Emmanuel Sanders to visit Patriots*

Quote :

By Jamison Hensley | ESPN.com

The Pittsburgh Steelers expected to lose wide receiver Mike Wallace this offseason. They hadn't planned on his replacement possibly leaving as well.

Emmanuel Sanders, a restricted free agent, is visiting the Patriots* on Friday, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The Patriots*, who entered free agency among the top 10 teams in cap space, could make an offer to Sanders that the cap-strapped Steelers can't match.

The Steelers have the first right of refusal on any offer sheet for Sanders after placing the $1.3 million tender on him. If the Steelers don't match the offer, Pittsburgh would receive a third-round pick (where Sanders was drafted) in compensation.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/67240/steelers-emmanuel-sanders-visits-Patriots*

Now this is starting to get ridiculous!

They signed Brown for a reason. We'll just have to hope Sanders sticks around.

I've never been too big on Sanders, but since Wallace is gone, we need him more than not.

Quote :

Antonio Brown ‏@AntonioBrown84

Guess AB the last guy standing ! #SteelersNation

stlrtruck wrote:

Now this is starting to get ridiculous!

^this^

Found this


Steelers Depot ‏@Steelersdepot

@_ErikaLeigh is reporting that #Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders has an offer sheet from the #Patriots*



@BIG3Sports: Getting word that Emmanuel Sanders has signed an offer sheet with the #Patriots*.

fer69 wrote:

Found this


Steelers Depot ‏@Steelersdepot

@_ErikaLeigh is reporting that #Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders has an offer sheet from the #Patriots**



@BIG3Sports: Getting word that Emmanuel Sanders has signed an offer sheet with the #Patriots**.

Here's the latest from Steelers Depot:

Quote :

There have been several reports on Twitter in the last hour that state Pittsburgh Steelers restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has received an offer sheet from the New England Patriots*.

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports via Twitter that the Steelers have not be informed that Sanders has been presented an offer sheet by Patriots*, let alone signed one. He also reports that the Patriots* would have to notify the Steelers immediately when and if it happens.

http://sulia.com/channel/pittsburgh-steelers/f/7b8ee9a8-212c-4ef4-b838-84aec7743ff6/?source=twitter

Every time I see unconfirmed reports get treated like gospel, I always think of the "French model" commercial:

Woman: "They can't put anything on the Internet that isn't true."
Man: "Where did you hear that?"
Woman: "The Internet."

Dude! I love that commercial lol

Dulac is also saying that Sanders signed an offer sheet.

Quote :

Sanders could be headed to New England

The Steelers' once-promising situation at wide receiver could be falling apart faster than they imagined.

Three days after top receiver Mike Wallace signed a $60 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, No. 3 receiver Emmanuel Sanders has signed an offer sheet with the New England Patriots* that will force the Steelers to match the offer or let him go, too.

...

Sanders is a restricted free agent who received a $1,323,000 tender from the Steelers. That means if they decline to match the offer he received from the Patriots*, the Steelers would receive a third-round choice in this year's draft in return from the Patriots*.

If Sanders leaves, the Steelers would have only three wide receivers on their roster -- Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery and Plaxico Burress.

That would almost force them to sign a wide receiver in free agency and increase the chance they would take a receiver in one of the first two rounds of the draft

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-wr-sanders-could-be-headed-to-new-england-679537/#ixzz2Ng60IcFY

There's something missing from Dulac's article ... a source. Did he get it confirmed by someone within the Steelers organization? Or is he just trusting the reports that were circulating earlier?

This is from Mark Kaboly six hours ago:

Quote :

Mark Kaboly ‏@MarkKaboly_Trib

#Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders very well could've signed RFA offer with Pats*, but if he did, the Steelers haven't been informed yet.

Kaboly also said that the Steelers need to be notified immediately if Sanders receives an offer sheet. And since they hadn't been informed, that would contradict what Dulac and others reported. Then again, it's the Patriots* we're talking about. They don't always follow the rules.

Steelers Depot hits the nail on the head regarding the conflicting reports from Dulac and Kaboly:

Quote :

Steelers Depot ‏@Steelersdepot

@NEPD_Loyko Run with what you want, but both beat writers are very reliable. One is obviously wrong.

It could turn out that Sanders did in fact sign an offer sheet, but my gut is telling me that Dulac is the one who is "wrong," and that he's getting his information from the earlier reports (which might not have been correct). He certainly didn't state that he got it confirmed by the Steelers. Too many legitimate journalists are lazy anymore and put too much trust in what they read on the Internet without verifying it. Case in point ... the Boston Herald is now reporting that Sanders signed an offer sheet ... and they're using Dulac as their source.

