocaine residue was found in a baggie in the center console. Thomas then passed a drug test. If those things are true, which I assume them to be, then Thomas is only guilty of them same thing he has been guilty of plenty in the past, hanging with the wrong types of friends. Urban Meyer believed so greatly that it was Thomas' friends, not Thomas, that were the cause of his transgressions that he forbid Thomas from going home.
From all appearances, Thomas seems to be a good kid. Let's hope his realizes, and FAST, that the NFL will not wait forever and he had best realize that these so-called friends are nothing but bad news.