The Saints have quietly accumulated a lot of young talent the last couple of years, and it is now time for some of those seeds to bear fruit. Over the next week or so I’m going to go through a list of players who need to prove that they are more than just a roster spot for the Saints. There is no order or ranking here, but these are 5 guys who I believe will help determine if the team succeeds or fails this season. These are the guys who have quietly put in the work, and whether its year 2,3, or 4 now is the time for us to watch them and see what they can become. The next player on the list is rookie and Saints second round draft pick Michael Thomas.
Concerns:
From a prospect perspective I really don’t have any concerns with Thomas. He’s a big body at six-foot-three and has a great build at around 215 pounds. Thomas has prototypical size and also has legit long speed and yards after the catch ability that make him possibly the most physically gifted receiver Brees has ever been able to throw to (depending on if you want to categorize Gates and Graham as tight ends or receivers). The flip side of that is Thomas never really had great production in college, and while the counter to that is the offense he played in, he is definitely more potential than production at this point. The Saints offense is also notoriously difficult for young players to pick up, and while he is having a great showing through camp so far….that story has been told far too many times for it to mean much at this point.
The biggest question with Thomas is if he can quickly gain the trust of his hall of fame quarterback, a firm grasp of the offense, and the confidence to play and execute at a high level quickly. That is a lot to ask of anyone, and Thomas has all the tools and the pedigree to live up to all the hype and all the expectations. However, that is a LOT to ask, and it will be up to Thomas to show us he can do it.
Reasons to be optimistic:
Have you seen him? I mean that literally, just look at Michael Thomas, look at his body, how he’s built, and the way he moves and you can just see the potential. He’s got absolutely every attribute you want in a star receiver, and it’s very possible the Saints could have TWO stud receivers at the end of this year. Thomas is a smart and competitive player who runs great routes, understands why that is important (a lesson no doubt drilled into him from his uncle Keyshawn Johnson), and he has shown a real knack for picking up extra yards after the catch which is a component the Saints would love to have again. From a purely physical stand point Thomas is the most gifted wideout Brees will have played with, and from all that we have heard he has the mental components too.
It is WAYYYY too early to put any kind of expectations on this kid, and I won’t, but based on everything we have seen and heard to this point he has the potential to be special. The upside is there. The quarterback is there, the system is there, he’s a fit for what they want and they need, but at the end of the day the only thing that will determine Thomas’s success is him. He’s has to take all that potential, and turn it into production.
Way too early prediction:
This comes right after I said I won’t put any expectations on him, but what I think is that Thomas will IMMEDIATELY become a major factor in the red zone. I think he will be off and on from a yards stand point due both to his youth and the system he will play in, however I think his toughness and competitive drive will be contagious and my hope is that he will become the vocal (and productive) second half to Brandin Cooks giving Brees an elite tandem for the first time ever.
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