Mark Sanchez - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Sanchez, 49ers, Blackmon, Washington

March 11th, 2016 at 10:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles traded quarterback Mark Sanchez to Denver on Friday, but the Broncos were just one of several teams that had interest in acquiring the seven-year veteran. The 49ers were among the intrigued clubs, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Had the Niners landed him, it would’ve reunited Sanchez with head coach Chip Kelly. The two were together in Philly the previous two seasons, when Sanchez completed 64.3% of his passes and tossed 18 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.

Here’s more from around the NFL as Friday wraps up:

Washington and free agent cornerback Will Blackmon are discussing a contract, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic (Twitter link). Blackmon, a nine-year veteran, spent last season in Washington and put up impressive numbers in 15 games (10 starts, 49 tackles, three forced fumbles, two interceptions), though he ranked just 84th out of 111 qualifying corners at Pro Football Focus.
The Chargers will continue looking for tight end help after losing Ladarius Green in free agency and missing out on James Hanna earlier today, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. There are some decent veteran options in Jermaine Gresham, Zach Miller, Jared Cook and Owen Daniels left on the market, notes Gehlken, though he expects the Chargers to address the position via the draft.
Northern Illinois linebacker Perez Ford had a busy Friday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The draft prospect talked with the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, Jets, Lions, Chargers, Seahawks, Bears and Washington.

Broncos Acquire Mark Sanchez From Eagles

March 11th, 2016 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

1:43pm: The Broncos aren’t done at quarterback yet, and plan to bring in another player to compete with Sanchez for the starting job, Schefter confirms (via Twitter).

12:41pm: The conditional 2017 pick acquired by the Eagles in the swap is a seventh-rounder, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The conditions aren’t yet known, but I would imagine they’ll hinge on Sanchez’s playing time in Denver.

12:29pm: The Broncos have begun to address their hole at quarterback, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, who reports (via Twitter) that Denver is acquiring Mark Sanchez from the Eagles. Philadelphia will get a conditional draft pick in exchange for the veteran signal-caller, per Klis. The pick is a 2017 selection, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

The Broncos lost the top two quarterbacks on their depth chart this week, as Peyton Manning officially announced his retirement and Brock Osweiler signed with the Texans on a four-year, $72MM deal. While it remains to be seen if he’ll start for the Broncos, Sanchez is an affordable fallback option for the team. He’ll count for just $4.5MM against the 2016 cap – with another $3MM+ available in incentives – and the 2017 pick the Broncos are giving up is unlikely to be more than a late-rounder.

Sanchez a former fifth overall pick, served primarily as the backup during his two-year stint in Philadelphia, but did start 10 games for the Eagles. Overall, the 29-year-old completed 64.3% of his passes, with 3,034 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

With just Sanchez and Trevor Siemian on their depth chart, the Broncos will remain in the market for quarterback help, and that includes the possibility of trading for someone else, such as Colin Kaepernick — Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets that the Sanchez deal doesn’t take Kaepernick off the table for Denver.

As for the Eagles, Sanchez became expendable for them when the team re-signed Sam Bradford and added Chase Daniel in free agency. By trading him instead of releasing him, the Eagles create $4.5MM in cap savings instead of $3.5MM, since the club will no longer be on the hook for the $1MM guarantee on his 2016 base salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Eagles QB Situation

March 10th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Is this the end of the line for Mark Sanchez in Philadelphia? Will Sam Bradford cede the starting job to Chase Daniel? The answers appear to be yes, and no, respectively. When speaking to reporters today, Eagles coach Doug Pederson seemingly inferred that Sanchez is now out of the picture.

In response to a question about his quarterback depth chart, the coach said, “Sam Bradford is the No. 1. Chase Daniel is the No. 2. And we’re working on the No. 3,” (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer).

