The New Orleans Saints must make some crucial decisions before the start of the free agency period on March 15 and the start of the league calendar for 2023. Undoubtedly, one of those decisions will be which players to dismiss in order to make room on the roster for new guys. Here we'll look at one Saints player who could be a surprise roster cut in the 2023 NFL offseason.

In 2022, the Saints finished with a lackluster 7-10 record. However, the bright side is that their NFC South rivals didn't fare much better. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons also ended the season at 7-10. Meanwhile, the division-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a playoff spot with just one more victory at 8-9. As a result, the Saints' offseason will be a competition among division teams to make incremental improvements. Whoever manages to do so could easily clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs next season. To achieve this, the Saints will have to contend with a very difficult salary cap situation. They also need to retain some crucial free agents and ace the upcoming NFL draft. Beyond that, they may need to cut someone loose, too.

Remember that building a championship-worthy roster requires NFL teams to invest substantial resources in key players. This could include high draft picks or multimillion-dollar contracts. However, sometimes even with such investments, things don't go according to plan. Again, this is the part where franchises may have to let go of marquee players.

Let's look at one Saints player who could be a surprise cut in the offseason.

WR Michael Thomas

Back in January, the Saints reached an agreement with Michael Thomas on a restructured contract. This involved a significant reduction in his salary from $15.5 million to $1.2 million. The deal also included a $31.8 million roster bonus for 2024, which would be guaranteed on March 17, 2023. Furthermore, Thomas will be eligible for a $30 million incentive for 2024 if he participates in at least four games for New Orleans in 2023. However, this move is unlikely to keep Thomas on the team.

Keep in mind that he has had limited appearances in the past three seasons. With a focus on other pass catchers like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the Saints may choose to part ways with Thomas. Perhaps they can even designate Thomas as a post-June 1 cut. By doing so, the team would limit his impact on the salary cap to less than $15 million in each of the next two seasons.

Of course, the Saints could put in a last-minute contract modification to retain him on the roster for 2023. However, we feel that's highly unlikely and not very sensible anyway. The fact that they are making all of these preparations for separation this summer means that Thomas will have fresh possibilities elsewhere. It would also free up funds for the Saints to spend on other players.

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Of course, it's unfortunate that things have come to this. Don't forget that Thomas had the potential to rank among the best players to ever don the black and gold. It's just sad that he has had his career hampered by painful operations and injuries. Naturally, we hope that Thomas will recover, get back in shape, and have more success in the NFL. It's just that he will not do it at the Saints' price or in a Saints jersey.

Recall that he missed the 2021 season due to an ankle injury. Afterward, Thomas returned to the field at the beginning of the 2022 season. He even demonstrated his dominance by catching 16 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns over the first three games in September. Despite that, Thomas left the Week 3 game against the Panthers and did not return. Although initially described as a foot injury, the team discovered that Thomas had injured his toe. Initially thought to be a minor injury, Thomas missed several weeks of practice. Ultimately, he had to undergo surgery on the toe in early November. This led to the Saints placing him on injured reserve.

When New Orleans does cut Thomas, the Chicago Bears are one team that might scoop him up. Remember that when the Saints release him, he will be allowed to choose where he wants to go next. The potential here is if he can be swayed to go to the Windy City. Chicago will have to consider signing him, at the very least. They could surely use a receiver of Thomas' caliber catching lasers from Justin Fields. And while at some point, other players could be available, Thomas is going to be accessible.