Mohamed Sanu - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons To Host Mohamed Sanu, May Sign Him

March 9th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

4:30pm: According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Sanu’s current asking price exceeds what the Pats had been looking to spend on a receiver. That may increase the odds of Sanu signing a deal with the Falcons before he leaves Atlanta for New England.

3:44pm: Not so fast, says Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Anderson gets an update from Sanu himself, who says the plan is to visit the Patriots after meeting with the Falcons. It’s still possible that the Falcons won’t let the wideout make that visit to New England, locking him up to a new deal during his visit, but it appears it’s not set in stone yet.

3:29pm: Free agent receiver Mohamed Sanu is on his way to Atlanta to sign a deal worth $7MM per year, ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini reports (Twitter link). A long list of clubs have expressed interest in Sanu, including the Giants, Patriots, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Washington, but the Falcons will come out on top for his services.

Sanu, whom the Bengals selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, totaled 152 receptions and 15 touchdowns in Cincy. Eleven of those scores came as a receiver, while he also ran and passed for two apiece. The 26-year-old took a backseat in the Bengals’ passing game last season to A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones, catching 33 passes for 394 yards and no TDs. He was far more productive in 2014, though, putting up career bests in catches (56), receiving yards (790), YPC (14.1) and TDs (five). He’s a good bet to return to similar form as the Falcons’ top option behind Julio Jones.

Sanu is the second Bengals wideout to depart Cincinnati today, joining Jones – who’s headed to the Lions on a five-year, $40MM accord. Prior to free agency, Sanu ranked as PFR’s seventh-best available receiver.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons Frontrunner For Mohamed Sanu

March 9th, 2016 at 3:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

3:20pm: Sanu will visit the Falcons tonight, ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure reports (on Twitter), with an agreement possible during that summit. The Falcons were initially offering the versatile wideout $30MM over five years, per Mike Garofolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Although Garofolo isn’t certain of the parameters of Atlanta’s most recent pitch to Sanu, he confirms the fifth-year receiver will visit.

3:05pm: A deal is not yet finalized between Sanu and the Falcons, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, Sanu is expected to visit Atlanta at some point and could sign a contract then.

1:53pm: The Falcons have emerged as the favorites to land receiver Mohamed Sanu, as they’re offering more than $7MM per year, tweets Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). A long list of clubs have expressed interest in Sanu, including the Giants, Patriots, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Washington.

The Bengals lost Marvin Jones to the Lions on Wednesday morning and it sounds like they could conceivably lose their other top wide receiver to free agency. Jones netted an average annual value of $8MM and it has been speculated that Sanu could command $5MM/year, particularly because of the lack of talent at the position in this year’s crop, but it looks like he’ll garner significantly more than that estimate. In 2014, Sanu hauled in 56 catches for 790 yards and five touchdowns. Last year, however, he saw a dip in production with just 33 catches for 394 yards and no touchdowns.

Sanu earned honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 List of NFL Free Agents. At the wide receiver position, Sanu was ranked as the No. 7 wide receiver available, behind Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, and Jermaine Kearse.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Mohamed Sanu

March 9th, 2016 at 1:05pm CST by Zachary Links

There are many teams in on Bengals free agent wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). That list of suitors includes the Giants, Patriots, Falcons, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Washington.

The Bengals lost Marvin Jones to the Lions on Wednesday morning and it sounds like they could conceivably lose their other top wide receiver to free agency. Jones netted an average annual value of $8MM and it has been speculated that Sanu could command $5MM/year, particularly because of the lack of talent at the position in this year’s crop. In 2014, Sanu hauled in 56 catches for 790 yards and five touchdowns. Last year, however, he saw a dip in production with just 33 catches for 394 yards and no touchdowns.

Sanu earned honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 List of NFL Free Agents. At the wide receiver position, Sanu was ranked as the No. 7 wide receiver available, behind Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, and Jermaine Kearse.

In other Bengals news, Reggie Nelson will get interest from the Vikings and Buccaneers when free agency opens, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. Cincinnati, as it turns out, does not want the safety back at this point. The Bengals floated a two-year offer to Nelson earlier this week and the safety did not accept, sources tell Jim Owczarski of the Enquirer tweets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Bengals Free Agent WRs

March 9th, 2016 at 8:07am CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of Cincinnati:

There is mutual interest between the Patriots and Mohamed Sanu, according to sources who spoke with Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Howe writes that Sanu could command $5MM/year, particularly because of the lack of talent at the position in this year’s crop. In 2014, Sanu hauled in 56 catches for 790 yards and five touchdowns. Last year, he saw a dip in production with just 33 catches for 394 yards and no touchdowns.
The Titans are also showing interest in Sanu, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
Marvin Jones is “atop the Giants‘ wide receiver wish list,” according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says that the Lions feel similarly about Jones (link).

