The Saints are making a big move. New Orleans has agreed to sign free agent Emmanuel Sanders to a two-year deal, the receiver told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The deal has a base value of $16MM and can be worth up to $19MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The receiver market has been slow to develop outside of a couple of signings, and this could help get the ball rolling. We heard last week that the 49ers were hoping Sanders would have a poor market so they could re-sign him cheaply, but obviously that didn’t happen. Even after they re-signed Amari Cooper, we heard that Dallas was interested in adding Sanders.
The Jets were also interested in reuniting Sanders with Adam Gase, a source told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link), so it sounds like his market ended up being relatively strong. Schefter also tweeted that he spoke with the Packers as well. It’s a nice pickup for the Saints, who struggled for consistent options behind Michael Thomas last season. Thomas was obviously setting records, but Drew Brees was often throwing to a rotating cast of formerly undrafted guys beyond him.
They now have a consistent number two option, even though Sanders is getting up there in age. The SMU product turned 33 earlier this week, but he remained productive last year. Playing in 17 regular season games because of a mid-season trade from the Broncos to San Francisco, Sanders had 66 receptions for 869 yards and five touchdowns.
He had a couple of huge blowup games with the 49ers, but overall didn’t seem to have the best connection with Jimmy Garoppolo. Sanders put up some gaudy numbers with Peyton Manning, and won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos. He tore his Achilles late in the 2018 season which many thought would slow him down physically, but he bounced back admirably well.
The Saints are going all in on one last championship run with Brees, so this move makes a lot of sense and shores up one of their few weaknesses. With Sanders off the market, Robby Anderson is probably the top receiver still available. Guys like Breshad Perriman, Phillip Dorsett, Devin Funchess, and Nelson Agholor are also left.
Superbowl bound
But what about The Buccaroos, the expert say thats the team to best now.
Weapons fully loaded in NO.
If Kamara can stay healthy that offense will be nasty
Karma’s been healthy since Sean’s 1 year unplanned vacation, as it should be.
Paul1989 is dumb. He said Kamara’s health. The RB that wasn’t healthy last year. That’s football talk. Your karma as it should be is talk is nonsense garbage.
another miss by dallas
miss? he’d be our 3rd best reciever behind Gallop and Cooper but ok they definitely missed on that one
Maybe they didn’t want to pay him 9 a year.
Wow. Dallas whiffs again. No surprises there. Congrats NOLA!
True
Yeah sorry “Well”. You’re the one that’s whiffing. Dallas was never expected to be a major player in free agency. They had too many of their own players that they were looking to re-sign.
Sa-wing batter, Sa-wing.
“Whiffing”. The sound you hear when Dallas fans talks about the playoffs
Other than Cooper and tagging Dax they have swung and missed on their own, Jones, Quinn, Lee etc.
60 catch 800 yds 4 td and Dallas missed ? Dime a dozen receiver
Look past the numbers. While not a superstar by any means, he’s well above average. At 8-9M per year, it’s not a bad signing at all to pair up with Brees and Michael Thomas.
His catch rate is up there with the elite so when you pair him with a competent And a passing offense his stats will increase accordingly.
Competent QB*
Great compliment to Thomas
Tampa get Brady. Atlanta gets Gurley. NOLA gets Sanders. Carolina gets ? NFC South is getting pretty interesting.
teddy at QB
as an eagle fan, I’m super happy he didn’t go there
Bucs will be a wildcard if lucky Falcons haha
So happy about this signing
Saints look like the best in division and it’s not close. Deep on d just needed another receiver which I thought they would draft now might draft for depth on d or linemen? Interesting to say the least
Tampa is closer than you think.
Ah, jeez. He’s “getting up there in age” at 33.
Sometimes being a sports fan is disheartening.
He’s a receiver – yeah 33 is up there. Name some 33 yr olds that have lit up the league past that age?
And don’t say Rice – basic fans always quote a HOF type to make a point.
Larry Fitzgerald
109 catches for 1156 yards in his age 34 season. Not too shabby
I think NBA legend “Sleepy” Floyd would consider Larry Fitzgerald an HOF type because it’s pretty certain he’s bound for Canton. So, his point still holds that average and slightly above average receivers rarely, if ever, put up those numbers in their mid-30s.
Very rare. Most receivers are way past their prime years. Fitz definitely Canton bound
I was more referring to my own approaching 65th birthday and my mindset that I don’t actually feel like I’m getting up there in age…
He doesn’t have to
“Light up the league” as you say. They have Michael Thomas for that. They need him to be a complimentary no.2 WR this season. That is all.
The whiff by Dallas is they need a Slot Receiver, and it’s a thin market. Cobb got 9M, Sanders 8M.
So you’re looking at Agholor (puke). Not a robust slot market.
I really thought he woulda have been a good fit back with the Steelers
“jets were interested” like always