WR Mike Thomas could excel in Arizona

If you didn't catch the news yesterday that wide receiver Mike Thomas had landed with the Arizona Cardinals, we'll be more than happy to let it slide. After all, who's Mike Thomas?

The short answer is, Mike Thomas is a slot receiver that showed great promise early in his career in Jacksonville before his production went down the toilet. From there, Thomas went to Detroit where he was never heard from again — until yesterday.

Honestly, there's no great reason you should even know who Mike Thomas is, but by the end of the season, it's very possible he'll be known throughout fantasy leagues. Thomas never had much of an opportunity to succeed in Detroit, but in Arizona, he should get that chance.

Thomas' most notable characteristic is his ability to run after the catch. Frankly, he runs like a running back with the football. He's elusive in the open field, and he's not afraid to plunge through a defender for some extra yards.

Early in his career, Thomas looked like he would be a staple of the Jaguars' offense. In 2010, Thomas caught 66 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns. Back then, the Jaguars had built their offense on the idea that Mike Thomas and Mike Sims-Walker would develop into solid receivers.

The latter belief never materialized,and the Jaguars decided to start over. That new start didn't involve Thomas, and he was exiled to Detroit.

Although Thomas' production fell off a cliff after 2010, he still has the skill set to be a great slot receiver. Even more importantly, he may finally have the right set of teammates to help him develop. The Cardinals have plenty of offensive weapons as well as a veteran quarterback that knows how to distribute the ball around the field.

No, Mike Thomas isn't the next Wes Welker, but he could become a solid receiver for the Cardinals, and he could be one of the best sleepers in fantasy football.

About Shane Clemons

Shane Clemons came from humble beginnings creating his own Jaguars blog before moving on to SBNation as a featured writer for the Jaguars. He then moved to Bloguin where he briefly covered the AFC South before taking over Bloguin's Jaguars blog. Since the inception of This Given Sunday, Shane has served as an editor for the site, doing his best not to mess up a good thing.

Quantcast