Pats bolster offense with acquisition of Sanu

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Just hours after defeating the New York Jets, 33-0, on Monday night, the Patriots moved to improve their offense, not waiting until the trade deadline to add some help.

According to a source, the Pats acquired wide receiver Mohamed Sanu in a deal with Atlanta. The Pats will send a second-round pick to the Falcons for the 30-year-old receiver, according to ESPN.

Sanu has 33 receptions for 313 receiving yards and a touchdown in seven games this season. He's caught 78.6% of the passes thrown his way.  It was a move that seemed to please quarterback Tom Brady. After the news broke, Sanu tweeted out “LFG,” which is Brady’s motto that stands for "Let's [expletive] go." The quarterback responded with, “See you soon.”

Sanu is signed through 2020. He has a cap hit of $3.529 million this year and $6.5 million next season. He will join Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski on the receivers depth chart. Gordon missed Monday’s game due to a knee and ankle injury. Edelman (chest), Dorsett (hamstring) and Olszewski (hamstring) were all limited in practice last week because of injuries.

The Patriots have long admired Sanu, who played at Rutgers with Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty and Duron Harmon. During the 2016 offseason, the Pats went into March hoping to add a new receiver. They called and showed interest in Sanu on Day 1 of free agency, according to a source. The price tag, however, went up fast for the 6-foot-2, 220-pound receiver. The Patriots bowed out rather quickly, and Sanu signed a five-year deal with the Falcons worth $32 million.

That wasn’t the only time the Pats tried to acquire the wideout. During the NFL owners meetings, there were rumors that the Pats were talking internally about trying to acquire Sanu. This came after Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement. According to ESPN, the Pats called Atlanta in April and offered a second-round pick for Sanu, but the Falcons turned the deal down.

Now, they finally get their guy.

The eight-year veteran has been a solid receiver throughout his pro career, which began when was taken in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Bengals. With the Falcons, he was the third option behind Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. He's averaged around 700 yards in each of the last three seasons. Last year, he finished with a career-high 838 receiving yards to go with 66 receptions and four touchdowns.

This season, according to PlayerProfiler, Sanu has played 77.5% of his offensive snaps from the slot position for the Falcons. Last year, Sanu lined up in the slot 62.3% of the time. His ability to play inside the numbers will allow the Patriots to use Edelman and Gordon outside. Add in Dorsett and Meyers, and the offense could run more four-receiver sets — they did that in the one game Antonio Brown played this season.

Sanu also brings versatility. He can throw the ball and has completed seven career passes on eight attempts for 233 yards and four touchdowns.

Sanu won’t be the only reinforcement for Brady. In one week, first-round pick N’Keal Harry will also be eligible to play. Offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn could also return after landing on injured reserve with turf toe. According to ESPN, the Patriots might not be done trading, either. The team has reportedly checked on the availability of veteran tight ends this month.

The Patriots will have to make a corresponding roster move to open a spot for Sanu. The team will also have to move some money around, as they’ll need to clear up a little over $1.2 million to fit Sanu within their salary cap.