No, there is no official announcement until next week, but Sanders is such a shoe in for this award it isn't even funny; especially when you look at the field of candidates.
I'm sure other players have better stats, like the Pats Mike Vrabel. Then again, if Bob Sanders played in a division with the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets he'd have some pretty impressive stats too. Other candidates like Albert Haynesworth, DeMarcus Ware, and the immortal Patrick Kerney (somewhere, TheSportsGuru is crying) also don't stand up to Bob. While all are fine defenders, they do not have the same effect on a game Sanders has. Haynesworth's candidacy should be immediately dismissed because he's sucked his whole career until now, which just happens to be a contract year. Kerney has a bunch of sacks, but if he's a candidate, then let's just throw in Mario Williams (13.5 sacks) as well.
Oh wait, to do that would make every draft day guru (from Mel Kiper to Sean Salisbury to Jeremy Green to... oh, well just about every other ESPN employee) look like a bunch of babbling idiots for saying Williams has a bust before he ever played a down.
The reason Bob will win this award (and if he doesn't, the award is officially meaningless and falls to Pro Bowl status) is this:
This season, Sanders has stayed on the field -- he missed one game with a rib injury -- and his presence can't be overstated. A defense in constant flux because of offseason free agent losses and in-season injuries is one of the NFL's best: third in total yards, first against the pass, fourth in points allowed.
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