Saints’ Michael Thomas needs to be in your Top 5 wide receiver conversations

We’re nearing the end of our focus pieces from Football Outsiders P.J. Williams Jersey Salute to Service , which have all centered around questions related to the New Orleans Saints. The latest topic involves wide receiver Michael Thomas, who has been living up to his ‘Can’t Guard Mike’ reputation in his first two seasons.Michael Thomas is in some Top 5 wide receiver conversations, where did he shine most last season and why?It’s hard to run out of good things to say when it comes to Michael Thomas. In his second season, Thomas compiled 104 receptions for 1,245 yards and 5 touchdowns on 149 targets. It was his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season. He set the Saints single season record for receptions in 2017, surpassing Jimmy Graham’s old 2011 mark. He also set an NFL record for most receptions through the first two seasons, which was previously held by Jarvis Landry (194) from 2014-2015. Thomas also became the first Saints wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl since Joe Horn (2004).Thomas finished 6th in the NFL in receiving yardage Authentic Wil Lutz Jersey , just 31 yards shy of Adam Thielen (1,276 yards). Ahead of Thielen and Thomas were DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Julio Jones, and Antonio Brown. Thomas did finish third in the NFL in receptions behind Larry Fitzgerald and Jarvis Landry, and also accounted for 70 Saints first downs (third-highest receiving total in league). Michael Thomas also kicked it into another gear in his first postseason action, tallying 8 receptions for 131 yards on 9 targets against the Panthers in the Wild Card win. He followed that up by having a 7-catch, 85-yard Limited Teddy Bridgewater Jersey , 2-touchdown outing against a stellar Vikings defense in which he got off to a slow start.As Kacsmar mentioned, getting into the end zone more in 2018 could pole vault him into Top 5 receiver conversations more, and there’s little to suggest that Thomas can’t get there.As good as Thomas has been for the Saints, the reality is that when it comes time to lock him on his next deal, that contract will probably give him some ‘stupid money’. If Brandin Cooks can get a 6-year, $88 million deal from the Rams and Stefon Diggs can get a 5-year, $72 million extension from the Vikings, then how much can Michael Thomas get? Everyone knew that chances were very good that Saints quarterback Drew Brees was going to set the career passing yards record during Monday night’s game and it was all but certain that the record would fall by the time the Saints took possession of the ball with just over two minutes to play in the second quarter.Brees was 35 yards short of the record at that point and Peyton Manning would be No. 1 for one more play. Brees hit Tre'Quan Smith down the sideline for the record and began to build his edge over Manning as Smith went 62 yards for a touchdown.“I didn’t know it was going to happen on the first play to Tre’Quan Josh LeRibeus Jersey ,” Brees said, via the Associated Press. “But I don’t think it could have happened in any better fashion than it did. To have then that moment with my teammates on the field, the offensive line, it played out even greater than I ever could have imagined.”The game was stopped so the moment could be recognized with Brees’ family and the removal of the ball so that it could go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brees called it part of “an unbelievable journey” that now includes four wins in the first five games of a season that is yet to feature a Brees interception. Custom Buffalo Bills Jerseys