Emmanuel Sanders, Dez Bryant could help Chiefs in free agency

Emmanuel Sanders – Moderately Expensive

Emmanuel Sanders is a two time Super Bowl contestant, having played in one with the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers, and a one-time Super Bowl winner. He’s a savvy veteran who excels at beating defenders and has been a solid supporting piece in nearly every season of his career.

The major caveat with Sanders is that he was once nearly a Kansas City Chief. During the 2014 offseason, he allegedly had what was called a “handshake deal” with the team before seemingly shopping that around the league for a better one. I’ll admit, it left a bad taste in my mouth when the news hit that he had signed with the Denver Broncos. It was even worse when the details emerged he had supposedly shopped the Kansas City Chiefs offer around.

All that said, it’s water under the bridge. Not only have the Kansas City Chiefs now climbed the NFL’s highest peak in winning Super Bowl LIV, they did it facing Emmanuel Sanders. Ironically, had he made a different decision in 2014 he’d have been on the winning side. Either way, he’d still have one Super Bowl, but you get the point. What happened in the past should have no bearing on whether or not the team will sign him this offseason, assuming he can help the team.

Similarly to Bryant, he would not be needed as a primary option. He could serve easily as the third or fourth option in three-receiver sets. He possesses great quickness to beat defenders underneath and still possesses great long speed, as evidenced by one of the final plays for the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. If the Kansas City Chiefs were to bring him in, given his 2019 salary was roughly $10 million, he’d likely command a comparable deal on a yearly basis in free agency.