3 tough decisions facing 49ers in 2020 NFL free agency
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Wide Receiver Emmanuel Sanders
The 49ers went all in on veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders just prior to the 2019 NFL trade deadline, bringing him aboard from the Denver Broncos for a third-round pick and a pick swap between Rounds 4 and 5.
Since then, Sanders has been a force within Kyle Shanahan’s offense, finishing off his regular-season campaign in San Francisco with 36 catches for 502 yards and three touchdowns. And the Niners passing offense took off once Sanders joined the fray.
Simply put, the 49ers struck gold with the deal.
Beyond this postseason, though, it’s an entirely different question. Sanders is scheduled to hit free agency once his current three-year, $33 million deal the Niners absorbed runs out.
Sanders will turn 33 years old before training camp begins in 2020. That could play into San Francisco’s benefit, as he might command much less on the market, given his age. Plus, considering the NFL Draft is laden with promising wide receiver prospects, Sanders’ value might be small enough to warrant the 49ers giving him a modest two- or three-year deal.
If Sanders doesn’t sign, however, the Niners could always dip into that NFL Draft pool, or they can at least bank on receiving an eventual compensatory pick, should Sanders depart in free agency, which is what Niner Noise’s Akshaj Dwivedula pointed out shortly after the trade was made.
Still, it’s going to be a tough decision when considering the kind of impact Sanders provided in the second half of 2019.