One of the best parts of the NFL offseason is watching two teams come together to make each other better. The Dallas Cowboys need another wide receiver, as Brandin Cooks is starting to slow down and Michael Gallup never truly came back from his ACL injury. The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, are in salary cap hell and could look to trade a disgruntled Michael Thomas.
At least, that’s what LP Cruz of SB Nation’s Blogging the Boys believes. In the latest article, the Cowboys analyst suggests that Dallas reach out to the Saints and see if the two sides can come to terms on a Michael Thomas trade. Terms of the trade were not revealed in the article, but Cruz gives a compelling case for why both sides would be open to such a transaction.
“Thomas is a decorated player…who has fallen on hard times. Thomas has suffered various injuries over the last few years, most recently placed on season-ending injured reserve last season, and has played just 20 games in the previous four seasons. Yet, this is precisely why the Cowboys could target Thomas, because they might be able to get him on the cheap.”
Blockbuster Michael Thomas Trade Proposed Between Cowboys, Saints
Does A Michael Thomas Trade Make Sense?
First and foremost, we need to see if either team would realistically agree to a Michael Thomas trade. Looking through a pure football lens, this proposal makes all the sense in the world. Wide receiver is one of the biggest needs for the Cowboys, as Dallas needs to find someone other than CeeDee Lamb capable of threatening a defense. The Saints, meanwhile, have Chris Olave and might want to part ways with Thomas, who may have become something of a locker room nuisance.
Michael Thomas is not the player he once was, but the Cowboys could still get a good player in a trade. While injuries have limited him to just 13 games over the past two seasons, there have been some moments of gold on his tape when he suited up. Last year, the wideout ranked 65th in PFF grade and 60th in yards per route run despite a subpar quarterback situation. Michael Gallup, meanwhile, ranked 74th and 82nd, respectively, in those same metrics.
If nothing else, the present-day version of Michael Thomas would be the third-best receiver on the Dallas Cowboys, and that alone could justify a trade. The Saints will probably take anything they can get for Thomas, so Dallas shouldn’t have to forfeit anything more than a late-round pick. However, there is one major hurdle both sides need to clear.
Making the Money Work
There is a very real chance that the Cowboys and Saints don’t have the financial liberty to make a Michael Thomas trade work. Right now, the Saints are $81.95 million over the projected 2024 salary cap, while the Dallas Cowboys need to clear $14.3 million in cap space to become league-compliant.
According to OverTheCap, a Michael Thomas trade would invoke an $18.18 million cap hit for the Saints if done before June 1st. By comparison, his current cap number is just $12.4 million. There is a way out of this, as the Saints could designate him a post-June 1st transaction and drop his dead cap hit to just $8.99 million. However, that’s still a lot of money to hand out to a player that isn’t helping your team.
The New Orleans Saints are masters at maneuvering the salary cap, so perhaps they can restructure Michael Thomas before coming to terms on a trade. However, this could lead to the Cowboys taking a higher cap hit for Thomas, and they probably won’t sign on for that.
Perhaps the two sides can find a way to make the money to facilitate a Michael Thomas trade. If that happens, the Cowboys and Saints could benefit from this transaction.
Main Photo: Mark Lebryk – USA Today Sports
