Patriots wide receiver Mohamed Sanu’s surgically repaired ankle looks good in recent workout videos

New England Patriots wide receiver Mohamed Sanu continues to make apparent progress in his rehabilitation process from a high-ankle sprain he suffered last November — one that forced him to miss one game and limited him throughout the rest of the 2019 season. The 30-year-old had his walking boot removed from the surgically repaired ankle in mid-May, and if judged by a recent series of workout videos seems to be moving with confidence and no visible limitations now:

The workouts captured on video were recorded earlier this week, and show the veteran go through standard fundamental pass-catching drills. While no actual high-speed running is involved, Sanu does look good making cuts on his previously injured left ankle and changing direction off of it — a positive sign when it comes to his availability for minicamp (in the unlikely event it takes place) and New England’s training camp, and also for his potential workload during the respective practice sessions.

When he hurt his ankle last November, Sanu was in his third game as a member of the Patriots: the veteran receiver started the 2019 season with the Atlanta Falcons, but was traded in exchange for a second-round draft pick in mid-October. While the Patriots paid a hefty price to acquire him, Sanu made an immediate impact upon his arrival and quickly filled the second receiver role alongside Julian Edelman.

In his first two games with the club, he caught 12 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. His ankle injury changed his trajectory, however. Even though Sanu eventually improved towards the end of the regular season, he failed to get on the same page as quarterback Tom Brady on numerous occasions — it can be presumed that his ankle played a role in this. Despite his quick start, therefore, the ex-Falcon ultimately finished his first half-season in New England in rather disappointing fashion.

All in all, he ended up having played 424 of a possible 692 offensive snaps (61.3%) between his arrival in Week 8 and the Patriots’ playoff departure on wild card weekend. Along the way, he caught 26 regular season passes for 207 yards and a touchdown as well as one 11-yard reception in his team’s lone postseason contest. Furthermore, Sanu also registered an 8-yard carry and returned 10 punts for a combined 77 yards.

Entering 2020, the veteran receiver is projected to be a top-three option at the position for the Patriots alongside Edelman and second-year man N’Keal Harry. While he carries a sizable salary cap hit of $6.5 million — one that could be addressed by the cash-strapped team over the course of the summer — the expectation is that he will get a chance to prove his value to a club that did not invest a draft selection at the position.