That statement seems to be good news for Bradford as he is still in line to be the team’s starter, despite the sizable deal given to Daniel this week. Sanchez, of course, is conspicuously absent there and one has to think that he will be shopped in the coming weeks. The USC product is entering his contract year and is slated to earn $4.5MM in base salary while carrying a $5.5MM cap number.

Daniel and Pederson have history, which helped lead the two sides to a deal this week. The former Chiefs signal caller got a sizable deal from Philly, which led many to believe that he was being brought in as more than just a clipboard holder. Daniel, entering his age-30 season has attempted only 77 passes in his career while backing up Drew Brees and Alex Smith. He ranked as PFR’s No. 3 available quarterback, slotting in behind Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Rumors: Daniel, Bradford, Pederson

February 24th, 2016 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have question marks at quarterback and their new head coach apparently covets a signal caller who is under contract elsewhere. Doug Pederson is quite familiar with Chiefs reserve QB Chase Daniel and he told reporters today that Daniel could be a starter in the NFL, if given the right opportunity (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). As for incumbent Sam Bradford, Pederson says he believes Bradford wants to be there (link).

Here’s more on the Eagles’ QB situation and other news on Philly:

Pederson said the Eagles have contingency plans in place in case they can’t bring Bradford back, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
When asked about Bradford, Pederson said (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Inquirer): “All I know is if Sam wants to be in Philadelphia, he’ll be in Philadelphia.” Pederson indicated that he would not tag Bradford in order to ensure his return to Philly and Berman believes that the coach’s implication is that it’s all up to the QB (link).
Rookie quarterbacks in the draft won’t affect the Bradford situation, the coach told reporters (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).
Pederson says there “are holes” on the team’s offensive line, as John Clark of CSNPhilly tweets. He says he will look to the draft and free agency to fill those needs.
Pederson said that he anticipates Mark Sanchez returning to the team as a backup quarterback (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Sanchez is already under contract for 2016.

Sunday Roundup: Sanchez, Cousins, Graham

November 22nd, 2015 at 12:48pm CST by Rory Parks

Just like Brock Osweiler in Denver, Mark Sanchez has the opportunity to secure a full-time starting job with the Eagles, and his audition starts today. As Sam Bradford continues to deal with a concussion and shoulder injury, Sanchez will get the start against the Buccaneers this afternoon, and per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra) he will also start Thanksgiving Day against the Lions. Since the Eagles did not sign Bradford to an extension this offseason, it will be easy for Philadelphia to move on from him if it so chooses, and it would not be a surprise if Sanchez took hold of the job for the remainder of 2015. What happens beyond that, though, is anyone’s guess.

Now let’s take a look at some links from around the league:

Washington has had preliminary contract talks with Kirk Cousins, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). However, as former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets, there is no reason for Cousins to sign an extension anytime soon, as the rewards for not doing so outweigh the risks.
Rapoport tweets that the Cowboys‘ support for embattled DE Greg Hardy is waning. Hardy was late for practice last Thursday and late for a team meeting last Saturday, and it is unclear how much longer he can test the team’s patience. Of course, it would be strange if tardiness is the reason Dallas ultimately chooses to part ways with Hardy.
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald looks back at what went right for the Dolphins this offseason and what they should have done differently.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com details the reasons for Jimmy Graham‘s disappointing 2015 season and likens his tenure with the Seahawks to Randy Moss‘ time in Oakland. Fitzgerald believes that Graham’s statistical output is artificially low because of the offense he plays in, and although there are risks if a team should choose to pursue Graham in the offseason, the potential rewards outweigh those concerns.
In a separate piece, Fitzgerald explores why Nick Foles‘ benching does not mean he will be leaving the Rams next year.
Matt Vensel of The Star Tribune examines how the Vikings have successfully navigated the draft and deftly handled difficult personnel decisions to assemble one of the league’s best defenses.
Likewise, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle discusses how the Texans‘ youth movement on defense is giving the club hope for the future.
Although it does not come as much of surprise, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that teams hoping to lure Alabama head coach Nick Saban back to the professional ranks are facing very steep odds, and La Canfora details why Saban will stay right where he is.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reviews the performance of the 2015 draft class to date, observing that, with a few notable exceptions, the class has largely been a disappointment.
Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com explores some potential impacts of the NFL’s decision to make compensatory draft picks tradeable.

