“Out the Door” or “Back for More”, Jets QB Edition

Dec 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) drops to pass as Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams (94) rushes during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Jets 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The Jets don’t have a general manager, as we all know, so until that process completes itself, roster analysis is pretty much going to be on hold. However, that isn’t going to stop us from doing that job for the Jets. In the coming days, we are going to take a look at each position on the roster, examine their performance, and how their financials affect the Jets (all financial info courtesy of nyjetscap.com). From there we will determine if each player should be “Out the Door”, or “Back for More”, in 2013. Simple, right? So, let’s get to it. We start with everbody’s favorite position, the quarterback.

MARK SANCHEZ: We’ll start with everybody’s favorite New York Jets quarterback, the one and only Mark Sanchez. There isn’t a lot left to be said, that hasn’t already been said, so we won’t spend too long on Mark. Here are his final stats: 246-453, 2,883 yards, 13 TD, 18 INTs, 66.9 passer rating, 14 fumbles, 8 lost. As we know, the stats, as bad as they are, don’t even tell the whole story. Use the “eye test”, and you see all that you need to know about Mark Sanchez. He makes bad decisions, has difficulty reading defenses, and gives the ball away more often than that ugly dish you received that you keep re-gifting. He gave the ball away, and his confidence fell, and fell, and fell.

The biggest issue with Mark Sanchez is the financial situation, thanks to Mike Tannenbaum. If the Jets release Mark Sanchez, the hit against the cap will be approximately $16.6 million, as well as $24 million in dead money. It is not likely that Woody Johnson will be able to tolerate that large of a hit. You could argue that Mark Sanchez might be well served to restructure his contract to make getting out of town more feasible. The odds of him being able to resurrect his career in NY are slim to none. He needs to get out of town to salvage what he has left, but trading him is a long shot with that much money in play. So that being said, he really should be, for all parties involved, out the door, but barring a miracle, Mark Sanchez will be…….

BACK FOR MORE

Dec 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow (15) watches from the sideline in the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Jets 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

TIM TEBOW: The experiment that was one of the most controversial moves that this team has made in many, many years. No matter what you or I feel about him, let’s take a look at this honestly. The Jets clearly were dishonest with Tim about the opportunities he would have here. He was supposed to be used creatively in the offense, and his use was anything but. The Jets had him gain weight, which appeared to do nothing except for making him slower. After averaging 5.4 yards per run in 2011 in Denver, he averaged a mere 3.2 yards per rush this season. He only threw the ball 8 times, hardly the weapon of “deception” that he was billed to be. Surely, Tim Tebow feels that 2012 was a waste in his career.

And then, by no fault of his own, you have the distractions. Instead of talking football, the mainstream media asks the Jets coaches and players the same 4 questions about Tim Tebow over and over again. The distractions far outweighed the positives that Tim brings to the table. The thought is that the Jets are going to try to deal him to Jacksonville, but even if they can’t make a trade, he would only be a hit of $1.5 million against the cap, and $1 million in dead money if he is released. I guess it’s possible that a new offensive coordinator might want to keep Tim around and try to use him properly. But, the more likely scenario is that Tim Tebow will be……

OUT THE DOOR

GREG MCELROY: Here is a guy that did everything that he was told. Coming off a rookie season he spent on injured reserve, he waited patiently behind Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. When called upon, he came in relief of Mark Sanchez and led the Jets to a season saving(temporarily) win over the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a full evaluation of McElroy in his first start, because the Chargers put him on the ground with 11 sacks, and nearly 20 knockdowns. We don’t really know what we have with this guy going forward, not yet. But, there is no reason not to bring him back to compete for the job. Greg McElroy will be………..

BACK FOR MORE

We will continue with the rest of the roster as the days go by.