The 26-year-old host of the New Orleans Saints team, Michael Thomas, is one of the brightest players to have experienced with the NFL in the last three years. Last year, all kinds of football analysts, interrupting each other, with foam at the mouth proved that Thomas receives insufficient attention among the players of his position. Beckham, Brown, Hopkins, and the other AJ Green most certainly had more media attention and fans. But just last year changed everything for Thomas. Before that, he was considered a star of the league, and after that he entered the pantheon of the best NFL players. While Beckham was suffering in search of self-identification in the crumbling Giants, and Brown was arguing with partners in Pittsburgh, Michael Thomas was one of the main reasons for last year’s impressive Saints performance. Yes, at the most important moment Thomas didn’t catch a pass from Drew Brees for three yards, but Brees threw the ball so that the tall and long-armed receiver needed to pose as a pair of compasses in order to catch this transmission. So it’s not his fault! Although Thomas, of course, did not become a factor in the semifinal match with “Rams”, which was so expected of him, well, “Rams” threw as much force as possible to contain Thomas.
I don’t know, with what insufficient whists addressed to Thomas were connected. Probably with the cult of Drew Brees. The brees is a completely sacred creature. He is not even God, he is the Universe itself, in New Orleans the Brees is Absolute! Well, of course, Thomas's successes are inextricably linked to the game of 40-year-old Drew Brees. Listen, Brees was making a superstar from Marquis Colston, who was selected in the 158th draft pick. There is no doubt that he would have done the same with the more talented Thomas. Well, it's like in the 90s hockey Pittsburgh: in order to find out the true value of Jaromir Jagr, Lemieux had to leave! So the great Drew Brees periodically casts a shadow on his partners.
But here, thank God, we managed to figure it out even before the legendary player left. Michael Thomas is the best thing about Drew Brees’s attack ever. Let the admirers of the talents of Colston, Graham, Bush not take offense at me. Thomas is better! Thomas is the most open player in the history of the Saints. While for most attack players, Brees had to create moments by completing the most difficult shots, Michael Thomas himself creates an attack for the veteran. Call him Open Mike! He flutters around the field like a bird, leaving the d-backs in complete confusion to inhale dust from under his heels. It is almost impossible to keep one in one. Ask Marcus Peters. Ask 90 percent of the league’s di-backs.
His statistics are for the first three seasons in the NFL: 321 receptions for 3787 yards and 23 touchdowns! Last year, he was the leader among all receivers with overwhelming 85 percent of the host rating (125 of 147 targets), with only 3 (!!!) drops.
- He is the best receiver of the league by a wide margin! At the moment, its importance exceeds the value of most quarterbacks. Do you remember that he was selected in the 2016 draft? So, on the same draft, Goff and Wentz were chosen. But I have no doubt that it is Thomas who is the best player in his draft. I like Goff and Wentz, who were selected as the 1st and 2nd numbers. I think Joey Bosa, who was chosen 3rd, is a great, big talent (so far his main problem is his health!). It is worth noting both Jalen Ramsey (5th choice), who became the heart of the defense of the “Jaguars”, and Ezekiel Elliot (4th peak), which is the attack of “Dallas”. But in terms of efficiency, Michael Thomas is the best of the class. 321 admission in the first three years of a career is the best result in history. 3,787 yards is the fourth best record in history. Let's not forget about 23 touchdowns. General Manager Mickey Loomis should be sued for having carried out one of the main robberies when he chose this guy as the 47th draft number! -says Adam Schein of the NFL.com.
Last season, Michael Thomas rewrote the entire record book of his franchise. Now he owns the best seasonal result for receptions and yards. In addition, he became the player with the highest receiver rating in NFL history, among those who were selected in the first symbolic team of the season.
Having received undeniable recognition as one of the best players in the league, Michael Thomas decided to go for broke. Today, he and his agent are dictating to New Orleans management their conditions.
- Michael Thomas understands his value to the team! He realizes the moment in which he is one of the best football players in the world. Therefore, he wants to be seriously paid. And when I speak seriously - I mean the biggest contract for a player of his position. Thomas wants to be the highest paid receiver of the league with a big difference in his favor! - says a journalist from New Orleans, Jeff Duncan.
Currently, the highest paid host of the league is Odell Beckham. He is getting richer by $ 18 million annually. Judging by insiders from the Saints camp, Thomas wants $ 22 million a year, and wants to sign up before July 25, when the training camp starts.
Well, good luck!
Incidentally, over the past three years, Thomas is the third agent. Thomas's new agent, Andrew Kessler, is considered a fundamentally mercantile companion. It seems that this is exactly what Thomas was looking for.
For the Thomas-Kessler bunch, it is incredibly important that Michael be the first receiver in history to cross the $ 20 million mark. It is important that he get more Julio Jones, AJ Green, Antonio Brown, Beckham or Amari Cooper.
- Everyone understands everything perfectly! Thomas is a big player! And he looked impressive when he dragged the entire pass attack by Drew Brees. But Drew Brees seems to have the last year. In the same year, Jared Cook joins the team. It's no secret that Brees loves the tight end. And I’m sure that Thomas is aware that his numbers could seriously suffer this season. Therefore, they are with an agent and brewed this porridge right now. While you play with Brees and you are his main goal - you are in favor. But what will happen when Cook appears? What will happen when Brees leaves? - asks the author Sun Gerald Bryan Alley-Walsh.
Of course, for Thomas speaks impressive statistics and his elite status, but the Saints have their own arguments. Never in his career did Thomas have more than 9 touchdowns per season. He is not a powerful vertical threat. Thomas remains on the rookie contract for at least one more season. Of course, be sure that Thomas has completely outplayed his rookie contract and that the Saints will be seriously paid. But is Thomas worth 22 million dollars?
They say that Thomas’s side is not so strong and Loomis and Harley are pushing Kessler to reduce their appetite. “Saints” just do not want to overpay, but are eager to leave Thomas in their composition. Thomas now earns less than $ 2 million a season, but he craves a lot of money. It seems that time is working for the management of the Saints, if not one “but” - Thomas and, however, considers himself the best player in the League.
