Signing WR Emmanuel Sanders named best move of the Saints offseason

Which roster move will be remembered as the golden moment of the New Orleans Saints offseason? A reunion with Malcolm Jenkins, a former first-round pick and Super Bowl champion? The safe draft-day addition in Michigan center Cesar Ruiz? Or bold trades up the board for rookies Zack Baun, Adam Trautman, or Tommy Stevens? Maybe other investments, like a contract extension for David Onyemata or triggering the fifth-year options for Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk?

According to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, their best pickup was the acquisition of veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Knox identified the second receiver spot as a big weakness for New Orleans, and credited the Saints for moving quickly to address it:

Well, the Saints did a tremendous job filling that role by snagging Emmanuel Sanders on a two-year deal. He was traded to San Francisco just before the trade deadline last season, and he caught 36 passes for 532 yards and three touchdowns in just 10 games.

With a full offseason working alongside Drew Brees and Co., Sanders should be a 1,000-yard candidate in 2020. Just as importantly, his contract coincides with the two-year window the Saints have left with Brees.

That’s a high bar for Sanders to cross, but it’s not impossible; the lower end of projections see him catching more than 50 passes in the Saints offense, which a non-Michael Thomas receiver hasn’t done since the 2017 season (when Ted Ginn Jr. caught 53).

Everything checks out for Sanders as far as his talent level and schematic fit are concerned. The only question is how many targets he’ll receive behind Thomas, with Pro Bowlers like Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook also earning touches. If Sanders is given every opportunity to succeed (as he should), this could end up being a vintage year for the 33-year old, who hasn’t been paired with a great quarterback since the twilight of Peyton Manning’s career.