Atlanta Falcons: The controversial signing of Mohamed Sanu
On March 10, 2016, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu signed a 5-year, $32.5 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
With the release of Roddy White, the longtime Falcon with several franchise receiving records, it was obvious that Atlanta was looking for a young, fast, talented receiver to take pressure off of All-Pro, Julio Jones.
However, fans were left scratching their heads as to who White’s replacement would be. Some wondered if a receiver currently on the team would step up to be a firm No. 2 in the offense, but Justin Hardy is still developing, Eric Weems and Nick Williams have never held their own on the outside, and the details of the extent of Devin Hester‘s injury are still unclear. The conclusion was reached and the answer would have to come from the unpromising market of free agent wide receivers.
Before long, Mohamed Sanu signed a contract worth a pretty penny to wear red and black for the next five years. At first, the majority of Falcons fans didn’t take the news well. Most were just still bitter with the release of White, but many doubted the ability of Sanu and if he was worth upwards of $6 million annually.
Sanu does not need to rack up 1,000 yards or score 15 touchdowns for Atlanta’s offense to be successful.
The doubters quickly flocked to their keyboards and Twitter accounts, reminding the internet and Atlanta fan base that Sanu has never gone to the Pro Bowl, has never had a 1,000-yard receiving season, and that he scored no receiving touchdowns in the 2015 season.
However, they could all be missing the point. Even though Sanu was no offensive star with Cincinnati, he didn’t need to be. He shared the field with threats like A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert, and the Bengals never missed the playoffs in those four years. Sanu does not need to rack up a 1,000 yards or score 15 touchdowns for Atlanta’s offense to be successful. He simply has to take pressure off of Julio Jones in the passing game, in order to allow the offense to be more creative and dynamic.
Speaking of being more creative and dynamic offense, Sanu brings a lot to the table. As a former high school quarterback, he can still sling the pigskin down the field pretty well. He is a perfect 5-of-5 for 177 yards and two touchdowns over his career. His passing ability allows for trick plays that the defense must account for, or else they risk being caught off guard. Also, he has shown talent in rushing as well, with 26 attempts for 153 yards thus far in his four-year career.
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So, every fan irked over the signing is right. He’s no Pro Bowler and he’s not going to break out as the next star of the league, yet he has the ability to improve Atlanta’s offense as another speedy receiver with tremendous trick or option play potential.