By keeping WR Mike Thomas on the roster beyond last Friday, the Lions guaranteed $1 million of his 2013 base salary. When the Lions acquired Thomas for a fifth-round pick last season, they surely expected more than five catches over nine games. It's a surprising decision from Detroit's standpoint after Thomas was benched for Kris Durham down the stretch. GM Martin Mayhew will hope an offseason to learn the offense improves drop-prone Thomas' production. We're much less optimistic.

Mike Thomas caught one pass for seven yards in Detroit's Week 17 loss to the Bears. It means Thomas will finish 2012 with just 18 catches for 101 yards in 16 games. Only five of his grabs came in a Lions uniform - which he wore for nine games - despite the fact that Detroit had perhaps the league's most injury-ravaged receiver corps. Signed for $1.45 million next season, Thomas will be released, and hard-pressed to earn any guaranteed money on the open market.

Mike Thomas caught one pass for five yards in the Saturday's loss to the Falcons. Since coming over from the Jaguars, Thomas has been a major disappointment. He still doesn't have a defined role in the Lions' offense and continues to see less targets than Kris Durham and Tony Scheffler. He'll remain off the fantasy radar for Week 17 against the Bears.

Mike Thomas acknowledges that he's been held back while trying to learn the Lions offense. "We're not so much experimenting, but finding what's the true position for him," said OC Scott Linehan, "while some other guys probably have a little head start on him as far as knowing the offense." Thomas has been a major disappointment, failing to catch a pass in Weeks 14-15 while being lapped by fringe roster types Kris Durham and Brian Robiskie.

Mike Thomas was held without a catch in Detroit's Week 14 loss to the Packers, though he did rush twice for 25 yards. Surprisingly passed over for starting honors by practice-squad signee Kris Durham, Thomas was supposedly manning the slot, but drew zero targets on a night where Matthew Stafford attempted 45 passes. Although it's possible Thomas will surpass an unimpressive Durham in Week 15, he's nowhere near the fantasy radar, even in Detroit's pass-happy offense.

Lions WR Kris Durham -- not Mike Thomas -- will start opposite Calvin Johnson on Sunday Night Football. A fourth-round pick of the Seahawks last season, Durham was signed off the practice squad just five days ago. Thomas is still expected to man the slot in three-receiver sets, however. If for some reason you need to start a Lions receiver not named Calvin Johnson in an exceptionally-deep league, Thomas is the safer choice.

Lions OC Scott Linehan suggested that Mike Thomas will handle much of the slot work in three-receiver sets. Thomas is expected to be the next man up to start opposite Calvin Johnson, but he'll move inside in sure-fire passing situations. Linehan also mentioned Brian Robiskie as a guy that's a "very good route runner" who has "excellent hands." Robiskie and Thomas will be needed to make some plays to keep defenses from putting a stranglehold on Megatron. We'll get a first-hand look how the Lions' pecking order will shake out tonight on Sunday Night Football in Green Bay.

The Detroit Free Press confirms Mike Thomas "is sure to see the bulk of the playing time" opposite Calvin Johnson with Ryan Broyles out for the season. Thomas played 90 percent of the snaps in last week's game. He and Tony Scheffler figure to see the biggest bumps in targets with Broyles out and Titus Young as persona non grata in Detroit. Thomas is worthy of a speculative waiver add as a WR4/5, but keep expectations low. He's been a drop-prone disappointment the past two years.

Mike Thomas caught one pass for negative-one yards in the Lions' Week 13 loss to the Colts. It would have been a predictable line if Thomas was backing up Ryan Broyles and playing behind Tony Scheffler in the slot. He wasn't. Broyles went down with a knee injury five minutes into the game, leaving Thomas to play the majority of snaps out wide opposite Calvin Johnson. He responded by catching an easy slant in the end zone and hauling in one of his four targets. The Lions could give Brian Robiskie some work out wide this week if they don't want to use Thomas as Broyles' replacement.

Mike Thomas caught two passes for 17 yards with a touchdown in the Lions' Week 12 overtime loss to the Texans. Thomas was the No. 3 wideout behind Calvin Johnson and Ryan Broyles. It resulted in a meager six targets even though Matthew Stafford attempted 61 passes. Thomas very well get passed up by Titus Young in Week 13, capping any upside at all. Leave the ex-Jaguar on waiver wires.