Dr Snyde-love or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mark

[BruinSkin]

After the rumors broke about the Redskins interest in Mark Sanchez, I expected ES to be ablaze with rabid, angry fans. I was right. I found most of the board in staunch opposition to the possibility of drafting Sanchez. I found most ES'ers to be in one of four camps.

JC supporter -- opposed to any quarterback move

JC detractor -- opposed to trading for Sanchez but grab him if he falls #13

JC detractor -- not opposed to trading up for Sanchez

JC detractor -- willing to give Campbell a shot this year but not draft Sanchez

I want to set the record straight on Mark Sanchez. As a current USC student, I have seen 8 of 16 starts by Sanchez in person, with the others coming by way of television. I feel that my scouting report is a bit more intimate than you might read elsewhere since I have a familiarity with the background of the USC program and Mark as a player. I apologize in advance for the length, but I needed the space to lay out a full explanation, without leaving any details out.

Strengths:

-Pocket Awareness

He avoids the rush well and is fairly mobile, but he won't be going Michael Vick anytime soon (scrambling, not dog fighting). Sanchez has the ability to side step the rush and find an open receiver.

-Toughness

Some of you may think that it’s impossible to quantify this. Three weeks before the season opener at Virginia, Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap in warm-ups (no ligament damage). After sitting out two weeks, Sanchez came back, started the opener, and threw 3 TDs good for 338 yards. Redskins fans will remember this injury as that Campbell, too, suffered from a dislocated knee but recovered nicely without any lingering effects.

Even after the injury, Mark wasn’t reluctant to stand in the pocket. For this reason, he’s going to make a lot of plays off his back foot that most quarterbacks would have no business making. (Video evidence:

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-Leadership

You can't quantify this with any sort of stat, but I can provide an example. Many people credit Tebow's speech with rallying the Gators to win the BCS Championship. USC lost that week as well. After the Oregon State game, Mark made sure that his team worked as hard as possible for the remainder of the season (staying after practice for more reps and dedicating more time to watching game film). The result? They won out and captured a third consecutive Rose Bowl win.

After being named the starter in spring, Sanchez regularly brought the wide receivers back to his Orange County home in the summer to work on timing, routes, and build relationships with his teammates. I feel that his dedication not only bettered himself but also helped senior Patrick Turner to live up to his potential (10 TDs in 2008, 7 TDs total from 2005-2007), with breakout seasons from sophomores Ronald Johnson and Damian Williams (8 and 9 TDs respectively).

Damian is an extra special case. After attending four years of high school and one year of college with top prospect Mitch Mustain, both transferred from Arkansas to USC. They sat out the ’07 season (per NCAA eligibility rules) but continued their great rapport in practice. Sanchez not only beat out Mustain for the starting job but helped elevate Damian’s game, giving opposing secondaries nightmares in the process (Penn State fans know what I’m talking about).

-Accuracy

I think this might be the biggest reason why Mark could succeed in any offense. He has the arm to throw deep but can keep it short. Sanchez completion percentage of 65.8 probably could have been much better had he not taken as many chances down the field. He finished the 2008 season with 45 completions over 20 yards (16 TDs) and 15 over 30 yards (8 TDs).

Areas for Improvement:

-Gunslinger mentality

This all depends on perspective. In the Oregon State game, the USC defense gave up 21 points and trailed by as many after the first half. In the second half, Sanchez was able to throw them back into the game (3 TDs, 1 int). His lone interception setup an easy Oregon State touchdown, but the game never would have been close if not for Sanchez coming out firing in the second half.

-Passes over the middle 10-15 yards

While he does certainly complete his share of passes in this area, he tends to force them more than he should. This results in a few interceptions/pass deflections. Mark seems more comfortable going to the sidelines. This was most evident in the ASU game, although one of his three interceptions hit Damian Williams smack in the hands and popped up for a Sun Devil DB to snag.

I wanted to next use this space to address commonly posed questions surrounding Sanchez.

If he's so good, why didn't he beat out John David Booty for the starting job?

Good question. A fair one, I think. The natural question then is why, in 2007, did Mark Sanchez not beat out 5th rounder John David Booty? The answer isn't as simple as talent alone. John David had a very, very good 2006 season. With the exception of the Oregon State (2006 edition) and UCLA games, Booty had a great season, including 29 TDs, 61.7% completion, and 3,347 yards. He capped his redshirt junior season as Offensive Rose Bowl MVP with 4 TDs, 60% completion, and 391 yards against Michigan. By all objective accounts, it was a stellar first season as a starter.

