The New England Patriots have signed Pittsburgh Steelers restricted free-agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to an offer sheet, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports citing a league source. The source said the offer sheet is a one-year deal and the Steelers have five days to decide whether to match the offer or let Sanders go to the Patriots and receiver a third-round draft choice from New England in return. The money in the offer sheet won't scare Pittsuburgh, sources said, but Sanders can leave in a year as an unrestricted free agent. Instead of risking losing him with no compensation after the 2012 season, the Steelers could opt to take New England's third-round pick now. The 26-year-old Sanders is a quick, athletic receiver who caught a career-high 44 passes in 2012, doubling his production from the previous season, but he only received an original-round tender from the Steelers due to the team's salary cap restraints this offseason. Source: The Redzone
Can't say I'm not drooling at the fact of them using these third round picks to get into the second round and having a 1 and 2 2's...Patterson with the first and another WR in the second? There would be a lot they could do with that.
Patterson is gonna be so dreamy in a steeler uniform. I think they sign breaston, and honestly get the same production they would from sanders....a 3rd rounder and 1.3 million in cap room is way better than having sanders for one more year. 3rd round gives them some ammo to jump up a few spots in the first and get patterson. Id also say they should throw a 7th at KC for Baldwin, Haley drafted him and hes the worst possible fit for Andy Reids offense
I think this happening could be a great thing for them....breaston can easily match sanders production and now they have a little urgency to address the position. Patterson <3
Sanders has been removed from the steelers roster and depth chart on steelers.com Pittsburgh Steelers | Depth Chart Pittsburgh Steelers | Roster
Meh... I'm not tripping either way. I'll be cool with getting Manny back, and I'll be cool with a extra 3rd rounder.
i dont even think the steelers are mulling it over whether or not to match, i think they will take the pick and cap space and say thank you....almost getting the feeling the didnt tender him high to bait someone into taking him i bet they regret tendering wallace with a #1 last year, bet he would have gotten snatched up if they did it with a 2
i think sanders will be a monster in the pats offense. if he and brady click, he may have the ball in his hands a ton.
he and amendola could also find themselves on IR, thats a fragile duo I get it on the pats side though...Belichicks record with drafting WRs could go down as one of the worst of all time, odd considering the lethal passing attacks hes put together Chad Jackson Brandon Tate Julian Edelman Matt Slater Brandon Tate P.K. Sam Bethel Johnson Deion Branch David Givens Mike Miller A.C. Tellison Derrick Alexander Patrick Rowe Rico Smith Augustin Olobia Michael Jackson Shawn Wiggins Look at all those household names lol
Brandon Tate is so lethal you had to put him on there twice. If Sanders can stay healthy, he could quite possibly be more talented than Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. I thought a couple seasons ago he'd have the year Antonio Brown had but he got dinged and Brown literally took the ball and ran. If healthy, he could be productive in NE or he could stay in Pittsburgh and be productive there as well. Key is health with him.
That 3rd rounder is gonna be awful tempting, i think Pitt leans that way but if they did want to match they could, would have to do some restructing to pay their rookies probably but that wont take more then 1 to 1.5 million
They have the money to do it if they want to sign him. That would leave them in the neighborhood of $750,000. But if they don't, they save $1.3M and could probably use that on Bradshaw and maybe Steve Breaston plus a third round pick. Sounds very enticing...especially if they go after Patterson in Round One.
