Fleur-de-Links, June 26: Michael Thomas cementing himself among NFL’s elite

Word on the Street

Breaking news on the New Orleans Saints and stories from around the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints WR 'Can't Guard Mike' living up to his name | ESPN
Off to a sizzling start after two seasons, Michael Thomas says when he's done, "I feel like I'm gonna be right there with the best of them."

Saints have a lot of options at wide receiver, but have to find best way to use them | theadvocate.com
The Saints need to figure out how to use all of their weapons this summer.

Aaron Glenn guides Saints defensive backs with methods learned from coaching mentors | NOLA.com
Aaron Glenn is entering his third season coaching the Saints secondary.

Saints tight end Benjamin Watson continues to give back
You can make the case that the cause found Benjamin Watson.

Drew Brees ranked a top-10 NFL player by his peers | NOLA.com
Brees earned his first top-10 nod since 2014. He led all NFL quarterbacks in several statistical categories last season, his 17th in the league.

Peyton Manning says Drew Brees ‘deserves’ NFL passing yard record - SBNation.com
"He deserves it. He’s been a great player for a long time."

Cover 3: Prioritizing Truth Over Defense In Winston's Case; Finding Fitzpatrick's Sweet Spot | Pewter Report
In this week's Cover 3, Trevor Sikkema of Pewter Report gives you his raw opinion on the Jameis Winston news and how fans have handled it.

The Ron Parker signing takes a promising defense to another level entirely | The Falcoholic
It takes an already strong defense and makes it borderline ridiculous.

Lagniappe

The latest updates from far and wide around the NFL, and the greater world of sports.

What really happened: The Buffalo News loses half their sports staff in the span of a month | Buffalo Rumblings
The BN Blitz, pulling columns, and a competitor lying in wait all led to a massive overhaul at The Buffalo News this month.

Greg Hardy, the UFC and the Limits of the Second Chance | SI.com
The NFL pariah, a domestic violence cloud forever over his head, is chasing a second career in mixed martial arts, and just won promotion to the big time. How far is the public, and the fight industry, willing to go to accept him back into the spotlight?

Jerry Rice, ex-49ers wide receiver, on an NFL return: 'I could do it' | USA Today
Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice tells ESPN that, even at age 55, he believes he could still play football, catch 80-plus passes and "really be productive on the field."

The NFL’s major interception records will never be broken | SBNation.com
Brett Favre, George Blanda, Paul Krause, and Night Train Lane have interception records that can’t be topped.

CBS will stream its NFL games on smartphones starting this season | The Verge
CBS has extended its streaming deal with the NFL to 2022 and expanded the terms to include access on mobile devices through its CBS All Access subscription service.

For These Nine NFL Players, 2018 Is a Now-or-Never Year | The Ringer
These highly drafted players are running out of time to prove themselves—who will break out?