RFA Emmanuel Sanders visits Pats 3/16; signs offer sheet 4/10, sheet matched 4/14

[Blizzzard]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

Randy Moss, Anquan Bolden, Larry Fitzgerald, and more recently...AJ Green and Torrey Smith.

I would include Julio Jones to that list

 

[patfanken]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

Yet sanders was taken in the 3rd round.

So why are others able to get much better results with their picks?

and #2, it isn't a fair comparison. You not only lose the 3rd round pick, you have to pay a much higher salary than a 3rd rounder would get.

But what are the odds that someone you ever from the BOTTOM of the 3rd round (please don't forget that distinction) that is likely to come in here and learn the Pats complex offense, and start for you at WR. If you are counting on that, then you are fully in the mode of wishful think.

IF this thing happens...and its a big if, though the rumor persists, you will know the following.

1. The Pats will have looked at every play this kid has played his entire career going back to college and his 3 years in the NFL. They will have determined the following.

a. There is no one better likely to be around the 90th pick in the upcoming draft with better skills and potential

b. This kid is a developing player, NOT a development project. A player who they can see is getting better over time.

c. This kid has skills you currently don't have and can't be sure you will get them. d.There is a reasonable expectation that Sander would be one of your top 2 WRs THIS season and on into the future. You don't expend this much draft and cap capital for anything less.

2. Making this deal involves some risk. While they will have a better expectation of what Sanders can do because they've seen 3 years of tape against NFL competition, you don't know for sure.

3. Like everyone else you have to be willing to risk losing him if you don't get him at YOUR price. For that reason, I wouldn't pay him more than $6/MM in gross pay, no more than $10MM guaranteed, and not have the cap higher than $4MM the first year. That should be enough to keep the Steelers out of the picture

This might still never happen, but if it does, I'll STILL be waiting for my "big WR". David Nelson or DHB anyone? For all we know they might love this Kareem kid they've kept on the roster. He's big.

 

[Brady2Moss]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

If we don't get Sanders, what do you think we do at receiver guys? I'm hoping they pony up and draft one round 1 that can do it all.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

They are playing it smart. The best way or easier way to get a RFA is right before the draft when the other team is moving $$ around and planning for draft.

Offer it right before draft would have steelers on their heels and needing to find the $$ ASAP..It will come but not for a bit

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

Randy Moss, Anquan Bolden, Larry Fitzgerald, and more recently...AJ Green and Torrey Smith.

Torrey Smith was ok his rookie year, but like his career in general it was overrated (the guy still hasn't gotten close to an 1,000 yard season). Smith is a go route WR who is wildly inconsistent. Two years in, he still hasn't learned more branches of the route tree. He would suck today on the Pats' roster except as a #3 WR who comes in to run deep routes exclusively which means he could be on the field more than 15-20 plays a game.

Moss is one of the two greatest WRs of all time. Fitzgerald is the greatest WR of his generation. AJ Green plays in a simplified offense that even Chad Ochocinco could understand. Even so, you are talking about a lot of top 10 draft picks and rarities.

Odds are good that any WR coming to the Patriots offense will struggle in his rookie year. Even Branch (who was the most successful drafted WR by the Pats), had only 43 catches for 489 yards and 2 TDs.

I wouldn't bet on any drafted WR by the Pats to make an immediate impact. The Pats aren't likely to get one of the top receivers drafting at 29 and their system is very complicated.

 

[mgteich]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

If we are trying to play chicken with Sanders (this has worked only ONE time), then we better have Plan B signings in case we don't get Sanders.

They are playing it smart. The best way or easier way to get a RFA is right before the draft when the other team is moving $$ around and planning for draft.

Offer it right before draft would have steelers on their heels and needing to find the $$ ASAP..It will come but not for a bit

 

[TruthSeeker]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

I think it's not going to happen. If they were blown away by him, the offer would have been made to him. Still plenty of WR FA's out there, and then there's the draft. Sanders isn't coming guys.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

If they were blown away by him, the offer would have been made to him.

