New England Patriots Should Target Free Agent WR Mohamed Sanu
The New England Patriots are unlikely to be overly aggressive in NFL free agency, but free agent WR Mohamed Sanu fits what they need (and want) perfectly.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are rarely going to be major players in NFL free agency. The Patriots have had so much success in the Belichick era simply by drafting well and keeping their core players around. Sure, they will dip into free agency to round out the roster, but it is extremely unlikely that the Patriots will go on any sort of spending spree anytime soon.
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In fact, even if they wanted to spend big this off season, they would not afford to do so. The Patriots are going to have just over $7 million in cap space this off season according to Spotrac.com. Now, they are not losing any major free agents, and will undoubtedly be able to restructure some contracts to open up some space (LB Jerod Mayo stands out as a cap casualty), but a spending spree will not be in the cards even if they wanted it to be.
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That being said, just like every other NFL team, the Patriots will do their due diligence. Building a roster through free agent acquisitions is typically a bad idea, but using it as a tool to supplement your team can be an extremely successful strategy. The Patriots have done this well for many years, and will undoubtedly be looking for free agent values this off season.
The Patriots will check in on many free agent players this off season, but it is one guy who stands out as a perfect fit for the team to me. The need for an impact outside receiver has been obvious in New England for a while now, and Mohamed Sanu would fill that role extremely well.
Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola make for an incredible duo for the Patriots in the slot, and Rob Gronkowski is arguably the most dominant tight end the league has ever seen. That being said, Tom Brady has typically lacked a legitimate option on the outside since Randy Moss. Adding a talented receiver like Sanu could help the Patriots’ offense tremendously.
Sanu is a talented receiver with an extremely well-rounded skill-set. He is fast and athletic and shows an impressive ability to make plays after the catch. He is not the most dynamic deep threat in the league, but Sanu has shown the ability to beat the defense deep in the past. This much is for sure, Sanu would instantly be a bigger threat for the Patriots than Brandon LaFell.
Sanu went to Rutgers which always makes a player enticing to Belichick. He is a converted safety, and his toughness from playing defense has translated to the offensive side of the ball.
Being a talented receiver who went to Rutgers will certainly be enough to catch Belichick’s attention, but Sanu’s versatility makes him an even more obvious target for the Patriots. Sanu played all over the field for the Cincinatti Bengals, excelling as an outside receiver, in the slot and even in the backfield.
Sanu also carried the ball at times for the Bengals, and was the guy to watch on trick plays, regularly making strong passes down the field.
If Sanu hits the open market this off season, the Patriots will likely show some serious interest. They need to find another play-maker in the passing game, and Sanu fits what they want and need to perfection.
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When it comes to the New England Patriots, Belichick always gets what he wants. Sanu not only checks all of the Belichick boxes, he is a talented player at a clear position of need. Free agent predictions are a tough business, but I feel strongly that the Patriots will be involved with Sanu.