3 Saints who could surprisingly be cut before the 2021 season

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 13: Emmanuel Sanders #17 of the New Orleans Saints looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 13, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 13: Emmanuel Sanders #17 of the New Orleans Saints looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 13, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Emmanuel Sanders

The wide receiver corps for the Saints last year was mediocre at best. After Michael Thomas went down with an injury and later discipline issues, the wide receivers on the team suffered. Alvin Kamara ended up leading the team in receptions and yards.

Emmanuel Sanders led the wide receivers in receptions and yards, but it was nowhere near impressive. They signed him in free agency last year to a 2-year, $24 million contract. The question is, “Is he playing up to that contract?”

Unfortunately, Sanders might be a casualty of the cap space of the Saints. They could draft a wide receiver in the third or fourth round to replace Tre’Quan Smith and Smith showed enough to warrant the Saints moving him back up to the No. 2 receiver.

Because of this, the Saints should save the $12 million and release Sanders ahead of this season, move Smith up, and draft another receiver. This would be more of a long-term solution instead of paying a lot for a short-term solution.

With the quarterback change that is taking place, they need to plan more for the future than the now.