Bengals Free Agency 2016: Patriots and Mohamed Sanu have mutual interest

It's looking more and more like Cincinnati Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu will be playing for another team in 2016.

Though the Bengals have never gotten great production out of Sanu, they have gotten bursts of great play from him over the course of his four-year career in the Queen City. Between his talents as a pass-catcher, a runner on reverse handoffs and even as a wildcat quarterback, Sanu is a man of many talents who could thrive in an offense with the right personnel in place.

The mad scientist know as Bill Belichick would certainly find effective ways for using Sanu, so it makes sense the New England Patriots and Sanu reportedly share mutual interest in each other, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

As such, the Patriots and Sanu have expressed mutual interest during the free agency negotiation period, according to sources. However, like it always is, the question will be about the money. The former Bengal has been courted by several teams, and it could take $5 million per year to sign him, particularly because of a thin crop of free-agent wideouts.

Sanu has been a good player for the Bengals, but you don't want to pay big money to a guy who averages 45 catches for 546 yards and 2.3 touchdowns per season from 2013-15 while playing in every game. If the Patriots pay him more money than the Bengals are offering, that's their decision and that'll be a nice payday for Sanu.

It's just unlikely the Bengals will be handing out a lot of money for a guy who would be their third or potentially fourth receiving option and hasn't exactly lit the world on fire.

Then again, with Marvin Jones leaving to sign with the Detroit Lions, maybe the Bengals reverse course and make one last push for Sanu. It's still early, so hopefully Sanu hasn't completely shut the door on re-signing with Cincinnati.