It's no secret that the New Orleans Saints have one of, if not the best receiver in football in Michael Thomas. He has some of the best hands in football, is a touchdown beast, and is a good enough skill player to build an entire team around.
By his standards, he had a relative quiet game in the Wild Card round by his standards, only recording seven catches for 70 yards. This was partially because Thomas was being double teamed while the Vikings threw a few complicated schemes at him, limiting his innate ability to find the gaps in the middle of a defense.
While the Saints have had one of the most prolific offenses in football over the past five years, they surprising lack wide receiver depth beyond Thomas. While running back Alvin Kamara can be a threat out of the backfield, the snaps that were taken by Ted Ginn Jr. and Tre'Quan Smith could be taken by a much more talented pass catcher.
That's where A.J. Green comes into the occasion. The team inquired earlier in the season about trying to trade for him, but the Bengals wouldn't budge. That won't be an issue now, with Green being an unrestricted free agent.
While the 31-year-old has a tumultuous injury history, he has a track record of consistency when he is healthy. Every season that he has appeared in at least 11 games, he has racked up at least 65 catches and 1,000 yards.
He's a deep-ball threat with elite length who could be used to take the top off the defense opposite from Thomas, giving the Saints one of the most effective one-two offensive punches in the game.
Even though A.J. Green has been to the Pro Bowl multiple times, he hasn't experienced much team success in his time with the Bengals. While he has played in a few Wild Card rounds, he has been a part of a losing culture for most of his career.
Perhaps he can reach his full potential if he is a part of the winning culture in New Orleans, as if he becomes a Saint, he would join a squad with an 89-55 record and nine games of playoff experience.
While Green was paid just shy of $12 million dollars with the Cinncinati Bengals, the Saints could probably get him for cheaper, considering they are a title contender with an aging quarterback who doesn't have time for Green's ego.
Speaking of that quarterback, Green upgrading from Andy Dalton to Drew Brees could dramatically increase his value in the passing game.
Brees completed 74.3 percent of his passes with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 2019, as opposed to Dalton’s pedestrian 59.5 completion percentage with 16 touchdowns and a whopping 14 interceptions.
Playing with a much more accurate quarterback in Brees could motivate Green to have a career year, and if he has that quality season, that could help lead the Saints to their fourth consecutive NFC South title.
This could be a match made in heaven: Green would get to play in a prolific offense with a hall-of-fame quarterback who will get him the ball, and Green could be one of the key pieces that helps lead the Saints past the opening round of the playoffs and to the Super Bowl.
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