Buffalo Bills: Could they pursue Emmanuel Sanders again this offseason?
Last offseason, the Buffalo Bills were looking to add wide receivers and ended up trading for Stefon Diggs. However, prior to that, the team was talking to free agent Emmanuel Sanders, according to Ryan Talbot of syracuse.com. The veteran receiver said he asked for the night to think about it and shortly after that the Diggs trade was announced.
The decision to go with trading for Stefon Diggs worked out for the Bills as he would go on to lead the league in receptions and receiving yards. As for Sanders, he would sign a two-year deal worth $24 million with the New Orleans Saints.
However, Sanders is now back on the market after reportedly being released by the Saints. He would finish the season with 67 receptions, 726 receiving yards, and five touchdowns.
As for the Buffalo Bills, they also could be back in the market for a deep threat wide receiver if they elect to release wide receiver John Brown, which would free up close to $8 million in cap space.
While the Bills likely would still be interested and Sanders could be a good fit, there are a number of questions that could impact them adding the veteran wide receiver. The first is that this past season Sanders’ numbers did decline and he finished with one of the lowest yards per reception of his career at 11.9 yards.
The question is was this due to age, as he will be 34 years old at the start of the season, or the offense he played in.
This past season Drew Brees missed four games of the season due to injury and the team went with Taysom Hill who isn’t the best passer. In addition, Sanders missed two games while on the COVID-19 list when Drew Brees was on the field. In the four games Hill was under center, he averaged 11.69 yards per reception but in the 10 games with Brees on the field, the average wasn’t much better at 11.81 yards per reception.
The other question is if Sanders would consider taking a significant pay cut to come to Buffalo. He is coming off a contract with an average salary of $12 million and if he is hoping for a number close to that, it would make more sense for the Bills to keep John Brown.
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If the Buffalo Bills are able to sign Emmanuel Sanders on a discounted deal, this is a player that might make sense to replace John Brown if they were to release him.
*All contract figures courtesy of Spotrac.com