Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sanchez's job security
By Tim Kavanagh
By now, we know that the New York Jets are essentially stuck with QB Mark Sanchez on the roster, owing to the guarantees inherent in his contract. But what remains to be determined is how exactly he fits on the depth chart. Will he be the starter? Or will they target another option to compete with him?
The Jets are expected to release some veterans with high cap figures prior to the start of the league year, which will give them some additional space to make a big move or two. But one wonders how interested they'd be in acquiring someone like Alex Smith, whose cap figure combined with Sanchez's would mean around $20 million would be tied up on the two of them at the same position. A more likely strategy is targeting a lower-cost free agent like Matt Moore, or Matt Flynn, who will cost less both in salary and in the trade package required to acquire him from Seattle.
The other route of player acquisition is the draft, and as ESPN AFC East blogger James Walker notes, it isn't apparent that any of the QBs in this season's class would necessarily be a better option than Sanchez:
James Walker
AFC East Offseason Stock Watch"Perhaps no AFC East player had a tougher 2012 season than Sanchez. First, there was the Tim Tebow pressure. Then, Sanchez underperformed and regressed as a player. But things are surprisingly looking up for Sanchez. The rookie quarterback class is getting awful reviews and the veteran market for quarterbacks continues to shrink. The Jets also lack the cap room to acquire a big name like Alex Smith. The best chance New York has of adding respectable veteran competition is trading for Matt Flynn of the Seattle Seahawks. But Sanchez probably likes his chances against Flynn or any rookie in 2013 to keep his job. "
