Emmanuel Sanders' contract talks with the Broncos are reportedly on hold

Sanders previously stated that he wants a new deal but will not hold out to get it

A few weeks ago, Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders let it be known that although he would like a new contract that pays him in accordance with his production, he's not going to hold out to get it -- he's going to keep right on playing. It appears the Broncos are going to take him up on that offer.

Mike Klis of 9News in Colorado, in responding to a mailbag question about the contract statuses of both Sanders and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, indicated that for now, contract discussions between the Broncos and Sanders' representatives are on hold.

Could the reason behind the "low" guaranteed money in Von Millers contract proposal be that the guaranteed money has to go into an escrow account? Perhaps they don't have the required cash on hand to pony up for Miller's guaranteed money, plus Brandon Marshall's guaranteed money, plus Emmanuel Sanders' guaranteed money. That would appear to be a rather large outlay that has to be escrowed. Perhaps, they don't have enough cash on hand to fund those guarantees?

Big fan in NY, previously Roxborough Park.Geoff Grieble

Geoff--You're right, the full guaranteed money -- which consists of signing bonus that might be paid out in installments, and future salaries that are secured against skill/injury/salary cap - must be funded.

Is this a factor in Miller's case? All teams open negotiations by trying not to put too much money upfront. Escrow is one reason. Keeping the carrot dangled in front of the player is another.

An inordinate amount of guaranteed money can doom a team, no question. But are the Broncos hurting for money? Not since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement they're not.

Contract talks with Sanders, by the way, have been put on hold. Not off, but on hold. He is scheduled to make $5.6 million in the final year of his contract this season.

Sanders is set to be the 25th-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL during the 2016 season, tied with new Lions wideout Marvin Jones. During the two years he has played on his current Broncos contract, Sanders ranks eighth in the NFL in catches, sixth in receiving yards, and tied for 19th in receiving touchdowns. In other words, his play has far outplayed his level of pay. The Broncos are pretty lucky he's not willing to sit out to get a new deal, because they'd probably have to find a way to give him one.