The Baltimore Ravens should be willing to make a move for a wide receiver this offseason. Could Michael Thomas be their guy? More importantly, should he be?
If you can’t pass the ball effectively in today’s NFL there’s a good chance you aren’t going to win too many games. The Baltimore Ravens are the exception to this rule, winning 12 games including a playoff win this year with the league’s 32nd passing offense. How did they do this? By running the ball better than anyone else. It’s long been Baltimore’s bread and butter and a recipe for success. In past years, the Ravens have used this formula to win two Super Bowl titles. But those days are long gone now and it’s time to catch up to the rest of the league.
This starts with getting Lamar Jackson some more targets. Marquise Brown ended the year red-hot with 534-yards and six touchdowns over the final eight games of the season (including the playoffs). Mark Andrews has proven to be an oxymoron for the offense as a reliable and yet inconsistent receiver. Beyond those two, it’s been a complete crapshoot of guys like Miles Boykin and Devin Duvernay. If Baltimore is serious about getting better at passing the football, it needs to commit to getting better targets to improve the passing game.
This offseason is the perfect opportunity for the Ravens to do so, with huge names like Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, and Kenny Golladay slated for Free Agency. Additionally, guys like Julio Jones are reportedly on the trade block. Any of those four would be huge gets for Baltimore, but they could also go bargain-bin shopping for guys like Corey Davis, Marvin Jones, or Will Fuller V.
Any of those options are viable for the Ravens to make, but there is one name that stands out among the rest: New Orleans Saints All-Pro Michael Thomas.
Could and should the Baltimore Ravens make a play for Thomas? That’s what we’re here to discuss.
Everyone’s favorite joke to make about Michael Thomas is that he only runs slant routes, which has given him the nickname “Slant Boy.” It’s a lot of fun to poke at this meme-worthy name, but we have to give credit where it’s due. Thomas is an elite route runner and you don’t set the league’s single-season receptions record (149) without being a great, well-rounded receiver. Thomas is just that.
The biggest gripe with Thomas is the attitude that has labeled him as a diva and even a distraction. It’s the biggest reason that Thomas is even being discussed as a possible trade asset. Teams will have to seriously talk about whether he is worth the risk. Spoiler alert: he definitely is.
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Everything that Thomas brings to the table is huge. We already discussed he’s an elite route runner, but Thomas is also a physical receiver with a “my ball” mentality. At 6’3″ 212-lbs., there are few corners who can match up against Thomas for a full 60 minutes. He’s undoubtedly the complete package and the true X-receiver a team like Baltimore is sorely missing.
The only concern would be mixing Thomas in a locker room that already has a bit of a headache in Marquise Brown. Brown settled down to end the season, however, and made it seem like he was far removed from his outburst. If that’s the case, then getting Thomas to settle in maybe a bit easier.
Thomas would have to conform to a more run-heavy offense than what he’s used to in the Big Easy, but he would still get more than his fair share of targets. When you have the reputation that Thomas has it doesn’t matter what kind of offense you run because you find a way to get him the ball.
Lamar Jackson needs a guy like Thomas for this offense and that should be all the reason for the Ravens to make the move.
All this answers the question of “should” the Baltimore Ravens make a trade for Michael Thomas.
The more important question now is “could” the Baltimore Ravens make a trade for Michael Thomas?
They would be tight on assets, but they could definitely make it work for a player of Thomas’s caliber.
Baltimore only has six picks in the 2021 NFL Draft and just two picks in the top-130 picks. To acquire Thomas, the Ravens would likely need to part with at least their 2021 first-round pick, maybe even their second, plus another late pick and a future picks(s).
The team is also against the salary cap with a projected ~$19.5 million to spend, per Spotrac. Thomas would also put Baltimore right up against the cap with an $18.8 million hit. This makes the move pretty unrealistic to make short of a restructure, but not completely impossible. The Ravens can also make a few roster moves to free up more space to comfortably fit him.
With all this in mind, it would be very, very difficult to make this move a reality. The idea is great, but the execution might not be there, unfortunately.
The bottom line here is that a move for Michael Thomas is pretty close to undoable for the Baltimore Ravens. For a player like Thomas, if he’s available you find a way to make it work. Thomas would be exactly what Baltimore has been searching for at the wide receiver position and would be a revelation for an offense that is one X-receiver away from being elite. If they can find a way to make it work, the Ravens should make this move happen.