According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Steelers fourth year receiver Emmanuel Sanders has signed a one year offer sheet from the New England Patriots. If the reports are true, Pittsburgh has five days to match the offer or lose Sanders, a restricted free agent, in-exchange for the Patriots’ third round draft pick.

Sanders caused quite a stir and a bit of a panic in Steelers Nation during the end of Week 1 of free agency when he visited New England and was rumored to have signed a deal.

• However, those rumors of Sanders defection appeared to be unfounded and the story quieted down….until now.

According to Schefter’s sources, the money in the deal shouldn’t scare the Steelers away from signing Sanders if they want him to return, which they might, considering Mike Wallace was signed away by Miami last month, and Sanders’ departure would leave the team with three veteran receivers–Antonio Brown, Plaxico Burress and Jerricho Cotchery–heading into the 2013 season.

And to compound matters, tight end Heath Miller suffered a serious knee injury in the next-to-last game of the 2012 season and isn’t expected to be ready in time for the upcoming campaign.

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