Free Agent Rumors: M. Jones, C. Long, Crick

March 4th, 2016 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones is expected to get a “huge” deal in free agency, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com, who tweets that Jones is the top wideout on most NFL free agent boards. While that may come as a surprise for those who haven’t been paying close attention to the available players at the position, it makes sense when considering the alternatives.

When Alshon Jeffery received the franchise tag this week from the Bears, the top free agent wide receiver was removed from the equation (unless a team is willing to part with two first-round picks to land him). That leaves Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Anquan Boldin, and Rueben Randle among the receivers in line for the biggest deals. And don’t forget Jones’ teammate, Mohamed Sanu — Russini tweets that he’s also in line for a nice payday.

As we wait to see how the wide receiver market plays out, let’s check in on a few other free agent notes and rumors from around the NFL….

Although he was cut by the Rams after another injury-plagued season, veteran defensive end Chris Long is “100% healthy,” per Russini, who tweets that Long only wants to sign with a Super Bowl contender.
Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who technically remains a free agent until his franchise tender is signed, may come off the market very soon. Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets that Johnson is expected to accept his tender later today.
The Texans are expected to try to re-sign defensive end Jared Crick, whose rookie contract is expiring, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Crick, who operates primarily as a run-stopper, will likely draw interest from other teams when the legal tampering period begins on Monday, but he has indicated he “would love to be back” in Houston.
Cornerback Sterling Moore will almost certainly hit the open market next week, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, who tweets that the Buccaneers could still re-sign Moore, but will let him gauge his value.

FA Rumors: Broncos QBs, Snacks, 49ers, Hali, Mebane

February 29th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest rumors as we draw closer to free agency:

The quarterback-needy Texans are likely to go after Brock Osweiler if he doesn’t re-sign with the Broncos, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link).
If Peyton Manning – whom Osweiler has backed up since entering the NFL in 2012 – returns for his age-40 season and the Broncos release him, the Texans and Rams could pursue the future Hall of Famer, writes Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Should Manning elect against retirement, Denver is expected to cut the two-time Super Bowl champion by March 8 and save $19MM on its cap. A good portion of that money would go to linebacker Von Miller, who is looking for a deal similar to what Miami gave defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh last winter (six years, $114MM, with $60MM in guarantees), reports Marvez.
It’ll take a “major reversal” for Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison to not reach the open market, according to La Canfora (Twitter link). “Snacks” stated earlier this month that he and the Jets were making progress toward a deal, but that no longer appears to be the case. The 27-year-old was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked interior defender against the run last season (subscription required).
Passing along what he heard at the scouting combine, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee lists several prospective free agents the 49ers are thought to be targeting. Guards Kelechi Osemele, Brandon Brooks, J.R. Sweezy, Richie Incognito and Ramon Foster; receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu; cornerbacks Sean Smith, Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins; and running back Doug Martin could all be on the club’s radar.
The Chiefs are working hard to retain linebacker Tamba Hali, whom they’ll meet with later this week, reports La Canfora (Twitter link). Hali has so far spent his entire career in Kansas City, which used a first-round pick on him in 2006. The 32-year-old has piled up 86 sacks (6.5 last season) while missing just four regular-season games in his decade-long career.
Speaking of players whose careers have been spent in one place, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane hopes to extend his nine-year tenure with the Seahawks. “I’d love to be back out there in Seattle, finish my career in Seattle,” the 2007 third-rounder told 710 ESPN. However, Mebane added that he’ll probably visit other teams. Mebane’s status is one of many issues PFR addressed in its offseason preview of the Seahawks on Sunday. Click here to read it.

Falcons Rumors: Trevathan, WRs, Schaub

February 29th, 2016 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

Although teams are ostensibly at the scouting combine to evaluate prospects for the draft, and aren’t supposed to engage in any talks with agents regarding outside free agents, plenty of free agent chatter typically takes place in Indianapolis. After spending some time at the combine, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com passes along several tidbits related to the Falcons, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan is “high on the Falcons’ radar,” writes McClure. Richard Smith, who formerly served as the linebackers coach in Denver, is now the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, and Atlanta has a hole at inside linebacker. McClure hears that the Falcons are willing to pay in the ballpark of $5-6MM per year for a free agent linebacker, which may not be quite enough to land Trevathan.
Atlanta is expected to target Mohamed Sanu as the team searches for help at wide receiver to complement Julio Jones. However, McClure notes that the Falcons would like a No. 2 wideout capable of returning kicks, which might make Travis Benjamin a more logical fit.
There’s a “strong possibility” that Matt Schaub could return to Atlanta, according to McClure, who points out that the Falcons were interested in signing Schaub as Matt Ryan‘s backup last year.
Bengals safety Reggie Nelson is on the Falcons’ list of secondary targets, though not necessarily at the very top of the club’s list of potential safeties.
The Falcons’ level of interest in Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin is still unclear, per McClure.

