Negotiations between the Broncos and contract-year wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders appear to gaining traction, as multiple sources tell Mike Klis of 9NEWS that the two parties ” are not far apart in terms of average salary.” However, there is a disagreement over the guarantees and the structure of the contract, according to Klis.
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The issue sounds similar to what the Broncos experienced when negotiating with star edge rusher Von Miller, as though the two sides in that scenario had largely agreed on the framework of a contract, details had to be hammered out. General manager John Elway over the weekend pointed to Tavon Austin‘s four-year, $42MM extension with the Rams as a potential baseline, and that deal contained $17MM in full guarantees.
As Klis points out, however, the pacts recently signed by Austin, Allen Hurns, Keenan Allen, and Doug Baldwin aren’t perfectly analogous to Sanders’ situations. Each of those other pass-catchers was between the age of 24 and 27 when he signed on the dotted line, while Sanders will turn 30 in March.
In two seasons in Denver, Sanders has hauled in 177 receptions, 2,500-plus yards and 15 touchdowns in 31 games. In addition to his regular-season prowess, Sanders piled up 16 catches for 230 yards in three games during the Broncos’ run to the Super Bowl last winter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.