Days before the Oct. 29, expect the New England Patriots to be busy talking to other teams about potential trades for a veteran wide receiver who would bring immediate help to veteran quarterback Tom Brady. Recently, Denver-based talk show host Benjamin Allbright reported that the Patriots were among several teams that inquired about the availability of Denver Broncos wideout Emmanuel Sanders. On Sunday, Evan Lazar of CLNS Media confirmed that the Patriots called the Broncos about Sanders several weeks ago, but Denver wanted New England to call back closer to the deadline because they want to determine their record first before making any move.
The Broncos dropped to 2-5 following an embarrassing 30-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Lazar also reported that the Patriots called the Atlanta Falcons and inquired about wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. Earlier, former Patriots executive Mike Lombardi suggested that the Patriots work out a trade with the Falcons for Sanu. In the offseason, the Patriots already had a package in place for Sanu but the Falcons backed out at the last minute.
The Falcons may want to sell before the deadline after dropping to 1-6 following a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday where Sanu caught just one pass for three yards. Whether the Patriots acquire Sanu or Sanders, both of them would make immediate impact to the Patriots’ offense.
This season, Sanu has caught 32 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown while Sanders has caught 30 balls for 367 yards and two scores for the Broncos.
Broncos’ asking price for Sanders known
Earlier, the Broncos told the Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints that Sanders is not available via trade.
Looks like Broncos general manager John Elway changed his mind as per latest report by ESPN's Adam Schefter. According to Schefter’s sources, the Broncos are now open to listen to offers for Sanders and they expect to receive a third-round pick or better for the veteran wideout. Schefter said the Broncos received a fourth-round pick from the Houston Texans for veteran receiver Demaryius Thomas last year, and they expect more for Sanders.
Patriots eyeing another Bengals wideout
It was also reported that the Patriots are eyeing Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green via trade. But Lazar reported that the Patriots are also interested in the Bengals other receiver Alex Erickson, who went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft. Erickson had his best game so far in his Bengals’ career after catching eight passes for 137 yards and no touchdown in their 27-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Erickson’s performance against the Jaguars surpassed his total receiving yards in his first six games where he tallied only 109 yards on 11 catches. Meanwhile, the Bengals announced that Green won’t play until after the Oct. 29 trade deadline, according to Schefter. Earlier, the Bengals declared that they won’t trade Green, but could change their mind after slipping to 0-7 this season.
