Bill Belichick indicated receiver Mohamed Sanu, who the New England Patriots acquired in a trade on Wednesday, is on track to dress for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8.
The Patriots coach spoke highly of Sanu, who cost New England a second-round pick on the trade market.
“Smart kid. Picks things up well,” Belichick said on Friday during a press conference at Gillette Stadium. “We’ll see what we can do here. Sometimes, as it accumulates — early downs, third down, red area, situational stuff — we’ll see what the load looks like. He’s made good progress both days. Works hard. Good kid. He’s really in tune and trying very hard to pick up things quickly, and get on the same page with everybody else. Obviously, there’s a long way to go. A lot of work to do. But he’s working hard at it. You appreciate that.”
Sanu sunk down the Atlanta Falcons depth chart with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley serving as the top receivers in the offense. In 2019, Sanu had 33 catches for 313 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots likely envision a big role for him, particularly after the team placed Josh Gordon on injured reserve on Wednesday. Belchick was vague about how Sanu can contribute, but it’s easy to imagine him playing multiple positions in the offense. He played primarily in the slot in Atlanta, but Belichick has moved slot receivers — particularly bigger players like the 6-foot-2 Sanu — into different positions in the offense, like he does with Julian Edelman and like he did with Chris Hogan and Brandon LaFell.
“We’ve moved receivers around for 20 years, so sometimes guys play in one spot, sometimes they play in different spots,” Belichick said Wednesday. “It depends on the formation, the game plan, the play, the personnel and so forth, so we’ll see how it goes.”
The move for Sanu appeared to be made for the long term, as his deal extends through the 2020 season. But the Patriots seem to be in a hurry to get him on the field and contributing in Week 8.
