Sanu to undergo surgery
High ankle sprain may be worse than initially thought
INDIANAPOLIS — Patriots wide receiver Mohamed
Sanu failed to make the impact expected of him last season due to a high ankle sprain he suffered in his third game with the team.
Sanu’s injury may have been even worse than originally thought.
According to an ESPN report, Sanu will undergo surgery to remedy the sprain, which has failed to heal this offseason. The 30year-old wideout went down on a punt return at Philadelphia in Week 11. He missed the Pats’ following game against Dallas, then caught 13 passes over their six remaining games.
Sanu finished with 26 receptions for 207 yards and one touchdown in New England. He opened the year catching 33 balls for 313 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons.
Sanu is entering the final year of his contract. The Patriots can create $6 million in cap room by releasing him. If Sanu returns, he should rank second on the team’s depth chart after
Julian Edelman, pending freeagent additions this offseason.
Two weeks before his injury, Sanu broke out in a 10-catch performance during the team’s Week 9 loss at Baltimore. He appeared ready to break the mold as a newly-acquired Pats wideout who makes an instant impact. In a late October trade with Atlanta, the Patriots traded a second-round pick for him.
Sanu had long been coveted by the team, which eventually lost 14-13 to the Titans in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. In that game, Sanu caught one pass on five targets for 11 yards.
An ‘awkward’ visit
Alabama safety Xavier McKinney has become a popular mock selection for the Patriots in the first round of
April’s draft. The Pats could use an infusion of youth at the position, and McKinney and LSU’s Grant Delpit are the top-ranked safeties in this year’s class.
While Delpit has not met with the Patriots, McKinney shared with reporters Friday how his formal interview with the team went this week.
“That was one of the harder meetings that I had. It was a little tough, a little awkward. But (Patriots assistant and former Crimson Tide safety) Vinnie Sunseri was in there, so it just made me a little more comfortable just knowing that I’ve been in the room with him plenty of other times.”
Why was it awkward? “Just towards the end I wasn’t sure if they enjoyed the meeting or if I did well,” McKinney said. “You kind of walk out of these meetings kind of uncertain sometimes. But I think that’s just how it goes. You just try to do the best you can.”
McKinney also revealed Crimson Tide head coach
Nick Saban, a longtime confidant of Bill Belichick‘s, frequently mentioned Belichick in meetings at Alabama. The defense also watched film of the Patriots to help further their own dynasty in the college ranks.
Moss to have surgery
Two sons of past Patriots received bad news at the combine this week. LSU tight end Thaddeus
Moss, son of Hall of Fame wide receiver and former Patriot Randy Moss, was found to have a broken bone in his right foot. He will undergo surgery. Moss is a projected mid-to-late-round pick.
Florida wide receiver Van
Jefferson, whose father is former Pats wideout Shawn
Jefferson, was discovered to have a fracture in his foot during a physical at the combine. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks after surgery next week. Both are potential targets for the Patriots in this year’s draft.