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Another offseason for the New Orleans Saints means more headlines fueled by drama and off-field issues. The latest saga features Saints All-Pro wideout Michael Thomas reportedly ignoring phone calls from New Orleans medical and coaching staff for over three months this past offseason in regards to an injury.

Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in 2020 that would eventually require surgery. Instead of electing to get the surgery out of the way early in the offseason, Thomas tried to rehab it. When Thomas wasn’t meeting the benchmarks set forth, surgery was the only option. Even at the time when surgery was recommended, his missed time could have been minimized.

Except he didn’t answer his phone.

Of course there are always two sides to the story, but it goes without saying that the relationship between Thomas and the Saints is contentious. So much so that trade rumors have now started swirling. A recent meeting between Thomas and head coach Sean Payton suggests that maybe they can work out their differences, what would the pros and cons of actually moving on from Thomas entail?

Pros

For starters, trading Thomas would free up future cap space to help retain players who want to be in New Orleans.

Trading him now would only save the Saints $1 million, with $9.1 million in dead money in 2021. His dead cap hit would be $22.7 million in 2022, however his cap hit is already $24.7 million next season. It would save New Orleans a little bit, but not much compared to what they would still have to pay. However, those $2 million in savings could be allocated to another player who wants to wear the black and gold.

Secondly, the Saints are in the midst of a season-long rebuild this year. Some could call it “re-tooling” but regardless, moving Thomas now could bring in additional draft picks that could be extremely valuable in helping New Orleans expedite the process.

Or, in some scenarios, even net a player in return who could have an immediate impact on the team this season. Say, a starting caliber cornerback?

Moving a player that is arguably your most talented is a gut-punch, but there is always a bright side. If Thomas doesn’t want to be in New Orleans, or depending on the amount of time he will miss, it may make sense to move him for a player that will contribute immediately as well as some draft capital.

Cons

Perhaps the most significant obstacle in moving Thomas is the dead cap space mentioned above. While the return might be significant, and the Saints could save some money, paying $22.7 million in 2022 to someone playing on another team is hard to swallow.

Also mentioned above, trading away one of the team’s most talented players, one that could and should be seen as a franchise cornerstone, is a tough sell to fans and perhaps the locker room.

However, head coach Sean Payton has won with receivers that were relatively low-profile in seasons past. Think Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Willie Snead, and Marquez Callaway. He prides himself on the fact he can make just about anyone work in his offense. Perhaps he can do that again.

Regardless, a healthy, happy Michael Thomas makes this Saints team better. If the two parties can come to an agreement and ensure both sides are content, that would be the best case scenario moving forward. But until a conclusion has been reached, buckle up because this saga likely has a few more twists and turns in store.

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