It didn't take wide receiver Mike Thomas long to find work after being released by the Detroit Lions on Monday. Just one day later, on Tuesday, Thomas decided to sign with the Arizona Cardinals. Apparently three teams expressed interest in adding Thomas, and he elected to head to Arizona.
The fact that Thomas has already joined a new team could actually be pretty good news for the Lions. As noted by Dave Birkett, if Thomas makes the Cardinals' 53-man roster, the Lions will get some relief when it comes to what they still owe him (originally $1 million).
Thomas signing w/Arizona does lessen #Lions' salary obligation to him. They're still on the hook for a minimum of $285k if he makes team
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) August 20, 2013
As also noted by Birkett, this does sort of feel like the Jerome Felton situation all over again. The Lions went ahead and released Thomas on Monday in part to give him a chance to land elsewhere, and he quickly found work with a new team. Thomas just wasn't a good fit in the Lions' offense, but he could go to Arizona and succeed.