Sadly, as the Denver Broncos were trounced by the Kansas City Chiefs last Thursday 30-6, it signaled not only the end of Denver’s season but likely also the end of Emmanuel Sanders’ career in the Mile High City.
As reported by Adam Schefter, the Broncos are receiving multiple calls from multiple teams looking to land the aging wide receiver. Those teams include the Panthers, Patriots, Eagles and 49ers among others; mostly teams looking to make a deep playoff push. All of them are in desperate need for a wide receiver, especially a veteran who can step in and affect the team positively immediately.
This should all sound familiar to Broncos fans as last year Demaryius Thomas was sent packing at the trade deadline, receiving a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft from the Houston Texans. And, that’s what’s about expected out of a trade of Sanders; a mid-round draft pick.
So, should Denver trade one of their best receivers of all-time away?
The case for trading him
Sanders is in his 10th year as a professional, he came back this year off of that torn achilles tendon and has been banged up basically every year due to the way he plays. Also, he’s in the last year of his contract, meaning if the Broncos don’t trade him away, he will likely walk and the team will receive nothing in compensation.
While a fifth-round pick doesn’t sound like much, at least it would be something.
Considering he’s the lone veteran in the locker room and the Broncos are in total, complete rebuild mode at this point, Sanders is also the odd man out. Denver’s receiving corps and team in general is moving toward being more youthful, with Courtland Sutton supplanting Sanders as the No. 1 receiver, DaeSean Hamilton working his way into being a better wideout and even Tim Patrick stepping up at times.
And, after two mediocre seasons in a row, Sanders is in the middle of one of his worst seasons as a pro, with only 367 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
There’s no real reason to keep an 11-year veteran (next year) with a cap hit of $13 million (this year). Instead, the Broncos can pay the youngsters less and allocate that huge paycheck to other places which are struggling mightily like the offensive line and secondary.
The case for keeping him
Sanders is undoubtedly one of the best and most important receivers in the history of the team. This year he moved into 10th all-time in Denver Broncos history in terms of receiving yards and currently has 5,361 in the team’s orange and blue. That goes along with his 28 touchdowns, which are 12th-best in Broncos history.
And on the flip side of the argument saying he’s the lone veteran in the room full of younger receivers, some would say having an experienced presence will only help Sutton, Hamilton and the rest of those guys improve in the long-term.
When he’s on, he’s one of the best receivers in the game. Sanders is a consummate showman, not only going over the middle and taking big hits, but standing up to take a bow for the crowd after he’s secured the ball. He also regularly dives for balls which are thrown too far and somehow hauls them in.
And, when the team needs clutch receptions the most, at key points in games, Sanders is the one they know they can go to.
So, what will the Broncos do?
— Emmanuel Sanders (@ESanders_10) October 20, 2019