Broncos moving on without Sanders, now with the 49ers
Emmanuel Sanders’ production will be missed in Denver. His presence, maybe not.
Linebacker Von Miller said he’s OK with the trade of Sanders to the 49ers with the Broncos off to a 25 start.
“It’s what was best for Emmanuel and it’s what was best for the team,” Miller said Friday. “We’ve been going through a tough patch here. We just want to get it right. We want people that want to get it right with us. We want people that want to be Broncos.
“We have a really good roster of young players. We get (linebacker Bradley) Chubb back next year. We’re going to get it right and we want people that want to get it right with us.”
Sanders asked for a trade earlier this month, and general manager John Elway granted his request Tuesday when he acquired 2020 third and fourthround draft picks for the 32yearold receiver and a fifthround draft pick next year.
While trading away a player who no longer wanted to be in Denver could be good for the locker room, the Broncos will miss him on the football field based on how they fared without him in recent seasons.
Since Sanders’ arrival as one of Elway’s best class of free agents in 2014, the Broncos have played nine games without him due to injury.
They won the first one, in 2015 at Chicago, in Brock Osweiler’s first NFL start. Sanders returned the following week and helped the Broncos continue on their path to a win in the Super Bowl. He missed four games each in 2017 and 2018 and the Broncos went 08 in those games — they were 1113 with him in the lineup.
Unlike Miller, offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello was effusive in his praise of Sanders this week, saying, “I had a great talk with him when he left here. I’m excited for him and his new opportunity and I appreciate the relationship and everything he was. Like I said a couple of times, he was a warrior, he was a pro and he worked his butt off. It’s just kind of where we’re at and … he’s a great one and he’s going to help the Niners greatly.”
Osemele has surgery: New York Jets guard Kelechi Osemele had surgery on his ailing right shoulder despite the team not approving the procedure. The operation to repair a torn labrum was performed Friday in Boston, Osemele’s agent, Andrew Kessler, said.
The Jets were made aware of Osemele going forward with his plan to have surgery. But since he was not with the team Friday and the surgery wasn’t approved, the Jets reportedly consider it an unexcused absence.
“Right now I’m just not going to comment on it,” head coach Adam Gase said. “Once we get through this game, we’ll deal with that. I’m worried about” playing Jacksonville on Sunday.
Briefly: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan returned to practice from a right ankle sprain and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. For Seattle, pass rusher Ziggy Ansah (ankle) and starting right guard D.J. Fluker are ready to go after they missed time with injuries . ... The Jaguars will be without two starting linebackers and a backup against the Jets on Sunday. Coach Doug Marrone ruled out weakside starter Najee Goode (toe), strongside starter Leon Jacobs (hamstring) and backup Quincy Williams (hamstring).