Leinart might turn out to be a decent QB one day, he definitely has the ability. His problem is he lacks maturity and hasn't taken his job seriously and I don't see that in Sanchez.
Sanchez Live Anyone catch the live feed from the 1230 press conference? REALLY easy to root for this kid. Asked about his arm strength in the meadowlands winds, he says (tongue in cheek): "Deceptively strong" Which breaks up the whole room. Seems like a LOT of fun. Lots of character and leadership.
I’m a Clemens fan, so might opinion might be biased. I live in Portland, so I watch a ton of PAC-10 football. Sanchez has a world of talent and a magnetic personality. I think the Jets brass fell in love with the latter. I believe this pick reflects both the fact management isn’t sold on Clemens and truly believe Sanchez is a franchise QB, who will put a face on the team when the new stadium opens. This situation is similar to a few years ago when San Diego drafted Philip Rivers despite having Drew Brees on the roster. The difference was that Brees was the starter for two years before Rivers was drafted. Brees flourished the next two years and was then traded to New Orleans. He’s probably considered close to a top five QB in the NFL. Most QBs take time to develop and I think this will be especially true for Sanchez. Sanchez only started 17 games in college and he had his ups and downs. He lost at Oregon State last year and at Oregon the year before and didn’t look very good in the process. He’s played much better at home than on the road. The kid can do some amazing things but then he makes bonehead mistakes because he lacks experience. USC has the best talent and depth in the country. The USC defense last year was phenomenal. I think Sanchez is going to have an eye opening experience the moment he walks on the field. He’s not going to have the dominant supporting cast that he had in college. Matt Leinart was a more productive college QB and he started for three years @ USC. It could be the case that playing on a tremendously talented team makes you look better than you actually are. The Jets would be wise to be patient with Sanchez. They should sit him at least a year if not two before starting him. This situation also reminds me of Akili Smith a decade ago. Smith started one year at Oregon (he was a JC transfer). He had put up some amazing numbers that year on a team that had mediocre talent. He was one of the most physically gifted QBs I’ve ever seen play college football. He could make all throws. He could run. He was big and strong. He flew up the draft charts. He had the misfortune of getting drafted by Cincinnati and starting his rookie year. His first NFL game he passed for over 300 yards and then everything went downhill from there on out. Smith had some maturity issues but he should have not been drafted so high and not started as a rookie because of his lack of experience. Cincy should have sat him for at least two years and developed him but the fact that he was drafted so high and the team was so pathetic, they were forced to play him early and they ruined him in the process. A few years later, Cincy drafted Carson Palmer #1, who was a four year starter @ USC, and sat him for a year. Apparently they learned the hard way that you can’t throw a QB to the wolves, especially if the team is not very good. The Jets are a better franchise than Cincy, but playing in the Big Apple is whole different ballgame. The media attention is suffocating. Sanchez might not having a hard time adjusting to the spotlight since he played in LA-LA land; however, he’s not playing for a juggernaut, so his play will be much more scrutinized than it was in college. Sanchez has a long ways to go to becoming a viable NFL starter. If the Jets play him too soon, they could ruin him. This cautionary tale has played out countless times when crappy teams with a poor supporting casts on both sides of the ball take a gifted QB and throw him to the wolves. The track record for QBs coming out their junior year is poor. At least the Jets have much more talent than the Lions. Stafford is going to get eaten live if he has to start this year. Flacco and Ryan were anomalies as productive rookie QBs. Both of them had more college experience than Sanchez. Baltimore had a very stout defense and a strong running game. Atlanta revamped their O-line and acquired Michael Turner via free agency. Ryan and Flacco were not forced to win games. Clemens should get his shot this year to prove himself. I still think he can be a viable starter in the NFL if given the opportunity. IMHO, the Jets would have been better not trading up for Sanchez and drafting a WR or DL instead. Sanchez will be the highest paid player on the team and sitting on the bench. The brass will be tempted to play him too soon, which could have disastrous consequences if they do. Had Sanchez stayed in college, honed his skills and gained more experience, this pick would have made much more sense next year. The Jets rolled the dice big time on this one. I like Sanchez. I really hope the Jets take their time with him.
