The Saints are going to regret not trading for a wide receiver
The NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday. It was a day that didn’t fully encompass the drama that usually comes with teams scrambling to make last-minute trades. As for the New Orleans Saints, no moves were made on the much-anticipated final day. It was thought that New Orleans would snag a wide receiver, but nothing happened.
The day after the deadline, Michael Thomas announced that he’s officially out for the season with yet another ankle injury. He hasn’t played in a game at all this year after working his way back from ankle surgery during the offseason. Thomas was on the physically unable to perform list, and while he was eligible to practice, he didn’t.
The Saints were sure to have been at least a little bit aware as to what direction this year was going in for Thomas. New Orleans communicated with Cleveland in regards to Odell Beckham Jr., but he’s still a Brown (for now). Pittsburgh’s James Washington would’ve also been a valuable addition. Washington asked for a trade at the start of the season, but he likely wasn’t on the market with JuJu Smith-Schuster out for the year.
New Orleans has two major concerns on its hands: quarterback depth and the wide receiver corps. There was no way for the Saints to predict that Jameis Winston would go down in Week 8 with a torn ACL, but there’s no excuse as to why they didn’t address their receiver concerns before the deadline. In case you were wondering how Sean Payton feels, he’s clearly not having it.
Payton on the WRs: "I'm not interested in your PFF grades or any of that other stuff. ... Obviously you're better if you have Mike Thomas in that group but we don't right now."
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) November 3, 2021
The New Orleans Saints made no moves to bolster their receiving corps
It’s not as if Thomas has been a consistent presence for New Orleans in recent years. He’s played in seven games since his 2019 Offensive Player of the Year season. The defense has carried the team, but the wide receivers have done the exact opposite. The hope was that Thomas would be able to make his way back to the field sooner rather than later, but that option has been taken off the table.
New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara’s workload is going to continue to rise. Opposing teams know that if they can find a way to keep Kamara out of the action, the Saints’ offense is going to struggle. That issue is even more prevalent now that New Orleans might not be exactly sure who the starting quarterback is going to be for Week 9’s matchup against Atlanta.
How far can the defense lead the 5-2 Saints? It would be nice if there was a wide receiver making his way to Louisiana right about now, but it’s going to be up to Marquez Callaway to carry the majority of the load. So far this year, he has 19 catches for 284 yards and three touchdowns.
Next. DeSean Jackson presents intriguing WR option. dark
However, Payton and New Orleans are known for their perseverance. We’ve all been witness to that in recent years. If the Saints can find their way out of this predicament, it’ll be shocking. Payton would be up for Coach of the Year honors. As for 2022, New Orleans has to draft a wide receiver, right?