Falcons wide receiver could be an Arizona Cardinals trade target

Due to some cap space restraints, the Atlanta Falcons might have to part ways with one of their most consistent players; Mohamed Sanu. If they do, expect the Arizona Cardinals to be a partner in trade talks.

The Atlanta Falcons have been busy in the off-season trimming the roster of players with a high cap hit. The Arizona Cardinals, on the other hand, are familiar with their releases as they have signed two released Falcons during the 2019 off-season in Robert Alford and Brooks Reed.

With only $4.9 in cap space, per Over The Cap, the Falcons have already cut offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder to afford their ’19 draft class, but they will need to do more to pay for extensions to Julio Jones, Deion Jones, and Keanu Neal. Cue receiver Mohamed Sanu who is now more expendable than ever after you consider his $7.65 million cap hit, and the recent drafting of Calvin Ridley.

For the Cardinals, acquiring the 29-year-old Sanu projects as an upgrade to their wide receiver corps. He can work both the inside and outside of the field and has produced in multiple different NFL offenses. As a second or third option for the Bengals and Falcons, Sanu has tallied at least 650+ yards and four touchdowns four times through his career, three of those in the past three seasons.

While Sanu isn’t and shouldn’t be looked at as a top option in an NFL offense, he can help open up the Cardinals offense. His smooth route running and consistent play would be a welcome addition to a team that has had to trot out Chad Williams and J.J. Nelson on the outside in recent years.

Due to the nature of the Falcons limited cap space and a stable of talent at wide receiver, acquiring Sanu wouldn’t be too expensive for the Cardinals. The asking price should be in the range of a mid-round pick in this or next year’s draft. His cap hit if traded would be $6 million in ’19, and $7.9 million in ’20, per Over The Cap.

Other Falcons could be on the trade block as well, including Vic Beasley, Ricardo Allen, and even Desmond Trufant. Simply put, the Cardinals-Falcons ’19 off-season relationship might be far from over.