Could the Broncos get Emmanuel Sanders signed soon?

Could the Denver Broncos find a way to get Emmanuel Sanders locked up long term sooner rather than later? There is optimism a deal will get done…

Von Miller’s contract situation is not the only one at the forefront right now for the Denver Broncos, as wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is entering a contract year and is one of the most important players on the team.

With a young quarterback, having premiere talent around him will be paramount. The Broncos obviously know that, which is why they have made the offensive weaponry a priority the last two years; signing Demaryius Thomas to a long term contract, doing the same for C.J. Anderson, and investing in a former Pro Bowl left tackle in Russell Okung.

With that being said, one more year of Emmanuel Sanders followed by an exit from the city that has been his platform for NFL breakthrough would not be in the best interests of Paxton Lynch, the team’s first round pick in 2016.

If Lynch is to have success, he will need veteran leadership around him and players who can help get him through the rough learning curve going from college to the NFL.

Sanders, as we saw last year, should be a major part of that.

Despite the Broncos’ struggles at quarterback last season, Sanders finished the year with an average yards per catch of just under 15, which is the highest of his NFL career. Even though he caught 25 fewer passes from a year ago with Peyton Manning mostly healthy in 2014, Sanders was phenomenal for the Broncos and deserves long-term stability with his contract situation.

The Broncos probably aren’t overly interested in paying $11 million annually for Sanders or any no. 2 receiver in this offense, but they could probably get a deal done by offering him more guaranteed money on a short-term contract.

The highest paid receivers in the league are Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas, and Dez Bryant. A.J. Green is close behind, but the top three are making over $32 million in guarantees. Green and Vincent Jackson are close behind at over $26 million in guarantees.

The next level behind those guys is somewhere between $22 and 23 million in guarantees. I’ve referenced Jeremy Maclin in particular before, who signed a contract that could be a good starting point for the Broncos and Sanders.

As numbers have already been discussed and Sanders has yet to accept, it’s likely he’s waiting for the most possible guaranteed money as this should be his final big money deal. The Broncos should oblige, offering him upwards of $24 million in guarantees perhaps on a four-year deal worth around $40 million, which would appease all parties. The Broncos would be getting a $1 million discount on Sanders based on the market that has recently been set by guys like Allen Hurns, Keenan Allen, and others, and Sanders would be getting more guaranteed money than any of them.

Troy Renck took some questions on Twitter Saturday afternoon, and told me that he thinks there have been ‘good’ discussions between the two parties…

The recent contracts being handed out have probably made the Broncos look ‘cheap’ to other agents around the league, but John Elway has to hold firm to keep the core of this team together. Meeting Sanders in the middle with more guaranteed money could be the way to get the deal done.