Dolphins Signing Veteran WR Sanu
The Miami Dolphins filled out their 90-man roster on the day veterans reported for training camp when they signed veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.
The news was revealed by Manu's agent, Mike McCartney, and confirmed by a league source.
The addition of Sanu coincides with the Dolphins waiving fellow wide receiver Cody Core with a non-football injury, per the league source. The Dolphins re-signed Core to a futures contract in January after he had joined the team's practice squad late last season. Core has played 51 NFL regular season games since entering the league in 2016 but none since 2019.
The two moves will keep the Dolphins roster at 89 players, including 11 wide receivers.
Sanu played last season for the San Francisco 49ers, which became his fourth team in three seasons after he started his career with four years with the Cincinnati Bengals and three with the Atlanta Falcons.
Sanu has prior experience with new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as they were together with the Falcons in 2016 when McDaniel was an offensive assistant for the team that went to the Super Bowl and lost to (should have beaten) the New England Patriots, and then again with the 49ers in 2020 and 2021.
SANU'S CAREER RESUME
While he has slowed down considerably in recent years, Sanu averaged 55 catches per season from 2013-19.
Sanu had only 32 catches in 18 games the past two seasons and will turn 33 in August. He signed with the 49ers as an unrestricted free agent in March 2021 but ended up on injured reserve in November.
He was a UFA again this offseason but wasn't signed until the Dolphins came calling.
This is what SI All 49ers Publisher Grant Cohn wrote about Sanu heading into the free agency period: "The 49ers signed Sanu to replace Kendrick Bourne as the No. 3 receiver, but Sanu was ineffective, and was healthy only for the first eight weeks of the season. When he went down, Jauan Jennings stepped up and was a major upgrade. Sanu probably should retire."
WHERE — AND IF — SANU FITS ON THE DOLPHINS ROSTER
He joined a Dolphins wide receiver corps that might or might not have a true opening for a spot on the 53-man roster.
There are four wide receivers who either should be viewed as a lock or close to it to be on the 53-man roster — Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr. and rookie fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma.
Trent Sherfield, while not a household name, might have the edge for the fifth spot because of familiarity with McDaniel from their time together in San Francisco and his experience as a gunner, a role the Dolphins need to fill after the departure of Mack Hollins in the offseason.
The biggest question with the wide receivers may be whether the Dolphins will keep six on the 53-man roster, and if the answer is yes, then the battle for that last spot likely would come down to Sanu, Lynn Bowden Jr., Preston Williams and River Cracraft.
Some five years ago, Sanu would be a prohibitive favorite to land a roster spot. Now, he's probably a long shot at best.
