By Jordan Long
The Denver Broncos may be forced to cut or trade Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders is due to make $12.937 million this upcoming season. Denver would like to restructure his contract to make it a more team friendly deal. Sanders doesn’t want that to happen. This past year may have been his last in Denver.
Sanders has been one of the top wide receivers for the Broncos since they signed him as a free agent in 2014. He has totaled 4,994 yards and 26 touchdowns. Whoever has been under center for the Broncos at the quarterback position can always count on Sanders to catch the football and make a play for 1st downs or longer. He averages an impressive 13.4 yards per catch.
Sanders was productive last season in 12 games. Quarterback Case Keenum knew if he threw the football to him, he would make a play. Sanders ended with 868 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Denver missed him when he was out of the lineup. He was forced to be shut down for the year after he suffered a torn Achilles on a non-contact play in practice.
Denver doesn’t know if Sanders will be ready to go for the 2019 season. Even if he is healthy, he may not be the same player. Denver could try to trade him to receive something back even if it is a 4th to a 6th round pick. That drafted player may not be an Emmanuel Sanders but at least it is something.
If Denver can’t find another team willing to make a deal for Sanders, they could cut him. His cap hit wouldn’t be so bad in dead cap space at around $2.687 million. Even losing that amount of money, Denver could still sign free agents.
The Broncos will talk to Sanders even though it seems like re-doing his current contract doesn’t seem likely. If Denver cuts Sanders, they won’t have a number 1 wide receiver for Joe Flacco. That might be trouble for the 2019 season.
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