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Michael Thomas has been through a lot and has put the New Orleans Saints through a lot. At this point, Michael Thomas has been mostly missing in action since 2019.
The wide receiver has also threatened to hold out in an effort to become the league's highest-paid receiver. After the last year-plus, Thomas and the Saints may come to a breaking point in the near future.
At the same time, there are lots of teams that would gladly trade the farm for the wide receiver. Considering how tough and long it takes to get wide receivers of Thomas' caliber, Thomas could realistically land anywhere in the league.
That said, here are three teams that would benefit most from a wide receiver.
NFL Rumors: 3 AFC teams that could trade for Michael Thomas
#1 - New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are hurting for another wide receiver. Five weeks into the season, the Patriots are ranked 26th in offense. This is roughly as good as they were last year with Cam Newton.
For the Patriots to jump up in the rankings, they need a top-tier wide receiver to test the best of the secondaries. Currently, while the team has some playmakers, they don't have a breakout number one wide receiver.
Landing Michael Thomas would transform the offense overnight. He would be the best wide receiver to land with the team since Randy Moss.
Assuming Thomas can get healthy, the Saints wide receiver will be able to test teams with his route-running ability. In his last fully healthy season, Thomas had 149 receptions for 1725 yards and nine touchdowns.
He would also act as a great weapon for rookie quarterback Mac Jones. Without a top-tier receiver, the Patriots are running the risk of conditioning the rookie to go into plays expecting the worst. With Thomas, the Patriots would be able to give Jones an objectively fair shot.
#2 - Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are hurting after opening the season 0-5. Trevor Lawrence may have had a monstrous level of talent in college, but it has not worked out as well in the NFL.
Part of the reason for this is that he's not surrounded by a great level of talent. The rookie has yet to have a game with more touchdowns than interceptions.
The Jaguars need a boost to give Trevor Lawrence the best shot at developing into a franchise quarterback. Michael Thomas can provide this peace of mind. With Thomas on the field, Lawrence can have a bonafied starter he can trust.
Lastly, the Jaguars are in the AFC while the Saints are in the NFC. So by trading Thomas to the Jaguars, the Saints would rarely, if ever, have to face the receiver in a game. The last thing the Saints want to do is trade Thomas to a team they have to play every year.
#3 - Chicago Bears
The Bears are officially moving forward with Justin Fields as the starter. This means the quarterback is officially on the clock to turn into a franchise quarterback. At the same time, the Bears' offense is currently ranked dead last in the NFL.
By adding Michael Thomas, the Bears could finally have a reliable wide receiver duo between him and Allen Robinson. Currently, Robinson gets double-teamed and none of the other receivers can step up to the plate.
By adding Thomas, defenses would have to pick their poison. The move alone could jump the Bears up 15 spots overnight.
