At the start of the offseason Mohamed Sanu told Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson he'd come to training camp "a different player." Sanu did just that.
After getting passed on the depth chart by Marvin Jones late last season, Sanu responded. The 6-2, 210-pounder showed up quicker and faster entering his third season. He had a "monster" camp, per the team's website.
Go back to the second preseason game, and watch Sanu blow by Jets corner Kyle Wilson for a 43-yard touchdown. Sanu beat Wilson so cleanly off the line, he had to slow down and wait for Andy Dalton's throw.
In the third preseason game, Sanu led Cincy with five catches for 70 yards in the first half. His seven targets trailed leader A.J. Green by one. (The starters didn't play in the second half).
With Marvin Jones out until at least Week 5, Sanu is an every-down player.
"Mo’s done a great job," Dalton said of Sanu, who has seven catches for 126 yards and a touchdown in the preseason. "It’s unfortunate Marvin’s out, but Mo has stepped up and played really well. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him, and everybody knows what A.J. (Green) can do, but having another guy like that that’s coming up and making big plays is exactly what we need."
ESPN.com expects Cincy to use Sanu in multiple ways. "In addition to catching, Sanu has been impressive passing and running both on reverses off the edge and out of the backfield as a Wildcat quarterback," the website said.
Sanu has an attractive early-season schedule: at Baltimore (with its banged-up secondary), vs. Atlanta, vs. Tennessee. An increasing number of leagues use an extra flex. In those and other deep leagues -- 14 or more teams -- Sanu is well worth a late-round flier.