NFC Notes: Packers, Saints, Eagles

November 15th, 2015 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look around the NFC. . .

Although the Packers’ offense is slumping, head coach Mike McCarthy said after Sunday’s 18-16 loss to Detroit that he won’t take play-calling duties away from coordinator Tom Clements. “I like the way our staff works, and I like the way they work with our players,” McCarthy stated, per ESPN’s Jason Wilde. McCarthy called Green Bay’s offensive plays from 2006-14 before deciding to give the role to Clements this year.
The 4-6 Saints are entering their bye week, and Larry Holder of NOLA.com writes that it’s the perfect time for head coach Sean Payton to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and give Ryan’s job to defensive assistant Dennis Allen. Payton brought in Allen after Ryan’s defense finished 31st in the league last season. Led by Ryan, the Saints have allowed 130 points over the last three weeks – including 47 in an embarrassing defeat in Washington on Sunday. Afterward, Payton said that “we’re not going to discuss any of those types of changes, certainly not right now.”
While Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford hasn’t been particularly good this year, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer submits that Sunday’s output by backup Mark Sanchez was a prime example of why nobody should call for Sanchez to take over the starting job. After an injured Bradford left the Eagles’ game against Miami with Philadelphia leading 16-13, Sanchez came in and failed to help the team to victory – even throwing a costly interception – in a 20-19 defeat. The season’s on the brink for the 4-5 Eagles, and Sielski doesn’t expect their playoff chances to stay alive for long if Bradford misses time and Sanchez has to be the No. 1 signal caller.
Jeff McLane of the Inquirer believes that Eagles head coach and football czar Chip Kelly‘s decision to trade for Bradford in the offseason was a worthy gamble. However, Kelly could be done in by his failure to surround Bradford with a sturdier offensive line and better receivers, McLane opines.

Sunday Roundup: Richard, Sanchez, Sherman, L.A.

May 31st, 2015 at 8:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earlier today Rory Parks rounded up a few stories to pass along that came across the ticker. Here are a few more Sunday stories that are worth checking out:

Sam Bradford has been anointed the presumed starter in Philadelphia, but his road to the job won’t come without competition. Mark Sanchez has made it clear that he wants to be the Eagles’ starter, and Phil Sheridan of ESPN believes he will have a chance to win it.
Kris Richard is settling into his new role as Seahawks defensive coordinator, and he has made it clear that he is taking over Dan Quinn’s defense with a “if it’s not broke. don’t fix it” approach, according to the team’s official website. Working under Quinn, Gus Bradley, and Pete Carroll has given him a unique perspective on how to run a defense.
Mike Sherman has left the NFL for the amatuer ranks, becoming the head coach at Nauset Regional High School in North Eastham, Massachusetts, reports Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Sherman, who has recently served as offensive coordinator for the Dolphins, and amassed a 59-37 record during his six years as head coach of the Packers from 2000 to 2005.
Gil Brandt of NFL.com has a note for any fans in Los Angeles hoping for an NFL team, the Hollywood Park grandstand was demolished today (via Twitter). The proposed NFL stadium is planned to take its place. Austin Knoblauch of the Los Angeles Times has the full story of the demolition.

