Bill Belichick has always had a thing for Mohamed Sanu, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering the wideout’s Rutger’s ties.
Belichick and the Patriots finally have brought Sanu to New England, having reportedly acquired the wideout from the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday morning in a trade for a second-round pick. It’s safe to say Belichick shares the glee Patriots fans expressed upon hearing the news.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news, and shortly after reporting the deal on Twitter, the reporter went on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” to give a little more background on the deal.
“They’ve been trying to get him since before the draft,” Schefter said. “They offered a (second-round pick) before the draft, and the Falcons turned them down. The Falcons were in a different spot then than they are today losing games. When Atlanta lost Sunday and it was clear they’re not going to be making the type of run they’d like to, the Falcons decided to make the move.”
Schefter, who was seen speaking with Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio on Monday night prior to New England’s 33-0 drubbing of the New York Jets, said the latest round of discussions recently got going again.
“I think the two sides began intensifying discussions maybe Sunday night, maybe Monday and basically put the framework in place to get this done,” Schefter told WEEI.
The Falcons’ latest loss — an ugly home defeat to the Los Angeles Rams that saw quarterback Matt Ryan go down with an ankle injury, probably sped up that process a little.
The move to add Sanu gives New England some much-needed depth, and while the price might seem high, Schefter indicated there was plenty of competition for the receiver.
“I believe that if the Patriots weren’t going to pay that price, I think other teams — I don’t know if they would go to a two — but keep in mind, with the Patriots, a two is like a (third-round pick) to other teams,” Schefter pointed out. “That’s the price of doing business. If New England wasn’t going to step up, there were going to be other teams that would have stepped up. There were enough other teams seeking wide receiver help. That’s what New England was going to have to pay to get this guy, New England has wanted this guy and New England finally has this guy.”
He later added, “They need and want more help. They want that, and they got it in Sanu.”
Schefter believes Sanu will be in the lineup Sunday when New England takes on the Cleveland Browns, and he also said the Patriots might not be done dealing ahead of the Oct. 29 trade deadline.
“I don’t think they’re ever done,” he said on WEEI. “I don’t know how likely it is they make another move, but I wouldn’t be surprised. … It’s not like they don’t need help at those spots, and if they can find help at those spots and it makes sense, they’ll do it.”