When JDB decided to return for his redshirt senior season, Carroll wasn't going to bench him in favor of redshirt sophomore Mark Sanchez. Yes, Carroll plays young guys and yes he loves competition, but he's very loyal to his quarterbacks. No way could Sanchez usurp a veteran Booty with an 11-2 record and Rose Bowl MVP honors.

If you're curious, the same thing is happening this season with USC. Redshirt sophomore Aaron Corp looks like he'll hold off incoming true freshman and #1 QB prospect Matt Barkley (early high school grad) because of Aaron's two previous years in the system.

What about USC? Matt Leinart has been a bust so far, and John David Booty is a backup in Minnesota.

First off, I never like to extrapolate the talent of an incoming rookie based off conference or college team. Braylon Edwards managed to shut up all his ES detractors when he proved that, yes, good receivers CAN come from Michigan. And believe me, the Colts weren’t worried about Heath Shuler when they drafted Peyton Manning. Each player is his own individual and should be evaluated accordingly.

If this is not enough to sway you, rest easy my children. Most USC fans and scouts feel that Mark Sanchez’s attitude and skill set are much closer to Carson Palmer than Matt Leinart. As a side note, Leinart has been given less of a chance to play than Campbell has, so I'm not sold that he's a complete bust just yet. If Warner goes down this season, Matt will have a chance to take hold of a Super Bowl contender with tremendous talent around him. If he still doesn't get it done, you can call him a bust.

John David Booty was a 5th round pick last year and saw limited action in his rookie year. I don't think it's fair to grade him out quite yet. Although I feel that he may never be a superstar, per se, I think he’s a poor man’s Delhomme and might be a quality backup for the foreseeable future.

He hasn't played enough.

Most people that say this forget that Mark is a redshirt junior. Not all but most. He's had four years in the USC system with game experience in three of those years. With how great the USC defense has been over the years, he’s had the opportunity to face off against current and future NFL draft picks day in and day out (Keith Rivers, Sedrick Ellis, Lawrence Jackson, Terrell Thomas, Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, Clay Mathews Jr., Taylor Mays to name a few).

My biggest counter to this argument is Matt Cassel. Cassel went through the USC system without so much as one start as quarterback, but he had the physical tools, mental capacity, and education in a pro-style offense to succeed. I feel that Mark has superior tools than Cassel, with the added benefit of starting 16 more games.

Sanchez racked up numbers against bad teams.

The bowl record of the teams that Sanchez faced in 2008 was 5-1. This includes a perfect record by the Pac-10 (Oregon, Oregon St, Arizona, Cal) and a win by Notre Dame. Ohio State came close but couldn't hang on to beat Texas.

Sanchez's record against the final AP Top 25: 3 Wins (#8 Penn State, #9 Ohio State, #10 Oregon) 1 Loss (#18 Oregon State).

All the USC receivers are WIDE open.

This certainly appears the case in quite a few of the highlights of Mark. However, I want to stress a few things. One, just because a receiver is open doesn't mean the quarterback will get him the ball. Two, the reason Mark is able to hit open receivers is because he goes through his progressions so well. If it’s not initially there, he's able to improvise to buy more time or check down. The longer a receiver has to get open, the more likely he’s going to do so. Mark CREATED many of those wide open plays and capitalized with points on the board.

USC also benefits from having smaller, speedy wide receivers that create separation with the exception of Patrick Turner. Very similar to what the Redskins roster currently possesses.

I understand that this might not persuade all of you, but I hope that you cheer for Mark if the Redskins do end up grabbing him. Mark has no control of who selects him tomorrow, but I can guarantee he will work relentlessly to be the best for whichever team calls his name come draft day.

If Sanchez doesn’t don a Redskin uniform, I wish him well to wherever he goes, and I will put my full support behind Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan and whomever we decide to draft tomorrow.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them, and I will answer as quickly and truthfully as possible.

[Skins PR]

Very nice analysis and thanks for your work.

Put me in the camp of not wanting Sanchez though. It's not that I don't think he can be a good player. It's just that, well, our team sucks in so many positions and I think we need to address those first.

[Redskins:Victory_or_Death]

Great post. :applause:

Still Anti-Sanchez as we have too many other areas of need.

