How Michael Thomas and The Saints Got to This Point
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is once again in the news for his and the franchise’s strained relationship. This whole situation came to a head early last year when the two sides disagreed on how to handle his ankle injury. Thomas has had disagreements with many of the team’s personnel since all this first started. The most public critic has been team head coach, Sean Payton. Both parties are deflecting the blame away from themselves and assigning it to the other. Thomas recently tweeted a picture without adding any caption presumedly about his recent surgery and the criticism regarding its timing.
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) August 9, 2021
Was this a cryptic message toward the Saints? If I had to place a bet on it, I would say it was. Something tells me I am not the only one who feels this way. Payton reportedly declined to comment on Thomas’ post. The coach however did discuss his displeasure with the former All-Pro after hearing the timing of his procedure. Saying, “It’s disappointing” referring to Thomas most likely needing to miss additional time for a second straight season. Figuring out who is right in this situation is more difficult now than ever with the ease of getting information out there. The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 discussed this point in detail.
Where Do Michael Thomas and the Saints Go From Here?
The odds of Thomas and the Saints remaining together is slim to none. The relationship seems like it is in the middle of a break-up with no chance of rekindling the connection. The team has already had to let many of its free agents walk this offseason. They even had to cut some of their better players just to get under the cap for this coming season. The team is in a weird place after local legend Drew Brees retired after last season just to put the cherry on top of a terrible year.
The team has two real options if they want to move on from Thomas. They could outright release him. That probably will not happen though. Cutting him now would result in a significant amount of dead money against their cap without getting anything in return. The only real option they have if they do decide to move on is to trade him. Any smart general manager would love to have Thomas on their team. Below are a few of my dream landing spots for the wide receiver.
Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles‘ passing offense has slowly been going downhill recently. They are looking to change that trend quickly. They selected wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the 1st round of this last year’s draft to address this need. This reunites 2nd-year quarterback Jalen Hurts with his former college teammate to make him feel a little more comfortable. Allow their laundry list of veterans to get healthy after having almost no talent on the field last season and the team looks pretty solid. Give him an established veteran such as Thomas and that team could come out as division champions out of the dumpster fire that is the NFC East.
Packers
This would be an amazing addition for the Green Bay Packers. Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers reported to camp recently after the franchise promised to trade for one of his favorite receivers in Randall Cobb. If the Packers’ front office truly wants to win one more championship with Rodgers under center, they need to make this trade. Put Thomas opposite Davanate Adams and watch defenses panic trying to cover both of those star receivers.
Patriots
New England has spent a lot of money investing in their team this last offseason. Head coach Bill Belichick did not like missing the playoffs last season and neither did the teams’ front office. Why stop spending now? Thomas would make a massive improvement over last season’s receiving corps. Which is not saying much. N’Keal Harry is a household name not because he was great on the field last year. Rather he was upset the team added so many other options for their quarterback in the passing game. How dare the team do such a thing to a player who is already looking like a major bust. Belichick has been known to make trades for talented veterans in exchange for almost nothing in the past. Thomas would be another one of those acquisitions.
Jaguars
This one may seem a bit surprising to many. Just hear me out before clicking away. Yes, the Jaguars are in full-on rebuilding mode. I understand that and will not argue with you there. Thomas however is not on a one-year deal like with typical trades. You would be getting him for a minimum of two seasons. Enough time to help recently drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence to get used to the pro game. If you go by recent trends, that may be the perfect recipe for the franchise to win its first-ever championship. The only question here is if the team is willing to mortgage their future for a player of Thomas’ caliber. Having to make a decision like that is one reason that makes me happy to not be a general manager in the NFL.
Closing Thoughts
This article was published on the Belly Up Sports website and specifically its NFL page. Belly Up Sports also has a Twitter page where you can interact with the network. I also have written for this outlet before so see my most recent story if you would like. If you would like to talk to me directly, feel free to chat with me on my Twitter as well. Try to keep it clean and proper. If you are incapable of doing so, ignore that completely and battle it out with me. Just a few warnings for those who dare challenge me. I am highly competitive and hate to admit when I am wrong. So be prepared for a war of words.
