With New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas seemingly disgruntled and seeking a move away, what are his potential landing spots if he were to move this offseason? Let’s examine Thomas’ contract, what options the Saints have, and which teams might be looking at 2022 free agents if he becomes available.
Michael Thomas landing spots
The situation with Michael Thomas’ contract is tricky for the Saints. He still has three years remaining on his contract and a fair amount of dead money if they part ways with him in 2022. His 2022 salary is $15.35 million, with $8.9 million in prorated bonus and $450,000 in roster and workout bonuses taking his cap number to $24.7 million next season.
That salary will become guaranteed on the third day of the new league year or if Thomas cannot pass a medical ahead of that date. The Saints likely have to decide before the start of the league year if they are going to release him. Waiting until that salary becomes guaranteed would leave them with over $38 million in dead money. Doing so ahead of it would leave just $22.7 million.
Of course, the Saints could let the salary guarantee and then try to trade Thomas. They would still be on the hook for $22.7 million in dead money, including $4 million in prorated signing bonus in 2022 and 2023 as well as $4.4 million in prorated restructure bonus in each of the next three years. All of that would accelerate onto the cap in 2022.
Thomas and the Saints could still mend their relationship. However, if they cannot, several teams will likely be interested in acquiring the star WR. Let’s take a look at some of Thomas’ potential landing spots this offseason.
The Miami Dolphins could look to add more firepower to their receiving corps
Jaylen Waddle has turned out to be everything the Dolphins could have dreamed of when they drafted him. He has been a reliable, game-breaking weapon, but he needs help around him. They will have DeVante Parker back next year, but the depth chart at WR is thin beyond that.
Thomas would be an almost perfect fit for the Dolphins’ offense. Tua Tagovailoa has proven incredibly effective with a short passing game, and Thomas would dovetail nicely in that role with Waddle. As a pair, they would be extremely tough to cover. Opposing teams would have a tough time selecting who to bracket. Additionally, the Dolphins have the cap space to give Thomas a raise, and Miami is likely a desirable destination for the WR.
Thomas would likely be a natural fit with the Chargers
Thomas seems like the type of player who would thrive under the bright lights of Los Angeles. That makes the Chargers an ideal landing spot for Thomas, as they look set to lose Mike Williams this offseason. The sticking point is that Thomas is a different style of receiver to Williams and somewhat similar to Keenan Allen.
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Yet, the Chargers could look to the draft to replace Williams’ role if they don’t like the options currently on the roster. Pairing Allen and Thomas would put two of the league’s premier route runners on the same roster. LA also has the cap space to ensure Thomas can receive a pay bump if he so desires.
The Las Vegas Raiders might be in the market for a WR this offseason
This is another market that feels like a good fit for Thomas. The Raiders are building a new fan base, and bringing in a star receiver in Thomas would help. Again, he would be used somewhat similarly to Hunter Renfrow, but two crisp route runners are always valuable.
This feels like an ideal landing spot in terms of personality. Furthermore, the Raiders have the cap space to make it work. However, they do have needs to address on the defense that will likely take priority over a luxury addition like Thomas.
Could Thomas look to chase a ring with the Buccaneers?
It is going to be interesting to see how the offseason plays out for the Buccaneers. Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown are set to be free agents. Godwin could be too expensive to bring back, while Brown might be deemed too much of a liability. That will leave them looking for an underneath weapon to extend their window — Thomas fits the bill.
Replacing Godwin with Thomas would nearly ensure this offense doesn’t miss a beat. A combination of Thomas underneath with Evans running the deeper routes would be terrifying for opposing defenses. The sticking point here is that the Saints are highly unlikely to trade Thomas to their fiercest divisional foe. This might only be viable if the Saints release Thomas.
The Colts would be a fascinating destination for Thomas
It seems reasonably set in stone that Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor will be the top two weapons for the Colts in 2022. Nevertheless, the potential addition of Thomas might shake that up.
The Colts should be in the market for a WR with no clear second option behind Pittman. They also have plenty of cap space, with close to $57.5 million projected for next season. The second half of this year has proven this is a talented team, but adding Thomas just might make them a Super Bowl contender on offense.
