Mohamed Sanu Is Ready to Make an Impact in Year 2 With Patriots
The New England Patriots were in dire need of an impact wide receiver ahead of the 2019 trade deadline. At that point Antonio Brown was no longer a part of the team, Josh Gordon was injured and would shortly be out the door, and first-round pick N'Keal Harry wasn't on the field yet. So if the team wanted to make a run at another championship, they needed to acquire a pass-catcher. That's why they went out and traded for veteran receiver Mohamed Sanu in late October, sending a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the eighth-year wideout from Rutgers.
Five days after becoming a Patriot, Sanu played in the team's Week 8 victory over the Cleveland Browns, although his production was minimal, catching two passes for 23 yards. That was expected, since he hadn't even been on the team for a week, but he still managed to show enough during practice to earn snaps during that game.
But Week 9 is where he got Patriots Nation excited. Sanu caught 10 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens that week, which is the most passes he has reeled in during a single game since October of 2014. It was a strong showing for a 31-year-old receiver that needed to make a big impact early on during his stint with the six-time Super Bowl champions.
However, Sanu wouldn't come close to that kind of production for the remainder of the season.
In Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanu injured his ankle during a punt return in the second quarter. He got that ankle re-taped following the injury and continued to play, but mustered up just two catches for four yards that game. From thereon, he continued to battle through his high-ankle sprain for the remainder of the season, and his production overall took a hit as a result. From Week 11 on - including the playoffs - he caught 15 passes for 114 yards.
Sanu was rehabbing during the remainder of the season to keep himself on the field. Along with the training staff and others associated with the Patriots, Sanu turned to a friend that has worked with him for six years on his footwork to help him battle through the injury, a man by the name of Seth Minter, or you might know him better as "The Foot Doctor" on social media.
“I was there the next day after the (Sanu injured his ankle), and Mo was like ‘bro, my ankle is (expletive), I can’t even walk.’ I just came to be able to give him some relief," Minter said during an interview with PatriotMaven. "So we did a lot, and he struggled for a little bit. But then the next week he was jogging, and then he played the next week and the rest of the season."
Sanu's lack of production over the next six weeks following that Philadelphia game - even though it was in large part due to his injury - was followed by boos from fans who were unhappy with how Sanu's first season with New England panned out. After trading a second-round pick for him, the Patriots got minimal production from a player that may have been unfairly labeled by the compensation that was used to acquire him. But nonetheless, Sanu had to put in work this offseason to get healthy and show everyone that 2019 was just a fluke.
After going under the knife in March to fix his ankle, Sanu has been rehabbing down in Atlanta, GA, which includes more work with Minter - who is based out of Miami, FL - and daily work with trainer and wide receivers coach Drew Lieberman, who is the creator of "The Sideline Hustle", has been working with Sanu for two years and is living with him this offseason.
Sanu is way ahead of schedule in terms of rehabbing his ankle post-surgery. “We definitely have taken leaps and bounds compared to what he was diagnosed to be as far as how long it would be for his recovery," Minter said. "He went to go see his doctor not that long ago, and his doctor made a comment like ‘I’ve never seen something like this. Mo, the strength you have in your ankle right now at three months removed compares to someone else with the same injury and are 6-7 months removed from surgery.’”
Minter also said they are at the point now where they aren't sure whether to push on the gas and have Sanu extend pass his rehab work since he is feeling so good, or if they should stick to the plan even if he is way ahead of schedule. That's a good problem to have.
But the injury Sanu suffered and the rehab process that has ensued following surgery hasn't stopped him from working hard and turning himself into a better receiver than he was before the injury occurred.
“He definitely is motivated. I think he feels like he underperformed a bit (in 2019), but, he was also playing through, you know, a broken ankle for the vast majority of his time there," Lieberman told PatriotMaven. "So, I think that he just feels like he wants a chance to prove himself at full strength and I think he has attacked this offseason probably better than he ever has. Just as far as his dedication. He is taking care of every single detail, just to make sure football is coming first in pretty much everything he does, besides the time he spends with his family.
"So, I just think with his mentality, being a year more comfortable in the system, and obviously being healthy, like, I think he expects to have a big year and hopes to really contribute and do what he was brought in there to do. He definitely feels like he has more to give than what he was able to give last year on a bad wheel.”
Sanu started doing on-field drills recently for the first time since surgery, along with doing various ball drills with Lieberman and continuing to master the playbook. The former Bengals and Falcons receiver turns 32 in August, but don't tell that to him or any of the people working with him who think he still has plenty of juice left in the tank and can still take his game to the next level.
"You look at guys like, in the NFL, I guess, it’s technically a little past your peak, but, you watch NBA players and stuff, their peak time is thirty to thirty-five years old," Lieberman said. "You watch some of the best athletes, that’s really what I think he is hitting. He is doing more for his body than he has ever done. He is at the peak of his mastery of the game and the mastery of how to play football. It’s just a matter of staying healthy on the field and continuing to find ways to push himself. But, I think he has a lot, a lot to give. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people.”
So what can we expect from Mohamed Sanu in 2020?
Tom Brady is no longer under center for the Patriots, so that could impact Sanu's production. Of the two options, second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham seems poised to take over the starting job in New England, although it wouldn't be surprising to see Brian Hoyer begin the season as the starter, which would give Stidham even more time to develop.
But if Stidham does win the job this summer, he apparently has the backing of the entire program in Foxboro.
“I know (Mohamed) loves (Jarrett) Stidham," said Lieberman. "He got to spend a year with him. I guess he feels like the coaches like Stidham a lot. He feels like the program is kind of behind him.
"He feels like the team believes in Stidham. They’re going to give him a shot and basically make it his job to lose."
But regardless of who the quarterback is, both Lieberman and Minter were adamant that Sanu is focused and working harder this offseason than he maybe has ever in his career.
New England did not draft a wide receiver this year and only added Damiere Byrd to the receiver room through free agency, which made one thing clear about this upcoming season: Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N'Keal Harry will be a big part of the passing game moving forward. That means Sanu could be in line for a big year.
“I’ve known Mo for six years now. This is the first year, the first time that I’ve seen him with a Mamba mentality," Minter said. "I hate to use Kobe’s name right now since he has departed from us. The guy that the fans are going to get this year is a different guy. He’s got a different chip on his shoulder, he’s got a different type of grit. He’s really hungry. He was catching 1,000 balls a day when he was immobilized."
Could we see the best possible version of Sanu in 2020? Lieberman thinks so.
“You can expect the best version of Mohamed Sanu you have ever seen,” he said.
