The Falcons traded wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to the Patriots for a second-round pick two weeks ago, and with the team starting 1-7, it was probably the right decision for the future. Nonetheless, Atlanta lost both a good player and a better leader by moving on from Sanu.
As pointed out by Patriot Wire’s Henry McKenna, Sanu looks to be taking on a similar leadership role with New England’s young receivers. He was seen taking the team’s talented first-round pick, N’Keal Harry, aside in the locker room to discuss some of the finer points of the receiver position.
Sanu already seems to have taken a liking to the Patriots rookie, and spoke on Wednesday about teaching Harry — who’s missed the team’s first eight games while on injured reserve — as much as he can:
He’s a very, very talented kid, and I’m just trying to teach him little intricacies with the game as far as body position and hand placement — just learning to use his body to his advantage.
Immediately following the trade, Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley talked about how much Sanu meant to him — saying he was often the most vocal of the team’s receivers.
Ridley may miss Sanu in the short-term, but down the line, his departure should open things up for the second-year receiver to become more involved in Atlanta’s offense.
It will be tough for Falcons fans to see Sanu succeed with an undefeated Patriots team, especially considering Atlanta’s current zombie-like status.
He deserves to be playing meaningful football, though, even if that unfortunately means helping Tom Brady win his seventh Super Bowl.
