Redskins: Why trying to acquire Emmanuel Sanders could be a good move

The Washington Redskins have a need at the receiver position. Emmanuel Sanders of the Denver Broncos is rumored to be available, and the team should look into acquiring him through a trade or if he is cut.

It’s no secret that the Washington Redskins need to add another outside threat to their receiving corps. While they have a good slot man in Jamison Crowder and a potential No. 2-type possession receiver in Josh Doctson, the team is lacking a downfield threat in the mold of DeSean Jackson. They didn’t adequately replace the departed free agent in 2017, and they will have to find somebody to give Alex Smith a better option than Ryan Grant, a free agent who is best served as a route running No. 4 guy.

One name who is increasingly getting some buzz in terms of availability is Emmanuel Sanders. With the Broncos likely being involved in the Kirk Cousins chase, the team is going to have to open up some extra cap space in order to ensure that they will be able to sign him. As it stands, they have just over $26 million in cap space, but getting some extra cushion wouldn’t hurt.

So, that brings us to Sanders. A 31-year-old receiver coming off his worst year as a Bronco. With two years left on his deal, and a cap hit of nearly $11 million, Sanders might be a candidate to get moved. Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post recently said that Denver could look to trade him as that would free up some extra space while getting rid of a player who struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness last season.

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At the same time, there’s no denying that when healthy, Sanders is a talented player. Over the course of the three seasons before 2017, Sanders totaled at least 1,000 yards and five scores each season. This came despite working with poor quarterback play after the departure of Peyton Manning. While his most recent season wasn’t very good, it’s possible that if he’s healthy, he can still function as a high-end No. 2 option with some vertical ability. And that should be attractive to the Redskins.

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Before his down year in 2015, Sanders ranked in the top 50 and top 30 in the league in yards per reception. Provided that his athletic ability hasn’t been sapped by his ankle injury, he should have a chance to continue to play well for another year or two. Also, with an upgrade at quarterback, in the form of Alex Smith, he could perform better.

For the Redskins, Sanders would start across from Doctson and complete the team’s starting trio. They could probably get him for a Day 3 pick, given his expensive contract and the Broncos desperation to clear cap space. Perhaps a sixth round pick could do the trick. And yes, $11 million a year is a lot to pay for Sanders, but keeping him for one year at the cost of a later draft pick would do a lot to allow the team a chance to make the postseason with Smith at the helm.

Also, it’s possible that the team could deal Su’a Cravens to the Broncos for Sanders and a pick. That would be an intriguing option, as Cravens could be a long-term starter next to Justin Simmons, provided that he plays. And since Cravens seems unlikely to return to Washington, this could be a solid option.

There would be a lot of financial risk in taking on Sanders. But, at the same time, he’s probably one of the better options available and he could be acquired for very little. If the contract is prohibitive to making this work, then the team could target him in the event that Sanders is cut. As it stands, he will be making similar yearly totals to other options on the free agent market, so if the team isn’t bullish on any options there, Sanders could end up carrying the least long-term risk while providing an upgrade.

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Overall, attempting a deal for Sanders shouldn’t be out of the equation. The Redskins should only pull the trigger if the price is right, but they should still call the Broncos just to see what their asking price is. And if the price is too high, the team can wait until the Broncos potentially release him to attempt to sign him to a cheaper deal.

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