On March 10, 2016, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu signed a five-year, $32.5 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

This move was questioned by many fans. Some thought Sanu, while a capable second option, was not worth a price tag of about $6.5 million per year. But now that his first season with Atlanta has passed, let’s look at his stats, his impact and the market for WR2s to see if this signing was as controversial as fans thought.

Sanu’s 2016 Regular Season Stats

Sanu was targeted 81 times in 2016, converting 59 of those targets into catches for 653 yards and four touchdowns. This performance was good enough to rank No. 2 on the Falcons in both receiving yards and receptions. Also, 2016 was his second-highest season in terms receiving yards in his career and his best performance since 2014.

Obviously, Sanu will not find himself with a ticket to the Pro-Bowl or be the first pick in anyone’s fantasy draft with those numbers, but he filled his role as a second option receiver well. In fact, Sanu finished No. 66 in the NFL in receiving yards and No. 58 in the league for receptions, making him an overall above average receiver and solid option as a WR2.

However, while he did about the same as most No. 2 receivers around in the NFL, there was still much left to be desired. Sanu never had 100 yards in a game, and it seems like Sanu could’ve done more given everything Atlanta’s offense was doing.

For example, the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos both had two receivers eclipse 1,000 yards on the season. As dynamic as the 2016 Falcons offense was, if Sanu had stepped up as a more than a possession receiver it might have been unstoppable.

On the other hand, players like wide receivers Taylor Gabriel and Aldrick Robinson showed their versatility as deep threats and killers on screen plays, so perhaps Sanu didn’t need to step up as much as other second option receivers have to on their teams. Atlanta’s deep receiver corps may have played a role in some relatively mediocre production from Sanu.

Let’s take a deeper look.

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Sanu’s Impact in 2016

As any avid NFL fan knows, stats don’t tell the whole story. Looking past Sanu’s stat line, what did he really bring to the offense?

When you have an elite receiver like Julio Jones on your team, then opposing defenses are going to concentrate their efforts on him, meaning that a capable second option must be available when Jones is double and sometimes triple teamed throughout the game.

Sanu did serve as a nice compliment to Jones in this capacity. For example, in the second half of Atlanta’s regular season match-up with the Green Bay Packers, Jones was targeted by the Green Bay secondary and made practically unavailable. However, Sanu stepped up tallied 84 yards on nine catches, with six of them coming on the game-winning drive. Further, Sanu caught the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute.

Sanu can also command the respect of his side of the field to open up the field for other playmakers. He isn’t blindingly quick or exceedingly strong, but he is certainly a complete enough receiver to force the defense to commit to him. Also, Sanu serves as an athletic downfield blocker, adding to the effectiveness of the Atlanta offense on screens and stretch runs. He can be the one extra block on a play that is sometimes all the ball-carrier needs to turn a short run into a huge gain.

The Market for Second Option Wide Receivers

As previously mentioned, Sanu is on a five-year, $32.5 million contract, making about $6.5 million per year. How does this compare to other wide receivers who are ranked second on the depth chart?

Emmanuel Sanders, perhaps one of the best No. 2 receivers in the NFL, makes about $11 million per year on a three-year, $33 million contract. Though, Sanders has recorded three consecutive 1000+ yard seasons and could likely be a first option on other teams, making a solid argument for his large paycheck.

So, let’s look at some who is more similar to Sanu in terms of play style and production, rather than just a position on the depth chart. A fair comparison is Marvin Jones, a former teammate in Cincinnati and current Lion. His contract is $40 million over five years, making more than Sanu at $8 million per year. Now, Jones statistically outplayed Sanu in 2016, but Sanu has more competition around him for catches and Jones plays in a very pass-heavy Detroit offense.

Another comparison could be Tavon Austin, who plays for the Los Angeles Rams on a four-year $42 million contract, also making more than Sanu at $10.5 million per year.

The more examples found, the clearer it becomes that the wide receiver market is not rigidly structured by skill. Of course, the elite are at the top earning upwards of $13 million, but there are several second options not far down the list.

So, while Sanu’s contract isn’t exactly what fans want, it seems to be a fair comparison to what other teams are paying for a decent second option to support and complement their WR1.

The Bottom Line

Sanu didn’t gain a thousand yards, he didn’t throw a touchdown pass like he did in Cincinnati, and as a result, his contract didn’t sit well in some quarters.

However, he helped Atlanta in ways that don’t show up on a stat sheet and he performed as required, given a strong surrounding cast. Moreover, his contract may not be ideal, but it looks as if that the market for second option wide receivers has shifted in such a way that most capable WR2s will be bringing home a lot more bacon in the near future.