With the latest news of Michael Thomas sustaining a new ankle injury and being out for the rest of the season, what does this mean for the Saints going forward?

The Saints are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The news of Michael Thomas' injury puts added pressure on an offense that just lost its starting quarterback this past Sunday. This wide receiver room was already weak; however, in the back of our minds was always Thomas. With a depleted quarterback room and wide receiver room, the pressure on the defense now triples. And it's not like the Saints have a bad record. They are 5-2 without him; however, the need for offensive weapons is so apparent, a blind man could see it. The Saints are now left with a couple of options on what to do for the rest of the season and going forward.

Option 1: Sign A Free Agent WR 

Saints fans have been begging for the Saints to make a call to the wide receiver free agent pool. There are some intriguing names left on the market such as Desean Jackson, John Brown, and Golden Tate. Each name brings something different, that the Saints could use desperately. Desean Jackson just showed that he had some juice left in the tank with the Rams. The Saints could use a big play speed option like Jackson. The same things can be said for John Brown. The only difference is Brown is younger; however, he was never as good as Jackson. But Brown would still be an upgrade at the position for the Saints. And the final option is Golden Tate. I personally would love the acquisition of Tate. I believe that Tate adds a security blanket that both Trevor or Taysom need. He can beat you in short-yardage situations and in the middle of the field. He is not as fast as the other two but his hands are more reliable.

Option 2: Keep Thomas Apart Of The Saints Going Forward

This one is pretty obvious in what it entails. But the Saints now are faced with do we keep an injury-prone diva wide receiver. Let's not forget who Michael Thomas is when he is healthy. In 2019, Michael Thomas scored 9 touchdowns and had 1,725 yards. When healthy he is a top wide receiver in the NFL, plus you have him under contract until 2025.

Option 3: Trade Thomas In The Offseason 

This last option is one that I know Saints fans will hate, but it may be for the best. That is to trade Michael Thomas. Baring Aaron Rodgers or a top-tier QB coming to New Orleans, the identity of this team has changed. We are a defensive running team now. And I can't justify paying a diva and injury-riddled wide receiver 15 million with a cap hit of 24.7 million.  We can cut bait with Thomas next year and save some money that can be used to get better and younger on the defense, upgrade the offensive line, or get draft capital for a trade to get a great quarterback. Any way you slice it, I cant justify keeping Thomas on this version of the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints' relationship with the Ohio State standout has been rocky, to say the least. Will this be Michael Thomas' last season with the Saints, or will he come back better than ever next year? I personally believe that Michael's time in New Orleans just may be up, and this will be the final straw.

 

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