One of the greatest wide receivers in the history of the New Orleans Saints will probably have a new home next year. Michael Thomas is almost destined to join a new team as the Saints struggle to get under the salary cap. At his best, Thomas was one of the top receivers in the game, earning First-Team All-Pro honors twice and making three Pro Bowls from 2017 to 2019.
Unfortunately, the injury gods have not been kind to Michael Thomas. The wide receiver injured his ankle in the first week of the 2020 season, sending him on a seemingly endless string of injuries over the past four seasons. Last year, the former second-round pick played in 10 games while recording just 39 receptions for 448 yards and one touchdown. While Michael Thomas is still a decent player, the soon-to-be free agent is not worth his cap hit or the off-field Twitter rants.
However, just because he’s not going to be a Saint doesn’t mean that nobody will want Michael Thomas as a free agent. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Baltimore Ravens are interested in adding Thomas to the mix, citing their valuation of veteran wide receivers.
Baltimore Ravens Hope to Sign Free Agent Michael Thomas
On paper, this is a bit of a curious fit. As mentioned above, Michael Thomas is no longer anywhere close to being elite, so the free agent will probably come cheap. This is a good thing, as Baltimore will not have much spending money in 2024. With several key free agents, the Ravens probably won’t have the financial flexibility to re-sign their players and get top-dollar talent in free agency.
On the other hand, the Ravens should probably be hoping for a better free agent than Michael Thomas. Even though he stayed mostly healthy last season, he’s not the same player he once was. Injuries have taken their toll on the two-time All-Pro, and the present-day version of Thomas is nothing more than an injury-prone league-average receiver.
Even if he does stay healthy, his skill set is a little redundant with Zay Flowers on the roster. While every player is different in their unique way, Flowers and Thomas are both shifty receivers who get open quickly and do most of their damage in the short and intermediate parts of the field. If the Ravens are targeting a free agent receiver, they should probably go after someone with a different skill set than Michael Thomas.
What Happens to Odell Beckham?
According to Fowler’s report, the Ravens are essentially choosing free agent Michael Thomas over Odell Beckham. Beckham, like Thomas, has battled injuries over the past few years and isn’t nearly as unstoppable as he was in his prime. However, while Thomas faltered down the stretch, Beckham only improved with increased playing time.
While he got off to an admittedly slow start, Beckham came alive down the stretch. Even though he didn’t justify his ridiculous salary, the veteran still finished the season with 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns, with most of that coming later in the season.
Perhaps Beckham will have a bigger free agent market than Michael Thomas, and Baltimore’s preference has more to do with saving money than anything else. However, if both players land similar contracts, this is a surprising decision by the Ravens.
Main Photo: Mitch Stringer – USA Today Sports
