6: 20 PM ET
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Mike ReissESPN Workers Writer
- Covered Patriots since 1997
- Joined ESPN in 2009
The Unique England Patriots have instructed feeble extensive receiver Mohamed Sanu of their procedure to liberate him, a offer confirmed to ESPN.
NFL Community first reported the news.
The Patriots got Sanu closing October from the Atlanta Falcons for a 2nd-round purchase, a critical investment that resulted in Sanu taking part in handiest 9 games for the crew.
Aloof, the switch doesn’t near as a shock due to a aggregate of funds and overall fit in the Patriots’ receiving corps.
Sanu became due to invent $6.5 million this season, which is a high figure per his projected goal as a No. 4 option who doesn’t make contributions on special teams.
Furthermore, for the reason that Patriots are locked in with Julian Edelman and 2019 first-round purchase N’Keal Harry as two of their top receivers — giving them one of many slower top tandems in the NFL — their ideal third receiver will almost definitely be somebody with gallop.
That’s no longer Sanu’s area of skills, as he’s extra of a artful inner receiver who performs with a physical edge. Free-agent signing Damiere Byrd, a obsolete observe megastar in high college who moreover competed at South Carolina, is a top candidate to enjoy that goal.
In 2019, Sanu bought off to a fleet originate in Unique England, catching 10 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown in his 2nd game, earlier than he sprained his ankle returning a punt in his subsequent game. That looked as if it can well well per chance leisurely him down the the rest of the season, and he underwent offseason surgery.
As for the 2nd-round purchase that the Patriots traded for Sanu, the Falcons became around and traded it to the Baltimore Ravens in a deal that landed them tight stop Hayden Hurst.