In a move that makes sense for both teams, the Eagles sent quarterback Mark Sanchez to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a conditional 2017 draft pick.
Advertisement
That might be a smart plan, as Sanchez has thrown for 31 touchdowns and 33 interceptions over the last four seasons and hasn’t started greater than eight games in a season since 2012.
Sanchez, who signed with the Eagles in 2014, certainly fits the available-former-starter model.
“He brings veteran leadership & will compete”, Elway tweeted. A pressure-intensive defense provided the power, and Sanchez did just enough in an early stage of his development to avoid making the big mistakes, winning four road playoff games in two years to get the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship Games.
He made 10 starts in two seasons in Philadelphia, two of those in 2015 when he played as backup to Sam Bradford, but with the Eagles signing free agent Chase Daniel on Thursday, Sanchez became available.
With Peyton Manning having retired and Brock Osweiler having been offered more in free agency by the Houston Texans, the Broncos aggressively returned to the quarterback market Wednesday. “This is the first step in our process”.
Sanchez, the fifth-overall draft pick by the Jets in 2009, provides the Broncos some roster depth behind Trevor Siemian, the 250th pick in last year’s draft. The higher tender would have paid Anderson $2.355 million in 2016 or required another suitor to give them a second-round draft pick to pry him away. He missed the entire 2013 season after suffering a preseason shoulder injury.
Last season he relieved an injured Bradford and did not fare as well. Sanchez, by far, surpassed his completion percentage totals in Chip Kelly’s offense, at 64.1 percent in 2014 in nine games, along with a QB rating of 88.4.
“Confidence level is extremely high [in Daniel]”, Pederson said when asked about the disparity in experience between him and Sanchez.
Advertisement
Sanchez will need to cut his interception rate.
