Saints WR Michael Thomas listed as a trade candidate for Ravens

As we inch closer to the start of New Orleans Saints training camp, the trade rumors surrounding Michael Thomas are only going to continue. While these trade rumors seem silly for a team with no other clear wide receiver on the roster, the Saints might decide the extra draft picks and saving money is worth flipping Thomas to another team.

Chris Roling of Bleacher Report put together a list of one trade every NFL team should make and we covered what he said for the Saints previously but this article is being mentioned again because Thomas appeared as a trade candidate for the Ravens on it.

Roling said:

"Thomas just restructured his contract with the New Orleans Saints. But with that team still in cap trouble, others might be open to at least sending major offers to see if the Saints bite, especially now that Drew Brees is gone and the rebuild is about to begin, anyway.This one is unlikely, of course, but the worst thing the Saints can do is say no. And upgrading on Sammy Watkins with Thomas and pairing him with Marquise Brown and rookie Rashod Bateman would strike some fear in the rest of the AFC, to say the least."

Roling mentions the cap situation the Saints are currently in and trading Thomas would put them in a better spot there. Ultimately, it’d depend on what the Saints were getting with this deal because if they shipped Thomas to Baltimore, they’d need a receiver in return to ensure they had at least one capable option at the position if Thomas were leaving.

The Ravens were listed as a trade destination for Saints WR Michael Thomas.

Robert Sobus Jr. of Ebony Bird, FanSided’s Ravens site, went into detail about this potential trade from a Ravens perspective and had this to say:

"Before the rants begin to build up in the comment section, I understand this is highly unlikely, but not impossible.The Saints pass-catching weapon has been rumored to be on the trade block for quite some time. Injuries Thomas sustained in 2020 and the loss of future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees have fueled speculation of a Thomas exit in 2021.Roling has the Ravens trading away a 2022 first-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick for the star receiver."

Is an extra first-round pick next year and an extra second-round pick in 2023 worth not having a WR1 on the roster this year? Like I said above — If the Saints were seriously considering making this trade, they’d need one of the Ravens’ receivers in return. It’s unlikely that Baltimore would send rookie Rashod Bateman to New Orleans and Sammy Watkins isn’t reliable enough, but what about swapping Hollywood Brown for Thomas? Would the Ravens consider that?

Lamar Jackson would probably love to have Thomas at his disposal but unless the Ravens are going to offer a king’s ransom in exchange for him, this is a trade that the Saints would probably pass on because, without Thomas, they don’t have a reliable receiver.

At the same time, however, Thomas is coming off an injury-filled season and this potential trade would give them a chance to get his contract off the books while also landing two extra draft picks. It’s not a guarantee that New Orleans would say no to this proposed trade.