Did the Broncos Maximize the Emmanuel Sanders Trade?

On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos shipped starting WR Emmanuel Sanders and a 2020 fifth-round selection to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their third- and fourth-round selections in the 2020 NFL Draft.

While it may be difficult to see an elite player and fan-favorite such as Sanders depart under solemn circumstances such as this, the Broncos actually found a way to maximize their capital.

Sitting at 2-5, this Broncos team is a team that is approaching — if not currently in — a full-blown rebuild period. There are a lot of young pieces to build with on the offensive side of the football, but the Broncos have a ton of holes throughout the roster and also need to see those young pieces in action over the course of the rest of the season.

It's time to get a deep evaluation of the players that are expected to be the building blocks of this rebuild.

Sanders, a 32-year-old veteran, was never expected to be brought back following the 2019 season. In the last year of his contract, the Broncos needed to do anything and everything they could to squeeze every drop out of whatever value Sanders actually had left.

Here are three ways Denver managed to do just that.

Leveraging the Sanu Trade

Early on Tuesday morning, the Patriots exchanged a 2020 second-round selection for Falcons WR Mohamed Sanu. This undoubtedly boosted Sanders's market value, and the Broncos took full advantage.

While Sanu is a fine player as a secondary or tertiary receiving option in a team's receiving corps, there is little question that Sanders' receiving prowess is head and shoulders above that of Sanu's. If you don't want to believe that, a simple look at the box score should tell you all you need to know.

Sanu, a 30-year-old veteran with eight accrued seasons under his belt, has never caught more than 70 passes in any single season and has also never eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. In fact, in Sanders's injury-shortened 2018 campaign — a year he only played in 12 games — Sanders eclipsed Sanu's career highs in both receptions (67) and yards (838) by hauling in 71 receptions for 868 yards.

Sanders also has three seasons over 1,000 yards and was most certainly on pace to eclipse that mark once again in 2018-19 prior to tearing his Achilles in Week 13.

Looking at the box score does little to offer context as to how a player collects their stats and a lot of variables have to be taken into consideration, but there's little doubt that Sanders has been a far more effective receiver in this league. The Broncos got equivalent value plus more thanks to the Patriots overpaying for a lesser receiver.

Vaulting Young WRs

As I mentioned, the Broncos have a very young corps of receivers desperate for a chance to show their worth.

Second-year receiver Courtland Sutton has shown out over the first seven games of the season, showing the dynamic playmaking ability that made him a second-round selection in 2018.

However, guys like 2018 fifth-round pick DaeSean Hamilton, 2019 sixth-rounder Juwann Winfree and the ever explosive Diontae Spencer need to be able to show their ability in game action if the Broncos want to see what they actually have in the cupboard.

GM John Elway also intimated on Tuesday that WR Tim Patrick will return off of injured reserve after the team's Week 10 bye.

Sanders was the team's second-leading receiver on the season, but his effectiveness and consistency have been overshadowed and spotty due to play-calling inefficiencies and a focus on getting the ball into the hands of other young playmakers.

It's finally time to see the young guys in action, and a brief look to if the Broncos need to address the wide receiver position early in a 2020 draft class that is top-heavy with elite talent.

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Comp Calculation

Perhaps the most significant development of the Sanders trade comes out of the compensatory selection formula, based on the calculations by Over The Cap.

The compensatory selection process typically uses average contract value on a per year basis, combined with playing time and postseason accolades — such as Pro Bowl and All Pro selections — with a couple of caveats.

Per the advanced calculation formula that the folks at OTC have comprised, Sanders would only have garnered a maximum of a 5th round compensatory selection in 2021 had he played a full season for the Broncos in 2019 and then departed as a free agent in 2020, regardless of the contract he signed or any postseason accolades he might have been able to gather.

Why, you might ask?

One of the exceptions of the compensatory selection process includes accrued seasons, of which Sanders has 10.

Players with 10 or more accrued seasons — a season in which a player has been on a team's roster for more than six games — may only yield a maximum of a fifth-round compensatory selection.

The Broncos received a third-round and fourth-round selection for Sanders while also giving up a fifth-rounder.

That is tremendous value for an aging player in the last year of his current contract.

Bottom Line

Emmanuel Sanders was on his way out of Denver following the 2019 season regardless of his performance. The fact that John Elway refused to extend Sanders during the offseason should have given light to that fact.

Sure, Sanders's offseason recovery videos and his performance through the first seven games of the season offered promise that Sanders may be a part of the short-term future of the franchise.

But by taking advantage of the market and by having faith in the young talent on the roster the Broncos may have actually made a positive move as to building the roster for the long-term future.

I've said it before and will continue to say it over and over again. Believe in your investments and have a proper and decisive development plan in place.

The Broncos maximized the capital they have and may have actually won a trade that can make this roster better for the long-term.

Follow Lance on Twitter @SandersonMHH and @MileHighHuddle.