Chip Kelly On Mariota, McCoy, Bradford

March 11th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles coach Chip Kelly hosted a press conference this afternoon and we’ve gathered all the highlights right here. All links to go the Twitter feed of PhiladelphiaEagles.com, unless noted otherwise:

Kelly told reporters, including the staff of PhiladelphiaEagles.com (on Twitter), that he didn’t think that he needed to control the team’s personnel and said that it was a decision that the team’s owner had made. Of course, Kelly got control over the roster this offseason in a front office reshuffling that saw former GM Howie Roseman change roles. Kelly feels that the biggest difference in the draft this year will be having the final say over matters, something that he didn’t have over the last two years (link).
The Eagles coach dispelled the notion that the Eagles will try and trade up for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota (link). The Eagles have been heavily connected to Mariota for months now and speculation has only intensified as Kelly appears more driven than ever to fill the Eagles’ roster with Oregon alum. Kelly feels that Mariota is the best QB in the draft, but he’s unwilling to mortgage the future to land him and the team has too many other needs to address (link).
Kelly considered the trade of LeSean McCoy for linebacker Kiko Alonso to be important because it allowed the team to go after cornerback Byron Maxwell (link).
The coach claimed that the Bills leaked the news of the McCoy trade before he could call the running back to notify him, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.
Kelly said it was “essential” to get Mark Sanchez back (link) and added that he never would have been able to acquire a quarterback of Sam Bradford‘s caliber had he not torn his ACL. The team has yet to have extension talks with Bradford (link). That’s not a big concern to Kelly, however, who said that everyone is essentially playing year-to-year and believes that Bradford has tremendous upside (link).
The Eagles coach/exec claims that the Eagles were offered a first-round pick for Bradford on Wednesday morning (link). However, Bradford wasn’t brought in to be a trade chip, Kelly said, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter).
There were other teams involved in the Bradford sweepstakes, Kelly says (link). Meanwhile, the Eagles only spoke with the Rams about Nick Foles.

Eagles Re-Sign Mark Sanchez

March 11th, 2015 at 7:08am CST by Rob DiRe

WEDNESDAY, 7:08am: The Eagles’ two-year deal with Sanchez is now official, according to the team (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 6:17pm: The Eagles are re-signing quarterback Mark Sanchez, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Jon and Sean Show were first to report the signing (via Twitter).

He will return to the team on a two-year contract worth $9MM with $5.5MM guaranteed, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). The deal has a maximum value of $16MM over the two years with incentives (via Twitter).

Sanchez played nine games for the team in 2014, with mixed results. He completed over 64% of his passes, averaging 268 yards per game with a 14 to 11 touchdown to interception ratio.

The signing has led some fans and pundits to strengthen the connection between the team and an interest in Marcus Mariota. The high salary for Sanchez and the starter incentives push Jeff McLane of Philly.com to opine that it might signal the end of Nick Foles as the team’s starter and instead point to a Sanchez-Mariota duo.

Contract Details: Suh, Cobb, Jackson, Graham

March 10th, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s a round-up of a few notable details on new contracts from around the NFL:

Ndamukong Suh, DT (Dolphins); $60MM guarantee is fully guaranteed at signing (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
Randall Cobb, WR (Packers): Four years, $40MM base value. $13MM signing bonus. $3.5MM roster bonus in March 2016, $5.35MM cap hit for 2015 (Twitter links via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com).
Kareem Jackson, CB (Texans): Four years, $34MM base value. $9MM signing bonus. $4MM roster bonus due this weekend (Twitter link via Corry).
Brandon Graham, OLB (Eagles): Four years, $26MM base value. $4MM signing bonus. $14MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
Cary Williams, CB (Seahawks): Three years, $18MM base value. $3.5MM signing bonus. $7MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Wilson).
Mark Sanchez, QB (Eagles): Two years, $9MM. $2MM signing bonus. $5.5MM guaranteed. Escalators for playing time, playoffs (Twitter link via Wilson).
Ryan Mallett, QB (Texans): Two years, $7MM base value. $1.75MM of $2.5MM 2015 salary guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
Brian Hartline, WR (Browns): Two years, $6MM base value. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Tyvon Branch, S (Chiefs): One year, $2.1MM base value. $200K signing bonus. $2MM in playing-time, INT, Super Bowl incentives (Twitter links via Wilson).