When speaking to the media Monday via conference call, new Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg put Sanchez at the pole position.
“Mark will probably have just a little bit of a leg up it would appear,” he said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “... There are a select few on this football team that have kind of earned the right to step in there as No. 1 on the depth chart, but I certainly would like competition at all the other spots, including the quarterback spot.” (photo: Nick St. Denis)
With a thin free agent/trade block group that got even thinner due to the Alex Smith trade and the Miami Dolphins' re-signing Matt Moore combined with an already weaker draft class, Sanchez really didn't have a whole lot to threaten him. That's compounded with head coach Rex Ryan's love for his first ever first-round pick and the fact that teammates, including the Jets' best player, still think he can get it done.
[Update: Veteran quarterback David Garrard signs with Jets]
Comments from Ryan here and new general manager John Idzik here insinuated Sanchez was the favorite, and now he has the blessing of his immediate supervisor.
“Mark’s got a lot of strengths,” Mornhinweg said. “He’s played at a high level. Our job is to get him to play at a high level at a consistent basis.”
Sanchez was very good in postseason action in 2009 and 2010, but he's been outstandingly bad in four regular seasons, minus a handful of rather impressive fourth quarter comebacks sprinkled in the middle.
