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The Atlanta Falcons don’t care if you don’t like Mohamed Sanu

By Colin Hubbard

Dec 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) shows his Dark Knight gloves prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) shows his Dark Knight gloves prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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He doesn’t have a lot of miles on his body

Nov 22, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) before facing the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) before facing the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Mohamed Sanu at the age of 26 is relatively fresh. He’s played just four seasons in the NFL and wasn’t asked to do a whole lot in that time span. Fresh legs should equal productivity and that’s exactly what the Falcons are going to want out of Sanu.

Sanu is never going to be asked to be the main guy in Atlanta. That job goes to superstar Julio Jones but to think that Sanu isn’t capable of being thrusted into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart is silly.

Look at the players that were around him in Cincinnati.

In 2015, Sanu had to compete with pro bowl receiver A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert and two stout running backs. Sanu was targeted on just 50 of his 383 snaps good enough for 13 percent. That was the fourth-lowest total in the NFL in 2015. It’s safe to say that Sanu was very underutilized in 2015 and has been his entire career.

When you have an offense as loaded as Cincinnati’s was, it’s very easy to be the odd man out.

Take a look at the Bengals’ 2013 stats. Green led the way with 98 receptions (career-high) while Jones finished with 51 and Sanu finished with 47.

To say that Sanu is nowhere near as good as Jones is also an unfair statement. Just because Jones had a better 2015 season doesn’t mean he’s the better player. People put way too much emphasis on statistics when in reality, they mean very little. What matters is how they contribute to the overall teams’ success. With Green, Jones, Sanu and Eifert catching passes in 2015, the Bengals were a force to be reckoned with before quarterback Andy Dalton went down with an injury.

Next: 5 reasons why the Falcons just got a whole lot better

Sure, $7 million is a lot to give a receiver who doesn’t have great stats but what matters is the fact that Dan Quinn and the Falcons wanted to sign him and they did just that. Agree with this or not, Sanu is going to be the guy in 2016 so deal with it.

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