49ers Lack of Negotiations With Emmanuel Sanders not Surprising
It is no secret that the San Francisco 49ers have a ton of tough decisions to make this offseason. That all starts when free agency kicks off in about a week with one of the tough decisions regarding wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
When the 49ers acquired Sanders via trade from the Denver Broncos his impact was felt almost instantly. His production elevated the passing game along with his presence to attract the defensive attention. That is one of the reasons why Deebo Samuel emerged so strongly mid-season.
Now the 49ers must elect whether or not to re-sign Sanders. However, the two sides have yet to actually sit down and negotiate a deal. According to Sanders, there has not been an offer made nor any talks of a new contract. Sanders was disputing a report that the 49ers made an offer to him.
"No offer has been sent and no talks have been made."
That is the main takeaway from his tweet and quite the indicator of where the 49ers' thought process is at. If what Sanders claims is true, then the 49ers lack of negotiations with Sanders is not surprising.
The Niners are focused in on re-signing Arik Armstead, while also extending George Kittle and DeForest Buckner. With only around $13 million in salary-cap space the 49ers will have to bite the bullet on some of their talented players.
Sanders may turn out to be one of those players they let walk. It isn't that they do not want Sanders back. Of course they would love him back since he elevated the offense.
However, this isn't fantasy football. Not everyone gets retained, especially with star players. That is likely why safety Jimmie Ward will also walk in free agency next week.
Besides, Sanders has a good chance to find a rich deal elsewhere than with the 49ers. Having him back with the team at this point is more of a luxury than a necessity.
Remember, the Niners mainly traded for Sanders because Jalen Hurd and Trent Taylor were not returning. It was a trade that was well-worth the compensation, but now the 49ers are in a tight corner with not much to offer given their cap situation.
