New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum wants to see better play out of embattled quarterback Mark Sanchez next season.  When asked at the NFL Scouting Combine whether or not Sanchez had shown sufficient improvement last season, Tannenbaum told “NBC SportsTalk” there is still room to grow.  Read more after the jump.
“Not enough,” Tannenbaum said, per ProFootballTalk.com. “Not consistently.
“You know, he needs to play better. The great thing about Mark is he’d be the first one to tell you that. We’re excited he’s our starting quarterback. He’s done a lot of good things for us. He’s won road playoff games. His rate of improvement has to keep going and get better, but we’re excited about his work ethic and his commitment.”
Sanchez completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 3,474 yards and 26 touchdowns while getting picked off 18 times in his third pro season, leading the Jets to an 8-8 record.
Jets leadership has been publicly supportive of Sanchez since the season ended. Most recently, coach Rex Ryan said that Sanchez is an “ascending” talent, according to the New York Daily News.
Mark Sanchez is in serious trouble if Peyton Manning becomes available and the Jets’ decide to sign him, which they still haven’t ruled out:
Standing in the house that Peyton Manning built, Rex Ryan and the New York Jets would not close the door on looking into the possibility of Manning becoming a Jet.
Manning is still an Indianapolis Colt at the moment and Ryan and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum reiterated that their quarterback is Mark Sanchez. However, both said the Jets will explore any opportunity that they think will make the team better when asked repeatedly why the team won’t close the door on Manning if Sanchez is their quarterback.
“First off, Peyton is under contract with a different team so I can’t talk about him specifically,” Ryan said at his news conference at the NFL scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. “But with our organization, we will look at everyone. There is a list of 10 free-agent quarterbacks that I have looked at and the draft guys that I have looked at.”