Quote :

Report: Emmanuel Sanders signs Patriots***' offer sheet

By Jeff Howe / Boston Herald

Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders might be joining the Patriots***.

Sanders, a restricted free agent, visited Gillette Stadium yesterday and signed the Patriots***' offer sheet, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The terms aren't known.

That's lazy reporting. A reporter from the Boston Herald should have gotten it confirmed from the Patriots*** instead of just taking the word of a Post-Gazette reporter, who was probably taking the word of someone on Twitter. It could turn out that Sanders didn't receive and sign an offer sheet. Or it could turn out that he did. It's bad journalism either way.

Kaboly is handling it correctly ... he's not reporting it as fact until he gets it confirmed.

EDIT**
Dale Lolley of the Washington Observer Reporter is reporting that Sanders left New England WITHOUT an offer. Although he also doesn't cite a source for his information.

Quote :

by F. Dale Lolley
Sports Writer
dlolley@observer-reporter.com

When the Steelers placed a mid-level tender on restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, they did so knowing that there was an outside chance he could still sign elsewhere.

That possibility arose Friday when Sanders reportedly visited the New England Patriots**, according to ESPN.com.

The Steelers tendered Sanders an offer of $1.323 million prior to the start of free agency, guaranteeing them the right to match any offer he might receive. The Steelers would have five days to match the offer or receive a third-round draft pick – equal to the round in which they selected Sanders – in return.

Sanders left New England Friday without an offer, and of the 40 restricted free agents who were available in 2012, none changed teams.

That’s good news for the Steelers. Sanders will likely be counted on to ease the loss of free agent Mike Wallace to the Miami Dolphins.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130315/SPORTS0403/130319523#.UUQKA1ebphu

Quote :

Steelers Depot ‏@Steelersdepot

Hey @dlolleyor did Sanders leave without an offer or not? I have a better chance of Belichick responding to me than @gerrydulac

Quote :

Steelers Depot ‏@Steelersdepot

Maybe the #Patriots** signed Leon Sandcastle to an offer sheet instead.

This is entertaining.

bayz101 wrote:

This is entertaining.

Quote :

Not so fast on Emmanuel Sanders to New England

Posted by Michael David Smith

When we passed along the report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette saying Emmanuel Sanders had signed an offer sheet with the Patriots**, we noted that there was no information about the terms of Sanders’ offer sheet, and that no other media outlets had confirmed the report.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there’s a good reason for that: Sanders hasn’t actually signed an offer sheet with the Patriots**. The Observer-Reporter also reported that Sanders left New England without signing.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/16/not-so-fast-on-emmanuel-sanders-to-new-england/

Looks like Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald is eating some crow. Well, not exactly. He's just going to blame his bad reporting on Dulac's bad reporting.

Quote :

Jeff Howe / Boston Herald

Several outlets have shot down the notion that Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has signed an offer sheet with the Patriots****.

Early this morning, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported as much, but that has since been shot down by other outlets, including ESPN and CSNNE. We've made numerous attempts to gain information on the story, but have been unsuccessful so far.

http://bostonherald.com/sports/patriots_nfl/the_blitz/2013/03/update_reports_insist_emmanuel_sanders_has_not_signed_patriots

It's Journalism 101, fellas. If your mother says that she loves you, get a second source.

Wallace108 wrote:

Steelers Depot hits the nail on the head regarding the conflicting reports from Dulac and Kaboly:

Quote :

Steelers Depot ‏@Steelersdepot

@NEPD_Loyko Run with what you want, but both beat writers are very reliable. One is obviously wrong.

It could turn out that Sanders did in fact sign an offer sheet, but my gut is telling me that Dulac is the one who is "wrong," and that he's getting his information from the earlier reports (which might not have been correct). He certainly didn't state that he got it confirmed by the Steelers. Too many legitimate journalists are lazy anymore and put too much trust in what they read on the Internet without verifying it. Case in point ... the Boston Herald is now reporting that Sanders signed an offer sheet ... and they're using Dulac as their source.

Quote :

Report: Emmanuel Sanders signs Patriots****' offer sheet

By Jeff Howe / Boston Herald

Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders might be joining the Patriots****.

Sanders, a restricted free agent, visited Gillette Stadium yesterday and signed the Patriots****' offer sheet, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The terms aren't known.