[Portis for 6]

Very nice analysis and thanks for your work.

Put me in the camp of not wanting Sanchez though. It's not that I don't think he can be a good player. It's just that, well, our team sucks in so many positions and I think we need to address those first.

Agree a 100%. You're sig. Is sweet, I like the white redskin helmet! GO Leesburg!

[texasthunder]

Thanks for the very insightful post.

There has been alot made of Mark only starting 16 games.

Can you enlighten us on exactly how many games he played in??

[BruinSkin]

Thanks for the very insightful post.

There has been alot made of Mark only starting 16 games.

Can you enlighten us on exactly how many games he played in??

Sure. Mark played in 3 games in 2006, all mop up duty with a few passes here or there. When Booty broke his finger in 2007, Sanchez started 3 games and played in another 3 in blowout games. Sanchez threw 7 TDs and 5 INTS in those starts (2-1 record), with the lone loss (24-17) coming in Eugene against #5 Oregon and a healthy Dennis Dixon (arguably a BCS Title contender had Dixon not torn his ACL).

So to answer your question, 16 starts with appearances in 6 others.

[Oldskool]

Nice write up BruinSkin. You'll get props for being thorough with the info but most will still hate on the (possible) Sanchez pick for a number of reasons.

Also, Sanchez has had only 6 fewer appearances than Flacco and 15 fewer than Ryan in his collegiate career and faced better competition than either.

[JoeKnowsBest]

I admire your anylisis and attempt to promote your guy, but common sense just says there are better ways to help the team with our first round pick than to do whatever it takes to draft Mark Sanchez. As others have said, we need help MORE in other area's, plus Campbell deserves a shot to prove himself having more than one season in Jim Zorn's offense (and so does Colt Brennan for that matter), and even then if the Redskins still need a Quarterback, I think there is a more rich/deeper talent pool at the QB position in next years draft to get the guy you want/need. I especially like Sam Bradford as he is the pivitol cog in that 60 points per game offensive machine that broke the NCAA record, and plays alot like Tom Brady (total accuracy) while gives me a gut feeling that reminds me of Dan Marino's success.

But as I was saying, nice post... however I think there are other more sensible aproaches to help the Redskins team and franchise. We need a LB, DE, or OT ASAP. Not so much at QB, and I'd really like to see what we actually have in Campbell and Brennon before pulling the covers on them. Especially considering how long it usually takes to develope QBs and Campbell is about right on the chronological mark right now for when QBs finally show up and blossom into the player they wanted when they drafted them. Look at how long it took for MVP Drew Brees. Nothing against Sanchez himself.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

There's one other category that I'm part of that isn't listed lol:

JC supporter -- not opposed to drafting Sanchez if he falls to #13, but would rather draft OL, DL or OLB

[HighOnHendrix]

I admire your annylisis and attempt to promote your guy, but common sense just says there are better ways to help the team with our first round pick than to do whatever it takes to draft Mark Sanchez.

And that's not even taking into account the ridiculous amount of money he'll pull in as a top-ten pick.

[Oldskool]

And that's not even taking into account the ridiculous amount of money he'll pull in as a top-ten pick.

Difference between 8-13 isn't huge, and add to the fact that there is currently no CBA after 2011 makes that argument invalid.

There are many reasons why we shouldn't take a QB at 8-13, but cap hit isn't one.

Plus this wasn't an argument when we took Campbell, was it? NM. Thought he was taken earlier than #25.

[Dah-Dee]

Thanks for the interesting read, BruinSkin. I think I'd rather draft OL, DL, LB help than another QB, but Sanchez does seem like a fiery leader for his offense, which is something I'd like to see more of from JC.

I guess we'll find out what happens in what, 16 hours?

[Skins PR]

Agree a 100%. You're sig. Is sweet, I like the white redskin helmet! GO Leesburg!

Thanks. I've coached a youth team named the Redskins for the past three seasons. This picture is from the first year.

[BruinSkin]

There's one other category that I'm part of that isn't listed lol:

JC supporter -- not opposed to drafting Sanchez if he falls to #13, but would rather draft OL, DL or OLB

I knew I missed one, but those are what I've observed as most common.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

dude, please send that to danny and vinny. that was a very good write up. definitely got me a little more pumped about the thought of sanchez in the B&G.

