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As the New York Jets gut their offensive coaching staff, some players are reportedly wondering whether they have the right field general in place in Mark Sanchez.
The New York Daily News reported on Wednesday that it had spoken to key Jets players and they anonymously questioned the young quarterback's work ethic and said that the team might be better off with a QB like Peyton Manning, if the Colts made him available.
"We have to bring in another quarterback that will make him work at practice," said one player, according to the newspaper. "He's lazy and content because he knows he's not going to be benched."
Sanchez had a career-high 26 touchdown passes this season, but he also committed a career-high 26 turnovers, including nine during the Jets' season-ending three-game losing streak. He ended the season 23rd in quarterback rating and 28th in completion percentage. Sanchez was 27th in QB rating last season and 28th his first year, so his improvement was not as dramatic as the organization hoped.
The Colts have the No. 1 pick in the draft and a shot at Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. The Daily News asked Jets players and members of the organization if the team should try to acquire Manning if Indianapolis does take Luck.
"Come on. That's a no-brainer," a Jets source said, according to the newspaper. "If you have a chance to get a healthy 36-year-old Peyton Manning and you don't do it, then you're stupid. If I could get a healthy 36-year-old Peyton Manning, then, hell yeah, I would trade Sanchez."
One "well respected player," according to the Daily News, pointed out that the Jets have already hired former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore.
"Plus, he's a field general and will get everyone lined up," the player said. "He will get his playmakers the ball. We can win a Super Bowl with Peyton."
Manning missed the entire season after neck surgery, so the former MVP faces his own question marks.
Nonetheless, another anonymous Jets player didn't think that Sanchez, who was the QB when the Jets made two AFC title games, could take the team all the way.
"How can we when he's not improving at all?" the player said, according to the newspaper. "He thinks he is, but he's not. He has shown us what he's capable of."
Showing just how fractured the Jets locker room might be, center Nick Mangold wrote on his Twitter account that the New York Daily News story wasn't true, but he also ripped his own teammates.
"If 'unnamed sources' want to attack Mark, man up and put your name to it," he tweeted.
Other members of the organization that the newspaper spoke to also didn't want to pin all the blame for a disappointing 8-8 season on Sanchez. They said that as the season fell apart, Sanchez "lost confidence" and made "one stupid throw and one stupid mistake after another."
"So many games, he looked defeated before he ever took the field," a team source said, according to the newspaper. "He didn't have much confidence in what he was about to go do. You could tell throughout the week in practice. He never felt comfortable with some of the things we were doing. It was too much for him."
Jets coach Rex Ryan predicted that his team would win a Super Bowl this season, Instead, the Jets have imploded in dramatic fashion.
The Jets announced late Tuesday night that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer won't return in 2012. League and team sources told senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Jets have had former Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano as their top choice to replace Schottenheimer in the event of a vacancy. The sources said the Jets are expected to announce Sparano's hiring Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Jets also parted ways with offensive line coach Bill Callahan and receivers coach Henry Ellard, both of whom had expiring contracts.
Former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley will visit the Jets on Wednesday, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, and could be named the assistant head coach.
It remains to be seen how the new staff will deal with Sanchez, who completed just his third year in the league.
But former Jets QB Boomer Esiason also said recently that he doesn't think the Jets can win a Super Bowl with Sanchez.
"If you watched Mark Sanchez the last month of the season, he was like a chihuahua standing on Madison Avenue and 36th Street entering the Midtown Tunnel, eyes bigger than you-know-what, and just so shaky," said Esiason, according to quotes that appear on WEEI's web site.
Source: AP
The New York Daily News reported on Wednesday that it had spoken to key Jets players and they anonymously questioned the young quarterback's work ethic and said that the team might be better off with a QB like Peyton Manning, if the Colts made him available.
"We have to bring in another quarterback that will make him work at practice," said one player, according to the newspaper. "He's lazy and content because he knows he's not going to be benched."
Sanchez had a career-high 26 touchdown passes this season, but he also committed a career-high 26 turnovers, including nine during the Jets' season-ending three-game losing streak. He ended the season 23rd in quarterback rating and 28th in completion percentage. Sanchez was 27th in QB rating last season and 28th his first year, so his improvement was not as dramatic as the organization hoped.
The Colts have the No. 1 pick in the draft and a shot at Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. The Daily News asked Jets players and members of the organization if the team should try to acquire Manning if Indianapolis does take Luck.
"Come on. That's a no-brainer," a Jets source said, according to the newspaper. "If you have a chance to get a healthy 36-year-old Peyton Manning and you don't do it, then you're stupid. If I could get a healthy 36-year-old Peyton Manning, then, hell yeah, I would trade Sanchez."
One "well respected player," according to the Daily News, pointed out that the Jets have already hired former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore.
"Plus, he's a field general and will get everyone lined up," the player said. "He will get his playmakers the ball. We can win a Super Bowl with Peyton."
Manning missed the entire season after neck surgery, so the former MVP faces his own question marks.
Nonetheless, another anonymous Jets player didn't think that Sanchez, who was the QB when the Jets made two AFC title games, could take the team all the way.
"How can we when he's not improving at all?" the player said, according to the newspaper. "He thinks he is, but he's not. He has shown us what he's capable of."
Showing just how fractured the Jets locker room might be, center Nick Mangold wrote on his Twitter account that the New York Daily News story wasn't true, but he also ripped his own teammates.
"If 'unnamed sources' want to attack Mark, man up and put your name to it," he tweeted.
Other members of the organization that the newspaper spoke to also didn't want to pin all the blame for a disappointing 8-8 season on Sanchez. They said that as the season fell apart, Sanchez "lost confidence" and made "one stupid throw and one stupid mistake after another."
"So many games, he looked defeated before he ever took the field," a team source said, according to the newspaper. "He didn't have much confidence in what he was about to go do. You could tell throughout the week in practice. He never felt comfortable with some of the things we were doing. It was too much for him."
Jets coach Rex Ryan predicted that his team would win a Super Bowl this season, Instead, the Jets have imploded in dramatic fashion.
The Jets announced late Tuesday night that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer won't return in 2012. League and team sources told senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Jets have had former Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano as their top choice to replace Schottenheimer in the event of a vacancy. The sources said the Jets are expected to announce Sparano's hiring Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Jets also parted ways with offensive line coach Bill Callahan and receivers coach Henry Ellard, both of whom had expiring contracts.
Former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley will visit the Jets on Wednesday, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, and could be named the assistant head coach.
It remains to be seen how the new staff will deal with Sanchez, who completed just his third year in the league.
But former Jets QB Boomer Esiason also said recently that he doesn't think the Jets can win a Super Bowl with Sanchez.
"If you watched Mark Sanchez the last month of the season, he was like a chihuahua standing on Madison Avenue and 36th Street entering the Midtown Tunnel, eyes bigger than you-know-what, and just so shaky," said Esiason, according to quotes that appear on WEEI's web site.
Source: AP