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Nashville – So now that the Jets have announced Greg McElroy as their starting quarterback for their game on Sunday against San Diego, what does the future hold for Mark Sanchez . . .
Mike Tannenbaum was sitting right in back of me in the press box in Nashville.
I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask him, but haven’t had a chance yet.
But this wasn’t the proper environment to approach him. He was watching the game
But at some point I’d like to get his side of the story, on his thinking on the Mark Sanchez contract extension that guarantees the quarterback $20.5 million this year and next.
Sanchez has essentially had his second bad year in a row, and it’s hard to see Rex anointing him the starter in 2013, especially with his performance against Tennessee, and his proclivity to commit turnovers.
And if Greg McElroy (pictured above with reporter Larry Hardesty) plays well in the Jets last two games, he would have to be considered the front runner to be the Jets starter in 2013. However, he will likely have to win a QB competition with somebody, either a high draft pick, a free agent (like Chase Daniel –who went to the same Texas high school as McElroy), or a high draft pick.
It’s probably not going to be Tim Tebow.
However, it’s hard to figure what the Jets are going to do with Sanchez next year.
“There is no way — and I mean no way — the Jets can get rid of Sanchez,” said Mike Lombardi of the NFL Network. “Thanks to the awful contract they negotiated, he’s guaranteed $8.25 million next year, and they’d reportedly take a huge cap hit if they were to release him.”
The Jets only options are a trade or releasing him after June 1, which would allow them to defer some of the money.
And if the Jets trade Sanchez, they will likely have to pick up a big chunk of Mark’s contract. No suitor is going to want to pay him $8.25 guaranteed.
Also, it’s highly unlikely Sanchez would take a pay cut to stay with the Jets.
There is a good chance that Sanchez camp, agent David Dunn and company, feels the problem this year is the lack of weapons, not the quarterback.
The only leverage the Jets have, when it comes to a pay cut, is to tell Sanchez, “Unless you take a pay cut, we WILL NOT ALLOW YOU to compete for the starting job. You will be the #2.”
Perhaps Mark’s hunger to compete for the starting job would lead him to take a cut.
But honestly, he’d be miserable as a backup with the Jets. To me, he seems like a guy who need to get out of Dodge, get out of the New York market.
As I mentioned in Jets Confidential Magazine recently, I think a perfect landing spot for Sanchez would be in Seattle to backup Russell Wilson.
The Jets should offer Sanchez for Matt Flynn, and have Flynn compete with McElroy for the starting job.
Flynn signed with Seattle (from Green Bay), for the chance to start, but then Pete Carroll fell in love with Russell Wilson, and the rest is history.
Flynn probably wants to get out of there. While he was a good soldier this year, you know he doesn’t want to back up Wilson long term. He didn’t go to Seattle with that job in mind.
So I would try to trade Sanchez to Seattle for Wilson. Obviously Carroll and Sanchez know each other well from their time at USC together.
And Sanchez, with 41 career starts, has the earmarks of a very good backup. You don’t find a lot of backups with this kind of starting experience.
Flynn is scheduled to make $7.25 next year ($2 million guaranteed).
This trade makes sense.
Another possible landing spot for Sanchez could be Arizona.
They could draft a quarterback, and let Sanchez “hold-the-fort” until the kid is ready.
Also, Sanchez in Arizona, would be good from a marketing standpoint for the Cardinals. The state of Arizona has a huge Mexican population. Sanchez is of Mexican descent.
This is going to be one of those Jets’ off-seasons loaded with intrigue, but then again, most are.
December 18, 2012
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