6 wide receivers Saints can add while Michael Thomas is out

The New Orleans Saints were dealt a devastating blow with the news that wide receiver Michael Thomas will miss the start of the 2021 season. Ian Rapoport tweeted that “Thomas could be on the sideline for weeks.” which is terrible news for an already thin receiver corps in the Big Easy.

There aren’t many names behind Thomas and the Saints are now in a situation where they have to make a move and add someone, whether it’s through a trade or free agency. Mike Garafolo tweeted that the Saints are looking into adding a receiver and this was to be expected.

The Saints are already in a tough spot at receiver and Thomas missing the start of the season really hurts their offense. They’ll already be relying on a new quarterback to take the snaps and now that quarterback won’t have the team’s best receiver. Oof.

There’s still time to bring in help, however, and that’s what this post is for. Let’s highlight six potential options the Saints could sign. This is based on overall likeliness of this happening and the impact the player would have in the Saints’ offense.

Let’s kick things off with a free agent option who would definitely be an intriguing addition to this squad.

Wide receivers for Saints to add – No. 6: Josh Gordon

Okay this one is unlikely for a wide variety of reasons but Josh Gordon is one of the best free-agent options at wide receiver and the Saints aren’t really in a position to be picky right now.

Gordon’s career has been plagued with suspensions and because of that, he’s spent his career missing chunks at a time. He’s played for the Browns, Patriots, and Seahawks with Seattle being the last team he played for.

In that 2019 season, Gordon split time with the Patriots and Seahawks and totaled just 426 yards and one touchdown in 11 games with the two teams. This wouldn’t be the most ideal situation by any means, but Gordon has shown the ability to blow the doors off of defenses in the past. He’d also be an affordable option right now.

The issue here is that Gordon isn’t the same player he once was and wouldn’t come anywhere close to filling a WR1 need. With that said, however, the Saints don’t have too many other options so Gordon is worth a look at the very least.

Wide receivers for Saints to add – No. 5: Jamison Crowder

If the Saints decide that turning to the trade market is the best thing for them at this time, Jamison Crowder of the New York Jets would be an incredible target for them because he could do big things in this offense.

Justin Fried of Who Dat Dish discussed a scenario in which the Saints were to trade for Crowder and offered this insight:

"Crowder is almost exclusively a slot receiver and he doesn’t necessarily fit the mold that New Orleans looks for in their slots. The New Orleans Saints typically like to use “big slots” in that slot receiver role — consider it the Marques Colston role. Smith is the likely candidate to fill that role in 2021, but trading for Crowder would allow Smith to play more on the outside meaning that the Saints wouldn’t have to rely on Callaway to play the role of starter opposite Thomas. With Sanders and Jared Cook, two players who saw plenty of time in the slot last season, gone, the Saints need someone to take on their slot snaps. Crowder would be a worthwhile addition."

Fried didn’t really see a trade working out for either side, as Crowder doesn’t fit what New Orleans is looking for and they wouldn’t have enough to land the wide receiver from New York. The Jets would want quite a bit for Crowder and unfortunately, the Saints aren’t in a great spot in that department.

Crowder is the odd-man out in New York though, as the Jets drafted Elijah Moore. Crowder has also been the face of trade rumors this offseason. It’d be costly to land Crowder in a trade but he’d be fun to watch in the Saints’ offense, that’s for sure.

Wide receivers for Saints to add – No. 4: Kenny Stills

Although he might be affordable to add, there’s history between the Saints and Kenny Stills.

New Orleans drafted Stills in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. Stills went on to dazzle in the first two years of his career but was shockingly traded following the 2014 season. It was a move that made little sense given how talented he was, especially for a fifth-round pick.

Stills played well for the Dolphins but didn’t do much last year for the Texans. He’s currently the best free agent on the market and that makes him a must-include option on this list.

The Saints already know what Kenny Stills is capable of because they’ve seen him in a Saints uniform before and he impressed mightily. That being said, he hasn’t played for the Saints since the 2014 season and a lot has changed since then.

If New Orleans is desperate enough and Stills is willing to reconcile, this is something that could make a lot of sense for both sides.

Wide receivers for Saints to add – No. 3: Sterling Shepard

Earlier this offseason, there was an article from Bleacher Report on one trade every NFL team should make. One that jumped out to me was one for the New York Giants, which was to trade Sterling Shepard. I even wrote about such a move taking place and it made me giddy just thinking about it.

In that article, I wrote:

"Shepard is coming off a season where he had 66 receptions for 656 yards and three touchdowns through 12 games. He started all 12 of those games and was one of the Giants’ best offensive weapons. He also wouldn’t be terribly expensive, especially for the kind of production the Saints would be getting from him. They could absolutely swing this deal."

Shepard is someone I’d love to see in the Saints offense because, while he’s better off as a WR2, he could totally be a WR1 while Thomas is out. He’s played well throughout his career but has had a rough quarterback situation in New York, making his numbers that much more impressive.

Shepard is an affordable trade option for the Saints and they need a guy like Shepard now more than ever. Make this deal happen, New Orleans.

Wide receivers for Saints to add – No. 2: Michael Gallup

In a perfect world, the Saints put all of their chips to the center of the table and do whatever it takes to land Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup. This is a guy who could absolutely step into the WR1 role while Thomas is out and then “slink” back into the WR2 role when Thomas is able to return.

Who Dat Dish’s own Kristen Wong discussed three trade targets who would make the Saints a Super Bowl contender and Gallup made that list. Wong wrote:

"Gallup played third fiddle to Cooper and Lamb last season, but on the Saints, he would be indisputably No. 2, behind only Michael Thomas. The rest of New Orleans’ depleted receiving corps – Tre’Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harris – don’t offer the safe hands and security that Gallup does. They had their chances. It’s time Gallup gets his."

That pumped me up! Gallup would be an immediate factor in the Saints’ offense and the Cowboys don’t have a strong need for him anymore even with his strong production. Dallas also has Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, so Gallup is “expendable”, as crazy as that is to say.

If the Cowboys are looking to add some help on defense, maybe the Saints can work out a trade with them. It’d be worth it to land a guy like Gallup, with or without Thomas on the field.

Wide receivers for Saints to add – No. 1: Golden Tate

One of the best remaining free agent wide receivers available is Golden Tate, who had 388 yards and two touchdowns with the Giants last year. Those numbers might not be eye popping by any means but Tate has gone for over 1,000 yards three times in his career and offers enough experience that the Saints could benefit greatly from having him on board.

Tate would be an affordable option in free agency and has plenty of experience as a starting wide receiver. He’s entering his age-33 season but as I mentioned once before, New Orleans isn’t in a position where they can be picky about who they bring in.

Would signing Tate make Saints fans jump for joy?

Probably not.

The important thing here is that Tate and Tre’Quan Smith can tag team as the No. 1 and 2 options until Thomas is able to return. If that can happen, this would be money well-spent for the New Orleans Saints.

With Michael Thomas slated to miss a few weeks, the Saints have to bring in help at wide receiver. Any of these guys would be major improvements to the roster.