The Patriots didn’t fulfill their pass-catching need with a superstar but rather a player who has the makings to be a natural fit in New England.
While some thought the Patriots might swing for the fences and trade for the likes of A.J. Green or Emmanuel Sanders, it was Mohamed Sanu who proved to be the team’s target as the Oct. 29 deadline approached. New England sent a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in order to acquire the veteran wide receiver.
So, what is Sanu capable of bringing to the Patriots? Well, pretty much everything, including a special wrinkle in his game that he’s occasionally shown off over the course of his eight-year career. Chris Simms believes it’s Sanu’s vast skill set that motivated New England to go after the 30-year-old.
“He’s got great versatility. Yes, the trick plays. The throws, I’ve seen it in person. He can really throw the football. He’s somebody that has worked with my family before as far as catching footballs and we’ve seen him throw and he can launch it,” Simms said Tuesday on NBC Sports’ “Pro Football Talk.” “But the versatility is the beauty of it. Now you’ve got guys with Julian Edelman and Sanu who can really do everything as far as you just can’t peg them to one thing. Sanu is a great run blocker, he’s really physical over the middle, he can break tackles after he catches the ball and do those type of things. So he fits that New England way as far as what they’re expecting out of that position and I think that’s what probably fancied the Patriots to want to get him.”
The Patriots’ need for Sanu to perform at a high level intensified mere hours after the trade was made official. New England on Wednesday placed Josh Gordon on injured reserve, which in turn vaulted Sanu up the team’s WR depth chart. And with Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett both battling nagging injuries, a high-leverage role might be thrust upon Sanu from the get-go in Foxboro.
The Rutgers product is set to make his Patriots debut Sunday when the Cleveland Browns visit Gillette Stadium.
