Carolina Panthers: 3 NFC South signings that cause most concern
By Dean Jones
Emmanuel Sanders – WR
It’s not as if the New Orleans Saints really needed another offensive weapon. But they managed to pull one off in the form of prolific wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
The speedy wideout signed a two-year, $24 million deal that included a $6 million signing bonus and $10 million guaranteed. This puts Sanders opposite Michael Thomas in what is arguably the best tandem in the NFL.
The Saints are clearly going all-in to win a Super Bowl in Drew Brees’ last season before retirement. They are loaded all over the field and in Sanders, they have brought in a proven winner who knows what it takes to get a ring.
He played a leading role in the San Francisco 49ers reaching the Super Bowl last season despite being part of a run-heavy offense under Kyle Shanahan. Sanders finished the campaign with 66 catches, 869 yards, and five touchdowns from his time with the Niners and the Denver Broncos.
Sanders’ presence in New Orleans represents a real problem for the Carolina Panthers and their young secondary. Experience is at a premium across three of the four starting projections in 2020 and they are going to be faced with an almost impossible proposition of stopping the Saints’ high-octane offense with playmakers everywhere you look.
The new arrival could be the missing piece of the jigsaw for an organization that has underachieved in the postseason on more than one occasion under head coach Sean Payton.