The Mark Sanchez is officially over in New York. The former first-round draft pick was released on Friday after missing an entire season with an a shoulder injury. Sanchez was owed $2 million in roster bonuses on March 25, a check the Jets never intended to write. After signing another veteran quarterback in Michael Vick, who is the 2014 starter?
The Jets once again have quarterback drama on their hands. The team announced the signing of Vick to a one-year contract after they officially released Sanchez. Now with second-year pro Geno Smith and Vick on the roster, a quarterback competition will once again headline New York's offseason. The Jets never seem to commit to one player and even Vick recognizes that.
"As of now, Geno is the starting quarterback for this football team," Vick said, via ESPN.com. "From this point on, we're going to compete every day. I wouldn't say I'd necessarily be OK with sitting on the bench, but I know what I signed up for. I know what I came to New York to do. First and foremost, I came to compete and be there for Geno. I know he has a long way to go, but we both talked and we both agree we're going to push one another and make each other better."
It appears right now Rex Ryan agrees with Vick. Prior to releasing Sanchez to the open market, Ryan endorsed Smith as the future of the Jets franchise for right now. Perhaps he was trying to diffuse the attention that the Jets were about to get again.
"Geno Smith, regardless of who's here at quarterback or who the competition is, is going to be hard to beat out," Ryan said. "The last four weeks of the season, when most rookies are (on the decline), he's (on the rise). And we all saw it coming. And what's (the) evidence? He's the second-highest quarterback rating in the National Football League. ... Was he using his legs? Was he protecting the football? Was he throwing it with accuracy? Did he really take to Marty's (Mornhenweg) offense and the Jets offense? Yeah, he absolutely did. He grew by leaps and bounds."
With Vick now under contract, does the team attempt to trade for wide receiver DeSean Jackson? The Philadelphia Eagles are shopping the wide receiver according to multiple NFL sources. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Jets have reached out regarding the price tag of the top receiver while the Carolina Panthers have also shown interest.
After Vick signed to the Jets, Jackson took to Twitter to post a series of videos of he and Vick playing together in Philadelphia which has sparked more trade rumors to New York. When asked about a potential reunion, Vick simply said, "If there is an opportunity to get DeSean, I'm pretty sure New York Jets fans would be in favor of that."