South Rumors: Foster, Falcons, Martin, Jags

February 25th, 2016 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Texans running back Arian Foster, entering the final year of his contract, is set to make a $6.5MM base salary, with an overall cap hit of nearly $9MM. Those figures make him a potential release candidate, but if general manager Rick Smith says Houston won’t cut the veteran back because of his salary.

“As it relates to all the free agent conversations, I’m never really going to tell you one way or the other what we are doing, but I will tell you this: his salary is not a reason why we would cut Arian,” Smith said.

That doesn’t necessarily close the door on the Texans releasing Foster, since the team could have concerns about his health or his production. But if they’re comfortable paying a healthy Foster $6.5MM, it increases the odds that he’ll be back in Houston for the 2016 season.

Let’s check in on a few other items from around the NFL’s South divisions….

Head coach Dan Quinn and the Falcons will be monitoring wide receivers closely in both free agency and the draft, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. According to McClure, the Falcons have “done their homework” on this year’s pending free agent wideouts, including Travis Benjamin, Mohamed Sanu, Jermaine Kearse, and Nate Washington.
Buccaneers GM Jason Licht confirmed that he met with Brian Murphy, the agent for Doug Martin, on Wednesday at the scouting combine. However, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets, no agreement between the two sides will be reached in Indianapolis.
The Jaguars will head into the free agent period armed with a ton of cap space, according to GM David Caldwell, who suggests that estimates of $75MM “might be a little low,” per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. In a separate piece, O’Halloran also passed along a few notable comments made by Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley during his media availability.
Craig Stevens‘ new one-year contract with the Titans features a $1.15MM base salary, a $250K workout bonus, and per-game roster bonuses worth up to $500K, says Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. A report last week indicated that the tight end’s deal could be worth up to $2.6MM via incentives.

North Notes: Lions, Greenway, Bengals

February 25th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said at the combine this week that one of his main objectives this offseason will be to improve the team’s roster depth, though he’s somewhat wary of relying on the free agent market to fill those holes, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.

“The thing about free agency is you don’t really know who’s going to be available,” Quinn said. “I have a list of players like everyone else does, but these guys are getting signed every hour right now. There’s a couple guys I saw on NFL Network half an hour ago that just redid their contracts. So we’re prepared for all scenarios. We have the guys that we want to target at each level, different positions, across the board.”

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s North divisions:

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer expects Chad Greenway to return to the club in 2016, telling Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link) that the club thinks the veteran linebacker can still play. Greenway, a free agent, has said he’d like to re-sign with Minnesota for one more season before retiring.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters – including Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link) – that he’s hoping to retain free agent safeties Reggie Nelson and George Iloka this spring. The team is being “proactive” when it comes to trying to keep those safeties – and free agent wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu – off the open market, according to Tobin, who added that the Bengals will “spend resources” to keep their guys (Twitter link).
Tobin also said on Thursday that the Bengals love Adam Jones‘ passion and will try to re-sign the cornerback before he becomes an unrestricted free agent (Twitter link via Hobson).
Earlier today, we rounded up a few Browns rumors, passed along the latest on the Packers, and learned that running back Trent Richardson is expected to sign with the Ravens.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Bengals Unlikely To Re-Sign Mohamed Sanu

February 19th, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

3:28pm: The Browns, mentioned below as a potential suitor for Sanu, are indeed expected to pursue him in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The source added that former Bengals OC Hue Jackson “loved Sanu’s versatility.”

8:38am: The Bengals have multiple wide receivers eligible to hit the open market in March, and at least one of them is unlikely to return to Cincinnati. According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, there’s “virtually no chance” that the Bengals re-sign Mohamed Sanu, who is expected to explore other opportunities in free agency.

Sanu, 26, established new career highs in 2014 with 56 receptions, 790 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. However, with fellow free-agent-to-be Marvin Jones back in the mix for Cincinnati in 2015, Sanu took on a decreased role in the Bengals’ offense. Receiving half the targets that he did the year before, the former third-round pick saw his numbers dip to 33 catches and 394 yards, and he didn’t record a single touchdown. Sanu admits that he’d like a bigger role going forward, wherever he lands.

“I think about that all the time,” Sanu told Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “When you’ve got so much talent on one team, it’s hard to get the ball. It definitely crossed my mind going elsewhere. We’ve just got to see how everything unfolds.”

While Sanu’s contract year wasn’t overly impressive, he’s expected to draw interest from multiple teams in free agency, including perhaps the Browns, Falcons, and Giants, writes Marvez. This year’s wide receiver market isn’t strong, so once the top two or three options come off the board, the Bengals wideout could become a more attractive target for teams that need to upgrade the position, particularly since so many clubs will have cap space on hand. One report earlier this week estimated a deal worth $5MM annually for Sanu.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.