Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez underwent minor knee surgery during the season, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello (via Twitter). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News follows up by reporting the operation was not performed on the same knee that required surgery following Sanchez’s rookie season. Mehta also notes that Sanchez has begun some light tossing as he begins rehab on his injured shoulder. This injury news may affect the future of Sanchez, who is widely expected to be released before his $2MM March roster bonus is due. While his career has been disappointing to date, Sanchez may appeal to several quarterback-needy teams. Paul Guiterrez of ESPN.com writes that Sanchez could be a top option for the Raiders, who may look to improve upon the performances exhibited by Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin. Additionally, Sanchez could offer a stop-gap solution to a team like the Browns, who will likely select a quarterback early in the draft.
- Guiterrez also notes several other potential quarterback options for the Raiders, including Josh Freeman, Matt Cassel, and Josh McCown. With Cassel still under contract with the Vikings, and McCown indicating his preference to re-sign with the Bears, Freeman may present the most likely option. While he struggled last season, he has both youth and experience with Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson on his side.
- Texans running back Ben Tate has experience in new Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s style of offense, tweets Evan Silva of Rotoworld. Silva also notes that Browns GM Mike Lombardi was a fan of Tate when he entered the league in 2010, as evidenced by a Lombardi article in the National Football Post.
- The Browns may look to use the franchise tag on safety T.J. Ward, not center Alex Mack, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.
As a Browns fan, I think Tate might be a decent pickup. But please, please, please, don’t go near Sanchez. I don’t care how bad our QB play has been–this would just make things worse.