Saints Rumors: ‘Shop Michael Thomas’ on to-do list this offseason
By Kristen Wong
The Michael Thomas rumor train can’t stop, won’t stop. Could the New Orleans Saints offload the star wideout this offseason?
NOLA doesn’t have any guarantees when it comes to Michael Thomas.
If the team opts to keep him in 2022, they’ll likely have to deal with extra drama, not to mention uncertainty over his performance once he’s recovered from surgery.
If the team trades him, they’ll lose their No. 1 wide receiver and may not get a better player in return.
While quarterback remains the position of most concern for the Saints, NOLA should also be thinking about how to upgrade their wide receiver room — and whether that means rebuilding what they have or starting over.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports listed five steps the Saints could take to get their team back on track, and one of them involves shopping Michael Thomas.
Benjamin writes:
"Some reports would indicate they started doing this a while ago, and it’s entirely unclear what the former All-Pro would even bring in return at this point…The Saints should be looking to both clear money and get younger and more reliable out wide."
New Orleans Saints would save A LOT of money by trading Michael Thomas
Thomas’ talents are not under scrutiny, here. The three-time Pro Bowler is just 28 and has posted 1,000-plus yard seasons in each of his first four years in NOLA, including a jaw-dropping 1,725-yard campaign in 2019.
Yet Thomas has played just seven games in the last two years.
And his name leaves a sour taste in the Saints’ mouths after the whole 2021 preseason ankle fiasco. No one forgets being ghosted.
If New Orleans can trade him this offseason, the team will save almost $16 million in cap space — a significant chunk of the $60 million total they have to clear for 2022.
Even if the Saints were to keep Thomas, there’s no telling how he’ll gel with whoever plays under center next year.
This just seems like one of those questions where there’s no clear-cut answer — for now.
Next. 3 of the worst things we saw from the NOLA Saints 2021 season. dark
If Sean Payton starts making some money moves, you can bet Thomas will at least be in the conversation.