Holy Charisma Wow! This kid speaks and carries himself like a 15 year veteran. Confident but not cocky. Down to earth and a fantastic sense of humor and genuine perspective. A total professional at such a young age. Handles the media well, and is totally comfortable in the spotlight. You could tell by his smile and the fist-pump after the pick and at this presser that he WANTS to be a JET! I loves how he brings his family and not an "entourage" of a young an immature hanger-ons as a support foundation. I don't think we have to worry about him being in the headlines for the wrong reasons; being a primadona or enjoying the NY party life too much (No self-inflicted gun shot wounds). He gets "it." He understands what it is to be a professional, a leader, and a good teammate. He is going to be a superstar on and off the field!
That's one of the main reasons why I wanted Sanchez on this team in the first place. He carries himself like a true leader, and I can definitely see him being our quarterback for a long time.
I love how he responded to his agent when he asked Mark if he wanted to work out at the combine: "What are you kidding me, of course, that's what I do, I'm here to throw, work out... etc." Most QBs are afraid to hurt their stock at the combine if they are guaranteed Top-15 picks. Mark did EVERYTHING at the combine. That is being a leader, being confident in your abilities, taking accountability, and being fearless.
The first thing I thought when the deal was going down was how delighted Sanchez appeared to be when he was talking to the Jets on his cell phone. He just looked over the moon. Then the fact that he had stayed with his family showed he has some maturity and perspective. None of it will help him if he can't play, but it was a positive start and he seems like a guy you can build a team around.
I agree with the maturity/professional points you make, but remember Chad had similar qualities and was unfairly roasted by a majority of the fan-base, ...I hope this kid makes it, because w/ the financial comittment we made he has be our QB for at least 5-6 yrs....
Chad threw a bunch of ducks up, and that's why he got smeared...Up until he signed with the Phish, I was all for rooting for Chad even if it was somewhere else... But Chadwick didn't ooze personality, and he was more a likable huckleberry than media savvy...As a Jets fan I am not allowed to have high expectations, but I'm really hoping Sanchez is for real.
I was very impressed when I saw him play, but what really did it for me was his maturity. He's a born leader
yeah, i like the way he handled himself as well. he's got "it". Says all the right things, and is genuine about it. how can you not root for this guy? I really liked him after seeing him in interviews and such and am glad he's going to be the potential face of the franchise. if he can stay healthy, i think he'll be great for us. however, i dont think the chad comparisons are really accurate. Chad and sanchez are both intelligent quarterbacks who are good character guys but they seem like different types of leaders. chad didn't have as much charisma. he was more calm, collective..even toned. i think sanchez has more energy and definetely more flair. chad grew up in a small town in TN, sanchez in SoCal. can't really compare the two
Chad comparsions relate more to the majurity/intelligence/great character qualities, I felt Chad got a raw deal by many (including people like you)..the guy was a tough SOB..even with the laid-back country personality....
leinart and sanchez are completely different people. sanchez was smart enough to make sure he did everything possible to separate himself from that label. leinart also had about a million more weapons than sanchez. i think he'll be a top 8 QB for years to come. i don't think we can ask for more than that, especially if we have a good defense.
His heart was big and pure...and his mind solid, I would never argue otherwise. It was his physiological shortcomings and propensity for choking to which I was referring. Sorry, didn't mean to get into the Chad thing, it's just been a while since I gave him shit. He was a huge disappointment in my eyes.
I have to say I was against this pick because I had fears of Matt Lienart dancing through my head. Even though they played in the same system and were both very good college QB's that's where the similarities end. Sanchez wanted to be a pro while Lienart wanted to bang college girls on the basketball team. Even in the NFL Lienart is a frat boy at heart. Sanchez is already light years ahead of him at the professional level. I loved his response when he was asked if he was ready for the NFL after 16 starts? He was quick to say that they were all 16 meaningful starts and was also quick to give love to his head coach and the defense he played against everyday at practice... it wasn't about how good he was it was about how good his coaches and teammates were, a true sign of a pro.
