The New England Patriots trade for Mohamed Sanu
After last night’s slaughtering of the New York Jets, the Patriots finalized a trade with the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Mohamed Sanu in exchange for for a 2nd round pick. Sanu is in his eighth year in the league and spent the last 3 years with the Atlanta Falcons and was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals prior to that. Sanu is a big-bodied receiver who is outstanding at getting separation from coverage because of his quick feet and crisp route-running. He stands 6-2 and is listed at 215 pounds, adding size to what has been a traditionally undersized receiving core in recent years.
With Sanu joining the team, some might question if N’Keal Harry is still on track to return this season. I would not rule that out. The Patriots are still thin at the receiver position and would benefit from Harry’s return. If Harry does return, New England would have one of the biggest receiver groups in the league. Josh Gordon is 6-3 and weighs 235, N’Keal Harry is 6-4, 225, and Mohamed Sanu is 6-2, 215. That is a very tall receiving corps. This size will help New England near the goal line.
Sanu will need some time to learn the Patriots’ complex offense, but I believe he will fit in nicely. He is an 8 year veteran in the league and has had to learn new offenses before. He was being criminally underutilized in Atlanta and has a chance to make an instant difference in New England’s offense. I’m sure Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels will do whatever they can to get him up to speed; he just needs to take the time to learn the playbook and find some sort of rapport with Brady. Sanu’s presence alone should open up the offense a little more, and if N’Keal Harry is still on pace to return in two weeks, that could be a tough group to cover. Sanu went to bed being forgotten on a 1-6 team, today he woke up 7-0 and has the greatest quarterback of all time throwing him the football.