San Francisco 49ers: Breaking Down the Trade for Emmanuel Sanders
Emmanuel Sanders took part in his first San Francisco 49ers practice on Wednesday, having arrived in a trade that will only heighten the expectations around a still unbeaten team many believe to be the best in the NFC.
The Niners parted with a third and a fourth-round pick in next year's draft to acquire Sanders and a fifth-round pick from the Denver Broncos in the hope he can add juice to a passing game that has lacked it in recent weeks.
It is a move that sends a clear message about where this franchise believes it stands going into the second half of the season. Here we break down the deal, look at why it came about and assess what it means for San Francisco in both the short and the long term.
Why the deal was made
You only need to look at the numbers of the 49er wide receivers to see why San Francisco elected to make a push for Sanders. Outside of superstar tight end George Kittle, Marquise Goodwin is the Niners' leading receiver with 181 yards. Deebo Samuel and Dante Pettis have flashed, with the latter impressing against Marcus Peters in the 20-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6.
However, neither of that young duo has been able to produce sustained performances, and the simple fact is the Niners do not have a wideout Garoppolo can consistently rely on. Opposing defenses do not fear San Francisco's passing game options outside of Kittle.
The Week 7 victory over the Washington Redskins provided evidence of that as Garoppolo consistently made risky throws as he tried to force the ball into the Kittle, who was regularly covered by multiple defenders.
The 49ers need the passing attack to match the performances of the running game if they are to make a deep run in the playoffs. San Francisco will hope Sanders, who has consistently proven himself to be a difference-maker and already has 367 yards and two touchdowns coming off an Achilles injury, can take attention away from Kittle and make life a lot easier for Garoppolo as they prepare to face a tough second-half schedule.
What Sanders brings
Head coach Kyle Shanahan loves versatile wide receivers who are skilled separators. That is a description Sanders fits to a tee. Sanders can play both boundary positions and the slot and has long been one of the more underrated route-runners in the NFL. Even at 32, Sanders can still pick up significant yardage after the catch in the open field.
"I think he's always been very good at separating," Shanahan said at Wednesday's press conference. "He's wired in a certain way where he can get downfield, he also can break you off inside. Not the biggest guy, but he plays big. He's hard to get your hands on. He can push through things and he plays very aggressive.The game is not too big for him. He can go over the middle and not flinch. He catches the ball and gets up the field hard."
Sanders also brings some familiarity in the system having played under former 49ers quarterback coach and current Broncos coordinator Rich Scangarello in Denver this season. The learning curve should therefore not be steep for the former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver. Sanders is likely to play against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and Shanahan will surely look to make the most of his skill set right off the bat.
What it means
It's fair to say San Francisco is not expecting injured duo Jalen Hurd (back) and Trent Taylor (foot) back anytime soon if at all, and Shanahan alluded to that at his press conference. "Both of them have had setbacks, so they've had to start a couple things over," said Shanahan. We haven't ruled them out. I'm still hoping for it. But it's not something we can for sure count on." Taylor was a dynamic weapon in the slot as a rookie in 2017 while Hurd likely would have been used on the perimeter and on the inside.
With Sanders entering the fray and almost every member of the receiving corps able to play multiple spots, there is little reason to rush either Taylor or Hurd back for this season. Questions have been raised about the long-term implications of giving up two draft selections for a veteran who will be a free agent at the end of the year in a move that leaves the Niners without a pick between the second and fourth rounds.
However, the fifth the Niners received from the Broncos is likely to be a high one given their struggles and San Francisco could easily recoup picks by trading out of what looks set to be a low first-rounder, as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots have done regularly and successfully in recent years.
What the 49ers have made clear with this deal is that they are not concerned with the long-term implications. Shanahan said the Niners have something "special" in the locker room last Sunday. It is evident general manager John Lynch shares that assessment and in a league where Super Bowl windows are notoriously short, the 49ers are ready to take advantage of theirs.
"I think it says that we're competing this year to try to get in the playoffs," Shanahan said of the deal. "I think that's pretty obvious with where our record is at right now, but we're not even halfway through this year. I know we've got a long way to go, but this is a decision you’ve got to make before next Tuesday."
The 49ers have gone from rebuild to "win now" mode and have gambled that Sanders can be the final piece of a championship puzzle. It's a risk, but it's unquestionably one worth taking.
