Michael Thomas Going Forward (3 Viewers)

[saint_drago]

Two years ago CGM established himself as the top WR in football. Obviously last season he took a step back due to injuries. I've been wondering how he'll be used now that Drew is gone. CGM is dominant in the short passing game but I'm wondering how SP will use him going forward. I think he can and will be used in the intermediate to deep passing game. We saw a glimpse of it earlier in his career when Drew could still push the ball down the field. Now that he has a big time arm throwing him the ball I can see CGM having a lot of success on deeper routes. Winston and Mike Evans were a lethal deep combo, I think Winston to Thomas could be lethal as well.

Losing a HoF QB is never going to help a WR, but in this case I think it will unlock a world of possibilities for Michael Thomas. I'm excited to see what he can do now that he can run the entire route tree.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I don't think he'll come close to 150 catches again but he should easily remain a top 5 WR for years to come

 

[Justvisiting]

MT’s incredibly strong hands and his ability to adjust to the ball in flight and use body position to shield the defender is why he is so good at his trade. There were times where it appeared to me that he created separation but had to “wait” for the ball or go to the ground to secure the catch. MT appeared to know the “area” where the ball would arrive and adjusted his route to keep himself in a position where he could secure the catch.

Once he gets timing down with the QB and understands where the ball is likely to be, he can use these talents in the same way he did with Drew.

 

[DeuceMcAllisterFan]

It'll be interesting to see how effective Thomas will be with Hill and Winston. Brees and Thomas had such amazing chemistry that Brees can just throw the ball into triple coverage and it's still considering a high percentage play. Drew had the ability to throw you open regardless of coverage in the 5-20 yard zone.

Now with Hill/Winston, you have guys who can and will thread the needle and probably won't anticipate the routes like Drew could. I think Thomas will see more intermediate and deep success while he'll be less relied on in the really short stuff. I think Kamara will now own the 5-10 yard space and Thomas will be more balanced on all 3 levels.

 

[tomwaits]

My hope is with a QB that can throw deep, we can have other WRs like Harris and TQS be deep threats, Thomas work the middle, and Kamara be a threat out of the backfield so defenses can't key on any one area.

 

[meily]

I think he will be as effective as ever, maybe not the 150 catch season he's put up but I still see a 80-90 catch player.

 

[baarbogast]

As long as the QB doesn't forget about Kamara, I can see him averaging 6-7 catches a game.

 

[sfidc3]

I think it is conceivable that he gets 100 or more catches if healthy for the next few years....I think he is the type of WR that really any QB is comfortable throwing the ball too because he gets consistent separation and even when he doesn't he still makes plays....

 

[Deucewildin]

I would say this I guarantee his YPC and TD goes up.
His catch percentage probably takes a hit , I would think it’ll still be in the 70s though. Also his number of catches I still expect to be in the 100s just not 130-150 more like 110-100 balls

 

[jasonsw]

100-110 catches will be a healthy number for Thomas and the Saints. Anything above 120 is problematic, means other Wrs are ineffective or are not healthy. I think this year no matter the QB, there will be more running plays than there were with Drew.

 

[Snakehead]

An ideal projection for MT going forward is to average in the 100-110 receptions per year with his TDs going up to averaging over 10 per year. He is the definition of a possession WR, although that term isn't as common anymore. Out of necessity his skillset fit Brees' capabilities for the last few seasons, but going forward his ideal role would be as the possession guy. A true Z to play opposite MT is almost a must going forward as any QB who takes over will have a stronger arm to push the ball down the field for those "shot" plays that SP and the Saints offense was known for, not the pinch thrower "shot" plays that we saw the last couple seasons.

Who will the Z be to step up across from MT? TQS was drafted for that role, it could be him. We've see the jack of all trades TQS, but a different QB may unlock his true potential. We could have the X, Y and Z on the roster right now, in MT (X), Callaway (Y) and TQS (Z). This is where I'd like to see SP add a player like Marshall who will be a 1 on whatever team drafts him, but if it's the Saints when we'd have a 1A and 1B since Marshall could step in as Z, but also play all positions just like TQS and Callaway can.

Harris is just an X-factor and should not be relied on as an every down WR. His a small guy and already battling neck injuries.

Going forward and ideal MT season stat line would be:

100-110 receptions
70%+ catch rate
1,200 yards
10-15 TDs (another threat on the field will open MT up for more TDs)

Those averages for another 9-10 years would put him as the all time receptions leader.

 

[Zack Lee]

To me CGM becomes even more valuable with a QB who isn’t as accurate as Drew, once they figure out that he has a zone to throw to where only he has a chance to catch it.

 

[superchuck500]

Michael Thomas going diagonally.

 

[Snakehead]

Michael Thomas going diagonally.

Slants, nice.

 

[Booker]

I'm expecting we should be able to run deeper routes than we have the last few years, which should open things up underneath for Thomas. I don't think he'll ever see anything like 2019 again in his career, but (provided he stays healthy) he should be a consistent threat for 100 catch seasons.