If I were to tell you that Mark Sanchez was at the top of a list for anything, you'd probably assume that list was one of three things:
1) Most likely to be made fun of while walking down the streets of New York
2) Star of the most hilarious Youtube clip in the history of pro sports
3) Guy who most recently committed a turnover
All three possibilities are extremely valid, but not the one I'm discussing today. Instead of being a punch line, Sanchez is improbably the top free agent quarterback this offseason.
"Sanchez has a number of traits that teams will like to see when taking a chance on a quarterback," wrote Jason Fitzgerald of Sporting News. "He's still young and some teams will still see the upside that made him a high draft pick in 2009. Sanchez has already experienced playoff success, winning four of six games, and never seemed overcome by the pressure of a playoff atmosphere, a quality he also showed against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving."
The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-2 in games in which Sanchez has appeared this season. Overall, he's thrown for 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns with seven interceptions while completing 62.1 percent of his passes. He's thrown for at 300 yards in three of his five starts.
Sanchez's value could still change depending on how Philly finishes out the season. But assuming the Eagles make the playoffs, Sanchez could be looking at a solid pay day in free agency. Josh McCown parlayed five good games with the Chicago Bears last year into a two-year deal with the Buccaneers worth $10 million. It's more than likely that Sanchez will receive offers in the $8 to $10 million range.
"Are there going to be many teams excited about the prospect of Sanchez leading their team as the unquestioned starter? Probably not, but if you cannot land one of the top draft picks, he is the next best option as the free agent pool gets bleak after Sanchez."
