The New Orleans Saints entered this offseason staring at the barrel of the worst salary cap situation in the NFL. After several moves, that gun is slowly losing some of its bullets.
Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Saints have restructured star wideout Michael Thomas' contract. His base salary will be turned into a signing bonus, which all but guarantees he is staying in New Orleans.
It never seemed like trade rumors for #Saints WR Michael Thomas were real. But anyway, this restructure— turning his base salary into a signing bonus — essentially makes clear he’ll be on the team. https://t.co/jCt4BU2M30
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2021
This decision created $8.7 million in cap space, which the Saints could really use right now. Thomas' remaining with the team would be a welcome development for the organization and specifically, whoever will be throwing him the football.
Thomas is one of the best receivers in the league, although he had an injury-shortened 2020 campaign and only played seven campaigns. The years prior, however, were a different story as he had 1,000 and more receiving yards each season, since leaving Ohio State.
In the 2019 season, the Saints star led the league in receiving yards with 1,725 yards and an NFL record 149 catches. The lingering question for Thomas is if he can sustain his high-level of play even without a future, Hall of Fame quarterback. There is a reason for optimism as quarterback Drew Brees only played in 11 games, during that 2019 season and yet Thomas produced.
The master of the slant route will look to have a bounce-back next season. Last season, New Orleans had a dominant 12 win and four-loss record. One could not help, but think how differently the season would have gone if Thomas were fully healthy.
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