It’s safe to say Emmanuel Sanders is an elder statesman in the NFL. He’s bounced around quite a bit in his career. In 2010, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the NFL Draft. After spending the first five seasons in Pittsburgh, he went on to sign a free-agent contract with Denver Broncos in 2014 and caught passes from Peyton Manning for a few seasons. Emmanuel was also a member of the 2015 Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. Just in 2019, the San Francisco 49ers acquired the receiver and was considered a veteran piece that helped the 49ers get to the Super Bowl. This past season, he played for the New Orleans Saints who would eventually release him after one season with the team. He’s on the move once again. The Buffalo Bills have signed the free-agent wide receiver to a contract.
While with the Broncos, Emmanuel emerged as the top target for the offense. He’s not that guy anymore, but he knows his role within an offense and plays it well. I’ve often referred to him as an energy guy. He runs the route tree with such consistency. The one thing I’ve noticed about him is how sure-handed he is. No matter the route ran or where he is, he’s catching that football. Emmanuel can catch the ball in tight coverage and once it hits his hands, he has the breakaway speed to accelerate up the field. This is the guy you want with the football in his hands when you have a third-down situation and you need those chains converted. I’ve always admired what he does between the hashes. He isn’t the tallest nor the biggest guy, but he doesn’t hesitate to go up the field or make that catch over the middle in traffic.
On the radio the other day, I said the Buffalo Bills needed another wide receiver to stretch the field. It’s no disrespect to Cole Beasley, but he’s an underneath guy that works the slot. With Emmanuel, you can line him up outside or inside. I also said they needed a guy to help complement Stefon Diggs. They got it here and he also gives Josh Allen another target on the perimeter.