According to multiple sources, former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has been signed by the Philadelphia Eagles. Sanchez, 33-29 in four seasons as the Jets starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, was released by his former team on Friday, just minutes before confirming that they signed former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. Sanchez will arrive in Philadelphia as the back-up to 2013 quarterback sensation Nick Foles.
Why this is the right move: by guest blogger
Mark Sanchez is essentially the best backup quarterback the Eagles could’ve hoped for. While he may not have been the most talented quarterback in the class (that award would’ve gone to Michael Vick), nor the most reliable (Josh McCown), he is a solid NFL quarterback willing to accept his role as a backup and fight his way up from there.
In today’s NFL, it is becoming more and more important to have a good backup QB, and Sanchez has all of the right traits. Experience? You got it. He has started 62 games in the past five years. Competency? No problem. Sanchez is adequately accurate (much better than his career 55.1% completion would indicate) and does not hold the ball too long (looking at you Mike Vick). The bottom line is that Sanchez has the skills to help the Eagles survive if/when Foles goes down, and the Eagles couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Why this is the wrong move: by benspn.com owner, Ben D
This is undoubtedly the wrong move. The Eagles gave $2.25 million to a quarterback who hasn’t played in a year, but the last year he played he had a league-low 25.8 QBR. The only reason the Eagles signed Sanchez was because their coach, Chip Kelly, liked how Mark Sanchez played in college at The University of Southern California (USC). Sanchez, who is perhaps most famous for running into his right guard’s butt on Thanksgiving Day, 2012, will probably not even start for the Eagles all season, and will leave for a different team in the offseason. He’ll probably stick around just long enough to ensure a QB controversy this preseason and anytime Nick Foles struggles, which the Eagles don’t need. (Mark Sanchez has already made news in the Eagles organization by publicly saying “I always want to be the starter.”).
The Eagles probably could have went for a potential starter, Josh McCown for just about $2.75 million more. McCown, in the eight games he played last year, had the highest total quarterback rating in the league, (yes, even higher than Peyton Manning who had a record-setting year), with a 85.1. That’s a 60-point QBR difference between McCown and Sanchez. The Eagles could have gotten a quarterback who had a 85.1 QBR last year for just $5 million a year. Now let me put that in perspective: Ben Roethlisberger had a 54.3 QBR last year, but got payed $11.6 million. Josh McCown had a 85.1 QBR last year, and signed with Tampa Bay for only $5 million, which the Eagles could have afforded. The Eagles made the wrong move, and for that they will suffer.