Emmanuel Sanders has found a new NFL team. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Sanders has been traded from the Denver Broncos to the San Francisco 49ers. Along with Sanders, the Broncos traded a 2020 fifth-round pick the 49ers and they will receive a 2020 third and fourth-round pick.
“Denver wanted to hold on to Emmanuel Sanders for another week and have him play Sunday against Indianapolis. But San Francisco wanted Sanders to play Sunday against Carolina – and now he will,” Schefter said on Twitter.
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It’s not a surprise to see the 49ers acquire Sanders as they were reportedly the frontrunners to land him. The team is currently 6-0 and they are one of two teams who are undefeated in the NFL. However, they were in need of a No. 1 receiver as their offense is struggling to score points consistently.
The interesting thing about this is the 49ers were also in the running to land former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. However, Sanu was traded to the New England Patriots because they offered the Falcons a second-round draft pick. But the 49ers get a Pro Bowl receiver who can still make plays.
Sanders was drafted was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round back in 2010. Before the draft, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com projected him to be a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver in the league.
“While Sanders is a slightly undersized receiver, he is certainly not timid when it comes to going over the middle and will compete for the ball. Unfortunately, his lack of size and strength makes it difficult for him to win many of those battles,” Zierlein wrote.
“He needs work on setting defenders up and can be a bit sloppy in his routes, but there is no reason to think he can’t improve in that area. He probably fits the No. 3 or 4 receiver description more than a No. 1 or 2, but he should be able to contribute early on as a return specialist.”
Sanders did not have a great run with the Steelers, but his career took a turn for the better when he signed with the Broncos in 2014. In his first season in Denver, Sanders posted 101 receptions, 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns. In 78 games with the Broncos, Sanders caught 404 passes 5,361 yards and 28 touchdowns along with reaching the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2016.
