The Washington Commanders selected quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick of the NFL Draft last month, and you have to think that one of their biggest priorities in the early stages of Daniels’ career will be surrounding him with the appropriate weapons.
The Commanders certainly have an interesting group of young receivers in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and incoming rookie Luke McCaffrey, but they could stand to add a veteran presence.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks it would be a good idea for Washington to sign wide receiver Michael Thomas, who is still available in free agency.
Of course, Thomas is still unsigned for a reason.
There was a time when Thomas was one of the best wide outs in football, but that was years ago. This past season, he played in 10 games and caught 39 passes for 448 yards and a touchdown in what was actually his most productive campaign since 2019.
So, what happened?
Well, injuries have sapped Thomas, who appeared to be on his way to putting together an all-time great career.
The 31-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He enjoyed a terrific rookie campaign, registering 92 catches for 1,137 yards and nine scores. Then, between 2017 and 2019, Thomas made three straight trips to the Pro Bowl while also earning a pair of First-Team All-Pro selections. His best year during that span came in the latter campaign, when he led the league in both receptions (149) and receiving yards (1,725) to go along with nine touchdowns.
Unfortunately, in 2020, Thomas suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out after just seven games. He missed all of 2021 and then appeared in just three contests in 2022. This past season, Thomas missed seven games due to knee issues.
Obviously, Thomas is not same wide out he once was. However, it should be noted that he was actually fairly productive on a per-game basis in 2023. When you extrapolate his numbers over a full 17-game campaign, they would have resulted in about 66 receptions for 762 yards.
Thomas is definitely no longer a No. 1 receiver, but if healthy, he could certainly represent an auxiliary option for a team like the Commanders.
Jayden Daniels could certainly use the extra help.
