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Michael Thomas is one of the Saints’ best and most accomplished players. But the tension seems to be increasing between the two sides for almost a year. A 2020 full of injuries saw Thomas suspended by the team, and the star receiver reportedly ignored calls from Saints officials for months after the season. Now, with coach Sean Payton publicly lamenting Thomas having delayed an offseason operation that would keep him on the sidelines until the fall, the gap has hinted that the Saints are trying to “damage” his reputation .
A year after ProFootballTalk reported that the Saints might be willing to trade Thomas, there is no indication that the club are actively looking to part ways with their No.1 wide receiver. But a future split also never looked more possible. . New Orleans is still built to wrestle but has survived without Thomas before. The Saints also usher in a new era with a new quarterback, and continue to push their way down a salary cap hole; Trading Thomas would save them $ 1.2 million immediately, as well as $ 74.7 million from 2022 to 2024.
Potential suitors would obviously bet that Thomas would remain healthy once he returned from rehab, but his contract – a five-year, $ 96.3 million extension signed in 2019 – shouldn’t be a delay, given that he owes no guaranteed money after 2021.
So which teams are potential destinations in case Thomas’ apparent feud between the Saints escalates to the point that the New Orleans fields offer his disgruntled star? Here are seven of the most achievable:
GM Howie Roseman has tried to distance himself from the often injured veterans, and Thomas feels more like a successful addition to a team ready to win now, but Philly now has $ 16 million in cap space and is counting, positioning himself recently for an important move. New trainer Nick Sirianni is a WR trainer by trade, and what better toy to add for new QB Jalen Hurts than a short-range safety valve like Thomas, who could start against rookie DeVonta Smith? Roseman, who’s never afraid of a front-page business (and perhaps keen to make up for a miss for DeAndre Hopkins), could still come out of Thomas’ big deal in 2022 as well.
General manager Joe Douglas is more likely to sell than buy, but he’s made a lot of the first while investing in the trenches of new QB Zach Wilson. He also has nearly $ 20 million. With 2020 second round Denzel Mims buried on the depth board and seemingly available via trade, what better way to increase Wilson’s odds of success than by adding a top-tier counterpart for new starter Corey Davis? Like the Eagles, the Jets could justify this as a potential long-term move, with the possibility of cutting the cord sooner.
Can you imagine We can, because somehow bosses are constantly finding ways to stay dominant in video games. A little salary cap maneuver would be in order, but it’s not like Kansas City couldn’t find a place for him, even for a year: Tyreek Hill can play inside and out. outside, and while Mecole Hardman flashed, Andy Reid’s offense could still use a more proven outside target.
New England just finished spending a combined $ 124.5 million on new wide receivers Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. But why stop there? Neither of those guys come close to Thomas as a No.1 target, and the Pats obviously intend to compete this year. It helps them play in the AFC, so the Saints can keep Thomas out of sight, and at 28, Thomas is young enough to serve as Mac Jones’ running mate.
They would need to move some money to make it work, but they’ve sniffed out veteran receivers throughout the offseason in hopes of helping quarterback Lamar Jackson. Rashod Bateman and Sammy Watkins could very well help the aerial game alongside Marquise Brown, but Thomas would be the more natural target for Jackson, especially in a short range pass attack. Baltimore is obviously also only focused on winning now, and they reside comfortably outside of the NFC.
Los Angeles is all about sophomore quarterback Justin Herbert, making big investments to protect the gunslinger this offseason. Giving Herbert another bona fide stallion would speed up the Chargers’ hunt not only to make some noise in the AFC West, but also to compete for a title. With $ 17.3 million in ceiling space, they can not only afford Thomas, but promise him a return to his home state of California, a better QB situation than New Orleans and a place in an already powerful WR body with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
Jacksonville has spent a ton of mostly mediocre free agents this spring, but the team still has more than enough ceiling space (a better $ 30 million in the NFL) to be bold. They are out of the NFC which would make the Saints more comfortable. They need all the real guns for Trevor Lawrence they can get, even with DJ Chark established as the starting WR. And best of all, their new trainer just happens to be Urban Meyer, who oversaw the emerging Thomas celebrity at Ohio State and garnered Thomas’ approval this year.
Honorable mention
- Dolphins: They would need to move some money, and they’ve already made two big additions to Jaylen Waddle and Will Fuller, but Thomas would be a natural target for new full-time starting QB Tua Tagovailoa.
- 49ers: San Francisco arguably could still use yet another high-profile pass catcher and has sniffed out veteran additions for years. But the Niners are also in the NFC and have already spent a lot of draft capital on recent moves at QB and OT.
- Raiders: They don’t have the money to do it now, but they’ve tried the veterans trade route before, and they might be desperate to cause a stir with the passing of time on the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock diet. Senior offensive assistant John Morton was also Thomas’ WR coach in 2016.
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