When the original rumors of a 1 year, $4 million deal with the Devil...err...I mean Patriots, was floating about, I thought it was a no brainer...let him go, gain a 3rd round pick and recoup the $1.3 million we were giving him as an RFA tender. Considering our cap woes, an extra $2.7 million to keep a guy for one more year wasn't worth it, considering that we were getting solid compensation in return.
However, now that we know it's a 1 year, $2.5 million deal, now it's more borderline. We are currently $2 million under the cap, so we wouldn't need to cut or restructure anyone in order to give Manny an extra $1.2 million to keep him around. Although that would only leave us with $800K worth of breathing space, we still have an extra $5 million to look forward to come June when Colon's money comes off the books (allowing us to be able to sign our draft class).
So, really it comes down to whether or not the front office feels that Sanders is a part of their future or not. If plans are to sign him long-term, then keep him (if you think about it...if Antonio Brown is worth $8 million per year, then Sanders is actually still somewhat of a bargain at $2.5 million). If the team thinks that he's more me-first than team-first, then you cut bait and get a quality day two pick in return. Truthfully, I won't be upset either way. I can understand the reasoning on both sides. We were going to have to decide whether or not Sanders was in our long-term plans or not next offseason anyway...New England's involvement just means that we get to make that same decision a year earlier, with the extra added bonus of a 3rd round pick if we decide to go in another direction.
If we do decide to let him go, here's another possibly option...good ol' Nate Washington. Tennessee signed him to a big money deal 4 years ago, but now they have Kenny Britt and Kendall Wright as their starters, so Nate is making too much to be a #3 guy. He's been shopped around, but there have been no takers at his salary, so he'll likely be cut loose after the draft if Tennessee picks a suitable #3 guy in the middle rounds. He's 29 years old and still has speed (averaged 16.2 yards per catch last year). He's not a volume receiver (in 3 out of his 4 years in Tennessee he had 40-something catches...with one 74 catch, 1023 yard season in 2011), but he does still have a knack for the big play (scoring 6, 6, 7, and 4 TD's in each of those season for the Titans).
My current mock (crafted before the Sanders RFA signing) is as follows:
1.17 Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia, 6'2" 245
2.48 DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson, 6'1" 214
3.79 Philip Thomas, FS, Fresno State, 6'1" 208
4.115 Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina, 5’11” 221
5.150 A.J. Klein, ILB, Iowa State, 6’1” 250
6.186 J.C. Tretter, OG, Cornell, 6'4" 307
6.206 (comp) Earl Wolff, SS, North Carolina State, 5'11" 209
7.223 Micah Hyde, CB, Iowa, 6’0” 197
If we let Manny go, then I would make the following minor change:
1.17 Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia, 6'2" 245
2.48 DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson, 6'1" 214
3.79 Philip Thomas, FS, Fresno State, 6'1" 208
3.91 Barrett Jones, G/C, Alabama 6'5" 306
4.115 Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina, 5’11” 221
5.150 A.J. Klein, ILB, Iowa State, 6’1” 250
6.186 Aaron Mellette, WR, Elon 6'3" 217
6.206 (comp) Earl Wolff, SS, North Carolina State, 5'11" 209
7.223 Micah Hyde, CB, Iowa, 6’0” 197
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