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I believe many on this board have already read the PFT article about how the Patriots will soon get a look at "the one who got away", written by none other than Mike Florio, the hater himself. And several people pointed out that Denver actually went after Brandon LaFell before turning to Emmanuel Sanders, which makes the gist of the article potentially plausible if you reversed the teams.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...oon-get-a-close-look-at-the-one-who-got-away/
I thought it was interesting to see the ties between these three receivers who ultimately were involved in a game of musical chairs at the end of their rookie contracts, as these three, despite having different receiving styles, have been tied together in the past as well. You may recall that the 2010 draft was absolutely stacked with talent. As a side note, rounds 3-4 produced NoVorro Bowman, Jimmy Graham, Alterraun Verner, Aaron Hernandez, Dennis Pitta, and Geno Atkins.
Late in the third round, LaFell, Sanders, and Decker all got drafted at relatively the same time. LaFell went 78th, Sanders 82nd, and Decker 87th. Only Jordan Shipley at 84 was in between those selections.
The Patriots drafted Taylor Price at #90 (the 49ers took Bowman with the next pick and the Saints took Jimmy Graham four picks after that.)
It just goes to show how difficult having the later picks are for teams like the Patriots, especially on a year to year basis. You wonder if they would have drafted one of those three players had they been given the chance, but by the time the draft got to #90, all of the gems had already been plucked. Maybe they would have picked Price anyway- I certainly don't know- but the Patriots need to deal with this handicap in every round, not just the first.
Back to LaFell, Decker, and Sanders. With their rookie contracts coming up at the same time, many teams, including Denver, had Sanders pegged as their top rated FA WR with LaFell second.
http://fansided.com/2014/10/24/denver-broncos-targeted-brandon-lafell-emmanuel-sanders/
The final contract numbers were as follows:
Eric Decker, 36.25M, 15M guaranteed (5 years)
Emmanuel Sanders, $18M, 6M guaranteed (3 years)
Brandon LaFell, $9M, 3M guaranteed (3 years)
Of course, the Jets, the suckers that they always are, went for the shiny name with Decker, giving him the most of the three despite the universal doubt that much of his success was from Manning and his surrounding cast. That doubt certainly seems true now, although looking at his numbers with Geno Smith can be as misleading as his numbers with Manning, albeit in the opposite direction.
The Broncos, I think, got a good deal with Sanders, who provides an explosive inside and outside threat, although, like with Decker, he also benefits greatly from playing against second and third cornerbacks and benefits from being an afterthought weapon in Manning's arsenal. Sanders has proven early on that he is the real deal. Keep in mind, though, that they are paying twice as much for Sanders than they would have for LaFell, who, in that offense, may have been just as effective.
Finally, the Patriots, I think got the guy that they really needed. It's not that Sanders would not be good here, but they already have enough small, quick receivers. Although LaFell might not be a burner on the outside, he does provide them with a vertical threat, not just on post routes. So far, he has been the piece they have been missing since Randy Moss left, and again, that is for half the money that Sanders got. Although you may call me a homer, I think that SO FAR the results show the Patriots made the best decision in getting LaFell for a fraction of the price of Decker and half the price of Sanders. Though Sanders has appeared on the highlight reel often, let's remember again that (a) the Patriots already have an outstanding slot receiver, and (b) Sanders has been frequently covered by the other team's Kyle Arrington while LaFell has been covered by their Darrelle Revis. I think, in that sense, LaFell's season thus far has been equally as impressive.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...oon-get-a-close-look-at-the-one-who-got-away/
I thought it was interesting to see the ties between these three receivers who ultimately were involved in a game of musical chairs at the end of their rookie contracts, as these three, despite having different receiving styles, have been tied together in the past as well. You may recall that the 2010 draft was absolutely stacked with talent. As a side note, rounds 3-4 produced NoVorro Bowman, Jimmy Graham, Alterraun Verner, Aaron Hernandez, Dennis Pitta, and Geno Atkins.
Late in the third round, LaFell, Sanders, and Decker all got drafted at relatively the same time. LaFell went 78th, Sanders 82nd, and Decker 87th. Only Jordan Shipley at 84 was in between those selections.
The Patriots drafted Taylor Price at #90 (the 49ers took Bowman with the next pick and the Saints took Jimmy Graham four picks after that.)
It just goes to show how difficult having the later picks are for teams like the Patriots, especially on a year to year basis. You wonder if they would have drafted one of those three players had they been given the chance, but by the time the draft got to #90, all of the gems had already been plucked. Maybe they would have picked Price anyway- I certainly don't know- but the Patriots need to deal with this handicap in every round, not just the first.
Back to LaFell, Decker, and Sanders. With their rookie contracts coming up at the same time, many teams, including Denver, had Sanders pegged as their top rated FA WR with LaFell second.
http://fansided.com/2014/10/24/denver-broncos-targeted-brandon-lafell-emmanuel-sanders/
The final contract numbers were as follows:
Eric Decker, 36.25M, 15M guaranteed (5 years)
Emmanuel Sanders, $18M, 6M guaranteed (3 years)
Brandon LaFell, $9M, 3M guaranteed (3 years)
Of course, the Jets, the suckers that they always are, went for the shiny name with Decker, giving him the most of the three despite the universal doubt that much of his success was from Manning and his surrounding cast. That doubt certainly seems true now, although looking at his numbers with Geno Smith can be as misleading as his numbers with Manning, albeit in the opposite direction.
The Broncos, I think, got a good deal with Sanders, who provides an explosive inside and outside threat, although, like with Decker, he also benefits greatly from playing against second and third cornerbacks and benefits from being an afterthought weapon in Manning's arsenal. Sanders has proven early on that he is the real deal. Keep in mind, though, that they are paying twice as much for Sanders than they would have for LaFell, who, in that offense, may have been just as effective.
Finally, the Patriots, I think got the guy that they really needed. It's not that Sanders would not be good here, but they already have enough small, quick receivers. Although LaFell might not be a burner on the outside, he does provide them with a vertical threat, not just on post routes. So far, he has been the piece they have been missing since Randy Moss left, and again, that is for half the money that Sanders got. Although you may call me a homer, I think that SO FAR the results show the Patriots made the best decision in getting LaFell for a fraction of the price of Decker and half the price of Sanders. Though Sanders has appeared on the highlight reel often, let's remember again that (a) the Patriots already have an outstanding slot receiver, and (b) Sanders has been frequently covered by the other team's Kyle Arrington while LaFell has been covered by their Darrelle Revis. I think, in that sense, LaFell's season thus far has been equally as impressive.