I am not sure you know the situation. Pitt doesn't have a lot of cap $$. The pats would be stupid to give the steelers time to restructure people in order to keep him. The smart thing to do is to wait until right before the draft and make the offer. Pitt has to scramble and run around and get the $$...after the fact they have already accounted for draft pick $$..so then they have to re do all that if they keep him ect.

aka it's smarter to wait. The longer they wait..the better chances are pitt can't match

 

[Dago]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

next year Kenny Britt will be FA :rocker:

 

[mgteich]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

I can figure out the restructures in 5 minutes on my computer. I'm sure that the Steelers will have them ready to execute whenever the time comes, and will have 5 days to execute the deals.

In any case, we can't count on PITT now matching.

I am not sure you know the situation. Pitt doesn't have a lot of cap $$. The pats would be stupid to give the steelers time to restructure people in order to keep him. The smart thing to do is to wait until right before the draft and make the offer. Pitt has to scramble and run around and get the $$...after the fact they have already accounted for draft pick $$..so then they have to re do all that if they keep him ect.

aka it's smarter to wait. The longer they wait..the better chances are pitt can't match

 

[dizi24]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

I can figure out the restructures in 5 minutes on my computer. I'm sure that the Steelers will have them ready to execute whenever the time comes, and will have 5 days to execute the deals.

In any case, we can't count on PITT now matching.

5 minutes? Are you including the amount of time it takes to fax to the NY office?

 

[Jangles]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

If we don't get Sanders, what do you think we do at receiver guys? I'm hoping they pony up and draft one round 1 that can do it all.

Draft one?

good joke

 

[jah]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

next year Kenny Britt will be FA :rocker:

We have Dennard, and Vick will probably be looking for a job too...2014 All Prison Team?

 

[supafly]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

I can figure out the restructures in 5 minutes on my computer. I'm sure that the Steelers will have them ready to execute whenever the time comes, and will have 5 days to execute the deals.

That's a great point. Many of the bigger money multi-year deals have the potential to restructure framework already planned out ahead of time, should the team need to pull the trigger and choose to do so.

The fact that they'd have 5 full days to match the offer is yet another point that proves they could certainly free up extra money if they wanted to do so.

I don't know why it matters so much at the moment anyway, because PIT currently has 13 million dollars (approximately) in salary cap room. It isn't going to be about the fact that they "can't" choose to match the offer, it will be because they choose NOT to do so based on the salary structure and the likelihood of a front loaded pact, which would limit them in making other moves.

In other words, all we'd be doing is making the decisions tougher for them, but I wouldn't put anything past a team who has restructured more contracts in the past 3 yrs than any other team--and also has 13 million to play with right now.

 

[JMC00]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

I think at this point it's not if the Steelers can match an offer, it's will they even want to. They could let Sanders go for the third round pick and just target a receiver in the draft and sign someone like Heyward-Bey or take a flier on a guy like David Nelson.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

I've read Pitt fans reactions to this and they want him gone (for the most part). They say he's too soft and crumbles in crunch time.

 

[Sciz]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

Can somebody change the title? This report has been shot down by multiple reporters.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

Can somebody change the title? This report has been shot down by multiple reporters.

this, the report has since been pulled.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

I think at this point it's not if the Steelers can match an offer, it's will they even want to. They could let Sanders go for the third round pick and just target a receiver in the draft and sign someone like Heyward-Bey or take a flier on a guy like David Nelson.

I don't think the Steelers want to lose two of their three best WRs. I think they think Sanders will be a solid #2 WR with Wallace gone. I don't know if that is easily replaceable with a low third round pick.

 

[Joker]

Re: Emmanuel Sanders signs offer sheet (Unconfirmed report)

sounded nutty from the start..."hey,we lost Mike Wallace...I got it!...let another one of our WR corps go for a third round pick!!...and then we can get...uh...somebody else.."....more and more with each passing season the sports media and agents use twitter and web sites to float hypotheticals and gauge responses...it's like there is no "inside source" any more...just hired agents married to different electronic outlets.