Patriots, Emmanuel Sanders Connected In NFL Trade Buzz
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots will take the field on Monday night as a shorthanded unit on offense. But help may not be far away.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Denver Broncos are "likely to be open to listening to offers" for veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
Though Schefter didn't report directly that the Patriots are one of the teams calling the Broncos, he did note that "the Panthers, Patriots, Eagles, 49ers and others" are "expected to be in the wide receiver market in the days leading up to the Oct. 29 trade deadline."
The 32-year-old Sanders has caught 30 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns this season, accounting for a third of the Broncos' three receiving touchdowns on the year. Sanders' best seasons coincided with Peyton Manning's tenure in Denver (plus one more year), as Sanders averaged 85 receptions, 1,190 yards and almost seven touchdowns per season from 2014-16.
He played in 12 games in 2017 and 12 games in 2018 as well, averaging 59 receptions, 712 yards, and three touchdowns per season.
Without saying it directly, Sanders expressed some frustration with quarterback Joe Flacco after Thursday's ugly loss to Kansas City. On Sunday, he sent out a tweet that led to further speculation that his end in Denver could come sooner than later.
— Emmanuel Sanders (@ESanders_10) October 20, 2019
The Broncos are currently 2-5.
The Patriots are set to get rookie receiver N'Keal Harry from IR in Week 9, but with Josh Gordon missing Monday night's game, with Phillip Dorsett having missed some time, and with Julian Edelman playing through injury, the Patriots' receiving corps could use all the help that's available.