That's lazy reporting. A reporter from the Boston Herald should have gotten it confirmed from the Patriots**** instead of just taking the word of a Post-Gazette reporter, who was probably taking the word of someone on Twitter. It could turn out that Sanders didn't receive and sign an offer sheet. Or it could turn out that he did. It's bad journalism either way.

Kaboly is handling it correctly ... he's not reporting it as fact until he gets it confirmed.

EDIT**
Dale Lolley of the Washington Observer Reporter is reporting that Sanders left New England WITHOUT an offer. Although he also doesn't cite a source for his information.

Quote :

by F. Dale Lolley
Sports Writer
dlolley@observer-reporter.com

When the Steelers placed a mid-level tender on restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, they did so knowing that there was an outside chance he could still sign elsewhere.

That possibility arose Friday when Sanders reportedly visited the New England Patriots***, according to ESPN.com.

The Steelers tendered Sanders an offer of $1.323 million prior to the start of free agency, guaranteeing them the right to match any offer he might receive. The Steelers would have five days to match the offer or receive a third-round draft pick – equal to the round in which they selected Sanders – in return.

Sanders left New England Friday without an offer, and of the 40 restricted free agents who were available in 2012, none changed teams.

That’s good news for the Steelers. Sanders will likely be counted on to ease the loss of free agent Mike Wallace to the Miami Dolphins.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130315/SPORTS0403/130319523#.UUQKA1ebphu

Hey Wally, HOLD IT!! HOLD EVERYTHING!! THAT'S MY ICON, REMEMBER??? Oh my, I just had to put that in there for good measure. And here's hoping Sanders stays with us. Now then, for really good measure

SteelerEmpire wrote:

I've never been too big on Sanders, but since Wallace is gone, we need him more than not.

This is true but I am sure we will address this issue in the draft.

Quote :

Kevin Colbert: Steelers haven’t gotten offer sheet for Sanders

Posted by Josh Alper

There were some reports earlier this weekend that the Patriots** had signed Steelers restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to an offer sheet.

Those reports were quickly rebutted by those that said no offer sheet had been extended and Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert confirmed that remains the case on Sunday. Bob Labriola of the Steelers website reports that Colbert said the team has not received an offer sheet for Sanders from anyone, which means Sanders hasn’t yet signed a deal with anyone else.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/17/kevin-colbert-says-steelers-havent-gotten-offer-sheet-for-sanders/

Wow, after days of conflicting reports, I'm not quite sure why it took so long to get a definitive answer from either the Steelers or the Patriots*.

I'm really enjoying this story. For me, the story isn't even about Sanders anymore. The story is the inept journalists.

Quote :

Emmanuel Sanders still hasn't received offer sheet from Patriots***

By Jeff Howe / Boston Herald

The Patriots*** still haven't made an official move on Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said today the team has not received an offer sheet from Sanders, according to Steelers Depot. This merely clarifies a situation that was the subject of conflicting reports yesterday.

http://bostonherald.com/sports/patriots_nfl/the_blitz/2013/03/emmanuel_sanders_still_hasnt_received_offer_sheet_from

Wait ... a Boston Herald reporter who covers the Patriots*** is using a Steelers blog site as a source?

I'm sure Steelers Depot appreciates the plug, but Dave Bryan simply made a blog post on what Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest had Tweeted. Steelers Depot was just commenting on the report ... it wasn't the source of the report.

It's unbelievable how bad some of these reporters are. We're talking about basic stuff here. Things you learn in basic journalism classes.

It's laziness, Wallace. Not the first time I've seen bad reporting, and it's not the first time I've seen bad reporting in Pittsburgh.

I'm kind liking the idea of getting a 3R pick in return

bayz101 wrote:

It's laziness, Wallace. Not the first time I've seen bad reporting, and it's not the first time I've seen bad reporting in Pittsburgh.

Journalism is like any other profession. You've got great, bad, and everything in between. As a whole, the Trib reporters are much better than the Post-Gazette reporters. Dulac is usually pretty reliable, but he crapped the bed on this one. I'd put Kaboly at the top of the list as far as good reporters in Pittsburgh.

fer69 wrote:

I'm kind liking the idea of getting a 3R pick in return

Not me. I don't feel like changing my sig pic again.

Wallace108 wrote:

fer69 wrote:

I'm kind liking the idea of getting a 3R pick in return

Not me. I don't feel like changing my sig pic again.