[texasthunder]

I admire your anylisis and attempt to promote your guy, but common sense just says there are better ways to help the team with our first round pick than to do whatever it takes to draft Mark Sanchez. As others have said, we need help MORE in other area's, plus Campbell deserves a shot to prove himself having more than one season in Jim Zorn's offense (and so does Colt Brennan for that matter), and even then if the Redskins still need a Quarterback, I think there is a more rich/deeper talent pool at the QB position in next years draft to get the guy you want/need. I especially like Sam Bradford as he is the pivitol cog in that 60 points per game offensive machine that broke the NCAA record, and plays alot like Tom Brady (total accuracy) while gives me a gut feeling that reminds me of Dan Marino's success.

But as I was saying, nice post... however I think there are other more sensible aproaches to help the Redskins team and franchise. We need a LB, DE, or OT ASAP. Not so much at QB, and I'd really like to see what we actually have in Campbell and Brennon before pulling the covers on them. Especially considering how long it usually takes to develope QBs and Campbell is about right on the chronological mark right now for when QBs finally show up and blossom into the player they wanted when they drafted them. Look at how long it took for MVP Drew Brees. Nothing against Sanchez himself.

See, here is where I disagree.

If it was a choice of taking Sanchez this year and either Colt Mcoy or Sam Bradford next year, I would have to take Mark. Mainly because he has played in a pro-style offense, where as the other two play in a spread offense.

If we are going to be stay in the west coast offense then the kid from USC makes the most sense.

[BruinSkin]

Look at how long it took for MVP Drew Brees.

I never really understood the comparison. Drew Brees has always been a gunslinger (going back to his days at Purdue where he threw 90 TDs). Campbell has never been known to torch teams with his arm, rather he manages games and minimizes mistakes.

[Peregrine]

Well written and thought out post. You don't see many that admit to the opposing viewpoint, and then address them.

I do disagree with it, but a good post. I am against the move simply because it strikes me as yet another repeat of past mistakes. Why do we keep trading multiple picks to move up in the 1st and get a QB, and then quickly give up on them. It would be one thing if JC showed no promise last season, but it was a big improvement over 2007. I am a firm believer that as long as you see improvement like that you can't give up on a player. Nobody comes into the NFL ready to be a star. What happens on draft day is irrelevant, its what you do afterwords. For some players that takes longer than others, but you should be seeing them improve.

[DGREENHULK]

Nice try Sanchez if you really want to be a SKIN hope you fall to 13.

JC Supporter and I approved this messg.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

I never really understood the comparison. Drew Brees has always been a gunslinger (going back to his days at Purdue where he threw 90 TDs). Campbell has never been known to torch teams with his arm, rather he manages games and minimizes mistakes.

its just another excuse to help the idea that jason will be good. brees was lighting it up pretty early in his career, definitely before his 36th start, and he was on fire after that.

[Hubbs]

Bruin, great post. I read it all and it was very informative, and reaffirmed my belief that Sanchez has the potential to be a very good NFL quarterback. I still don't want to draft him because of a bevy of other reasons, but trust me, I think he's got a bright future.

[AAARedskin]

We appreciate this thread and all the work that went into it....really nice! Hey, a real Skins fan will always cheer his guts out for any player wearing a Skins jersey....including Mark Sanchez. I've been a big critic of Jason Campbell, but if he stays with the team, I'll cheer for him as well during the games.

[Veretax]

Just because you think its okay to take him at #13 does not make you a JC Detractor. Seriously, and many of us don't know if we can keep him after this year anyways.

However, I appreciate your analysis, and the big thing that irks me lately is people knocking the Strength of the defenses Sanchez faced. They were comparable to what Florida went to.

[MumboSauce]

"JC detractor -- willing to give Campbell a shot this year but not draft Sanchez"

^^^ where I fall. Deep down I don't think Campbell has the goods and "it" for the QB position.(a decent #2 guy) However, with the few draft picks we have, the glaring needs at RT, SLB, and DE...and what it would set us back to trade up for Sanchez, I'd be ok seeing what JC can do in his contract year/2nd year in system/ development of last years' draft picks. Then if he doesn't improve vastly, we can most likely position ourselves to take a QB next year(McCoy, Bradford)

[BruinSkin]

Just because you think its okay to take him at #13 does not make you a JC Detractor.

I never said that, I was merely pointing out the four most common camps on Extremeskins. There are many others, believe me.