It never ceases to amaze me how long a decent quarterback can hang on to his career in the NFL. Some QBs don’t get run out of the league until they are close to drawing social security, like Mark Brunnell, who was employed as an NFL quarterback for 19 seasons. Mark Sanchez is not 82 years old like Brunnell, but he is not exactly what teams are looking for in a quarterback. He has seemingly lost his confidence and in the eyes of most experts, has no chance of starting in the NFL again. Luckily for the former USC star, backup QBs are essential in a league with 250 pound linebackers that like to blindside a starting quarterback anytime they can.
The Philadelphia Eagles did not wait too long to pick up Sanchez, who was cut by the New York Jets over a week ago. Nick Foles is the main guy in Philly so Sanchez is sure of his role, that of back up. The Eagles did some cutting themselves, as they let Mike Vick go since he was due big money this year. Vick was scheduled to make about $10 million to hold a clipboard, while Foles tries to run roughshod through defenses. The bean counters in Philadelphia could not allow Vick to stay under those conditions, so off he went. Sanchez is basically a cheaper back up for Foles, since he is about $6 million cheaper than Vick would have been in 2014 for the Eagles. Funny how free agency can make it possible to ship a guy off then bring in another guy to do the same job for less pay. That is modern day free agency in the NFL, like it or not.
Everyone in Philadelphia is expecting Nick Foles to straight crush defenses like he did in 2013. But rational fans know how quick a QB can go from hero to goat. I have seen it happen before, a quarterback with the golden touch one year, looks like he is incapable of reading a defense the next. In cases like that it is better to have a veteran backup than some hack that has never taken a snap in the pros. Mark Sanchez may not be the first guy that comes to mind to take your team on a game winning drive anymore but he is a serviceable back up. I know that sounds like a back handed compliment but serviceable backups are a great thing to have around in the NFL. Having a backup that has played in two AFC title games is even better. Sanchez is still the same guy who did that, he has just lost some confidence and been on the bad side of fortune the past two years.
The Eagles are going to still be players in the free agent market since they just released their best receiver, DeSean Jackson. Allegedly, Jackson is affiliated with several gang members, which is apparently not the best idea when you are employed by an NFL team. Franchises tend to distance themselves from Crips’ & Bloods’ activities. Oh, and the Eagles basically said that Jackson was lazy and a prick to be around. Their words, not mine. Just a week ago, Jackson was feeling good about the talk he had with head coach Chip Kelly. Obviously those talks meant nothing. The NFL is a cutthroat business, and if you have leverage, you had better use it. A star player better get all the pay he can while he is on top of his game. Soon enough his talent will fade and his options will be limited. A team is clearly not loyal to players so players just cannot be loyal to teams.
The fact that Nick Foles is so young may make Mark Sanchez more valuable in the long term. He could be a valuable mentor to the kid. Sanchez has seen a great deal during his time in the NFL and anything he can share with Foles would benefit the Eagles. It would also make him more valuable to the team. If Foles has another tremendous season, then he will get a long term contract eventually. That means he will have some sway with the big wheels in Eagles management. If Sanchez proves to be helpful to the budding superstar, then he could be a staple with the Eagles as long as Foles wants him there. That does not mean Sanchez can just hang out in Philly and be buddy buddy with Nick Foles. He has to keep his skill set sharp and improve each day. The Eagles would love to have a helpful mentor for Foles, but they do need the back up to actually be able to play quarterback.
Mark Sanchez’s deal with the Eagles is just for one season but he will make about $4 million. That is not too bad for a backup. That deal is most likely the best that the former Trojan could ask for in his situation. Unless he found the perfect circumstance where he could step into another starting role, I think $4 million is welcomed by Sanchez. There are worse things than standing on an NFL sideline with a team ball cap on your dome. Mark Sanchez could be selling cars or pimping insurance policies, which seems to be a popular career for washed up QBs for some strange reason. He should welcome this chance and that is what it seems like he is doing. He could wind up like a Mark Brunnell and serve as a substitute QB for several years. There are advantages to that role certainly. He does not have to get hit, which is a big plus. Also, he has no pressure on him anymore. There are no fan or media expectations whatsoever. Except for the money, the starter has a worse gig than his backup in many ways if you really think about it. Sanchez’s deal is for just one year, so 2015 will really show how valuable he is to the Eagles.
Thank you for reading. Ron Leyba is the lead editor of FantasyFootballOverdose.Com, and a LastWordOnSports Analyst. For more of his NFL articles, follow his updates at NFL Fantasy Football Rankings Facebook page or follow him on twitter @ronniedare. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
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