Logan Thomas

Thomas got off to a promising start in 2021 after a breakout 2020, but a major knee injury ended his season and cast doubt over his fantasy outlook for this season. Thomas had surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee Dec. 17, with the procedure also addressing tears to his MCL and meniscus. Given the extent of Thomas’ injuries and his age (31), he is unlikely to be ready for Week 1 — he only resumed jogging in April — and might find it difficult to return to his pre- injury level of production. In his first year with Washington, the 6-6 tight end set career highs with 72 receptions, 670 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 110 targets. He had 196 yards and three touchdowns in six games last year before his season ended. Once Thomas is ready to play, his biggest competition for snaps will be second-year tight end John Bates, who took on a larger role in the second half of his rookie season following Thomas’ injury.

Thomas bounced around the NFL for half a decade after the Cardinals took him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, struggling to transition from college QB to professional TE. He finally showed potential with the Lions in 2019, which led to a two-year, $6.1 million contract last offseason from Washington, a team with a glaring weakness at tight end. Thomas quickly earned a three-down role and ultimately played 93 percent of offensive snaps, but it wasn't until October that playing time and targets led to production. He did eventually finish strong, averaging 5.3 catches for 51.3 yards in the final 11 games, with five TDs and 7.2 YPT. Thomas didn't show the explosiveness you might hope for in a guy who once ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, but he did lead Washington in red-zone targets (17) and was third among tight ends in overall targets. It was enough to keep his starting job — and possibly the three-down role — given that Washington's biggest TE addition this offseason was fourth-round rookie John Bates. The larger concern is target competition from other positions, with Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries and third-round pick Dyami Brown upgrading a WR room that had little besides Terry McLaurin last season.

Thomas is perhaps best known for his time as a quarterback at Virginia Tech, though he's been hanging around the NFL ever since he was a fourth-round pick in 2014. He enjoyed his best season to date in 2019 with the Lions, catching 16 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. Thomas now has a nice opportunity to see even more work, signing a two-year, $6.145 million contract with a Washington team that arguably has the weakest tight end room in the NFL. The competition consists of Jeremy Sprinkle, Richard Rodgers, Hale Hentges and Thaddeus Moss, so it won't come as a total shock if Thomas finds his way to four or five targets per week, albeit in what figures to be an inconsistent passing game.

Thomas signed with Detroit this offseason after spending two years in Buffalo honing his craft as a tight end. While the former Virginia Tech quarterback has upside as both a blocker and pass catcher, he was unable to lock down a roster spot.

Thomas made seven catches for 67 yards and one touchdown in 2017. He'll take a backseat in the tight end pecking order once again, as a bulk of the targets will go to veteran Charles Clay, who had 74 balls thrown to him last season.

Will likely be cut as Ryan Nassib is the team's probable backup to Eli Manning.

The Cardinals' 2014 fourth-round pick, Thomas was essentially redshirted last season, attempting just nine passes on a team riddled by injuries at quarterback. When Carson Palmer was lost to a season-ending torn ACL, the Cards turned to the uninspiring Drew Stanton. After Stanton went down, the starting nod was given to Ryan Lindley, who hadn't thrown a pass since 2012 and was signed just a few weeks prior off the Chargers' practice squad. Coach Bruce Arians likes tall, big quarterbacks, but the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Thomas is a project. Given Thomas' size, powerful arm and athleticism (4.54 40, 35.5-inch vertical), there's some long-term potential. However, he won't win the backup job this season, as he must improve his accuracy and decision-making to even hold onto the third-string gig.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Thomas beat out Ryan Lindley for the honor of third-string quarterback in Arizona, as expected. However, starter Carson Palmer handled all snaps behind center last season, making it difficult to forecast reps for backup Drew Stanton in the upcoming campaign, let alone Thomas.