New Orleans Saints: Michael Thomas injury necessitates creativity
The New Orleans Saints may need to get creative at the wide receiver position with WR1 Michael Thomas now injured and unavailable to open the 2021 season.
Over the weekend, a bombshell dropped on the New Orleans Saints and the Who Dat Nation with star wide receiver Michael Thomas expected to miss some significant time in the 2021 regular season after surgery to repair ligaments in his ankle.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the timeline for Thomas could lead to him missing “weeks” of the 2021 NFL season.
Sources: #Saints star WR Michael Thomas is expected to miss the start of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery to repair the ligaments in his ankle in June. Based on the timing of the surgery – and recommended 4 months of recovery – Thomas could be on the sideline for weeks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2021
Four months of recovery?
Even an optimistic timeline that started in June could push Thomas into October, missing nearly half the season potentially.
The New Orleans Saints have not exactly been in the greatest position against the salary cap in the 2021 offseason. Still, they are just under $12 million under the 2021 salary cap at this point in time and they do have a bit of flexibility to add someone.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the initial list of reinforcements is a bit underwhelming.
Saints working out Chris Hogan, other WRs today with Michael Thomas sidelined (per @MikeGarafolo)https://t.co/VKWhCeSTsX pic.twitter.com/evfZFBqgYq
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 26, 2021
The New Orleans Saints may need to get creative here. Losing Thomas is certainly no small deal and it’s compounded by the fact that they also lost both Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook.
Some guy named Drew Brees also retired.
The other moves the Saints have made in the 2021 offseason have not exactly been indicators of a full-scale rebuild going on. They re-signed Jameis Winston to hopefully just pick up the torch from Brees but at this point, who is Winston going to be throwing the ball to?
With all due respect to Tre’Quan Smith, the Saints are going to need reinforcements.
You can’t help but feel like they made a mistake by not going after former Chicago Bears second-round pick Anthony Miller, who would have cost very little in the final year of his rookie deal. He was traded to the Houston Texans over the weekend.
Where could the Saints get some help for Winston at receiver now?
What about someone like Tim Patrick from the Denver Broncos? Would Houston be willing to trade someone like Brandin Cooks or Randall Cobb after acquiring Miller?
Do the Saints now go after someone like N’Keal Harry of the Patriots?
There are options out there, but the recovery time for Thomas is going to necessitate some immediate creativity on the part of the New Orleans Saints.