In 2018 the Dallas Cowboys traded away a first round pick for Amari Cooper and the rest was history. The Cowboys went on a run, cumulating with their first playoff win since 2014, and Amari Cooper had a bounce back season after struggling mightily with the Raiders the previous season and a half. It was the perfect situation for both the organization and for Cooper. A similar situation could be in the cards for the Cowboys this season. Enter Michael Thomas.
Thomas relationship with the Saints has been hectic recently to say the least. The perceived mishandling of an injury by the Saints’ medical staff and a decline in talent at the quarterback position has helped sour the situation in New Orleans between Thomas and the organization. While he has not been healthy in over a year he is still one of the best receivers in the league when available. In 2019 Michael Thomas led the league in both receptions and receiving yards ending the season with 149 catches and 1725 receiving yards respectively.
His skill set also fits well within the frame works of the Cowboys offense. Thomas does a lot of his work on short and intermediate routes. In 2019 his average target distance was only 8.3 yards out and he averaged 11.6 yards per reception.
Within the Cowboys’ high volume passing attack Thomas provides a big bodied target who can move the chains consistently and can take up the targets left behind by Amari Cooper’s and Cedrick Wilson’s departures. His presence would also allow the Cowboys’ to move Ceedee Lamb back to the slot, a position he succeeded at in college and his rookie year with the team.
While he is a perfect fit it would more than likely take a horrendous start to the season for this scenario to even become a possibility. The Cowboys are currently betting on Ceedee Lamb taking the next step in his development and will rely on a combination of Jalen Tolbert, James Washington, and Tony Pollard to provide support in the receiving room. While the team still has potential to be successful in the passing game, it also has the potential to be one of the worst pass catching units the Cowboys have fielded since the start of the 2018 season when Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson saw significant playing time to start the season. Regardless, it is undeniable that Michael Thomas would make the team significantly better and with so many question marks surrounding the Cowboys’ skill positions it would be in the Cowboys’ best interest to find a way to acquire the all pro receiver.