NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

March 22, 2014

1 | P a g e

Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Jets sign Vick and release Sanchez (Dennis Waszak Jr.) ............................................................................................ 2

Jets sign Vick to challenge Smith for QB job (Dennis Waszak Jr.) ............................................................................. 4

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

Jets release Mark Sanchez, sign Michael Vick (Kimberley A. Martin) ....................................................................... 5

Fresh start is best thing for Mark Sanchez and Jets (Bob Glauber) ........................................................................... 7

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Jets sign Michael Vick and cut Mark Sanchez (J.P. Pelzman) .................................................................................... 8

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Jets cut Mark Sanchez, sign Michael Vick (Brian Costello) ........................................................................................ 9

This late in the offseason, Sanchez has few options left (Brian Costello) ............................................................... 11

Jets move on Vick shows they still don’t trust Geno (Steve Serby) ......................................................................... 12

STAR-LEDGER ....................................................................................................................................................... 13

Michael Vick signs with Jets (Michael J. Fensom) ................................................................................................... 13

Mark Sanchez cut by Jets (Michael J. Fensom) ....................................................................................................... 14

Michael Vick arrives as Mark Sanchez departs in latest chapter of Jets QB drama (Michael J. Fensom) ............... 15

NJ.COM ................................................................................................................................................................ 16

NFL free agency 2014: Michael Vick's signing with Jets ... what it means (Dom Cosentino) .................................. 16

New Jets quarterback Michael Vick: 'I have a lot left. It's evident.' (Dom Cosentino) ............................................ 18

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 19

NY Jets sign quarterback Michael Vick to one-year, $5 million deal: source (Manish Mehta) ............................... 19

NY Jets release Mark Sanchez, sign Michael Vick to compete with Geno Smith at QB (Manish Mehta)................ 20

Former Eagle Michael Vick has landed with NY Jets, but he’ll have to earn new set of wings (Gary Myers) ......... 22

Mark Sanchez's career with NY Jets: A timeline (Seth Walder) .............................................................................. 24

ESPNNEWYORK.COM ........................................................................................................................................... 25

Michael Vick to Jets for 1 year, $5M (Rich Cimini) .................................................................................................. 25

Jets release Mark Sanchez (Rich Cimini) ................................................................................................................. 27

Jets Release Mark Sanchez to Make Room for Michael Vick (Tom Pedulla) ........................................................... 29

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 30

Jets Cut Mark Sanchez, Sign Michael Vick (Kevin Clark) .......................................................................................... 30

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 32

Jets sign Michael Vick to one-year deal (Kristian Dyer) ........................................................................................... 32

Daily Clips Cont.

2 | P a g e

Jets release Mark Sanchez due to signing of Michael Vick (Kristian Dyer) .............................................................. 33

USA TODAY .......................................................................................................................................................... 33

Michael Vick is Jets' new definition of hope (Jarrett Bell) ....................................................................................... 33

FRIDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 35

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets sign Vick and release Sanchez (Dennis Waszak Jr.) Associated Press March 21, 2014

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-sign-vick-and-release-sanchez

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Vick is switching green jerseys — and maybe trading his clipboard for a starting job.

The New York Jets signed the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback to a one-year deal Friday, and released Mark Sanchez, the one-time face of the franchise.

"I love competition and I love football," Vick said during a conference call Friday night. "And, I feel I have a lot of football left to play."

Vick will present a real challenge to Jets starter Geno Smith, who played well down the stretch of his rookie season, but finished with 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

"As of right now," Vick said, "Geno's the starting quarterback of this football team."

But, Vick also made it clear that he still envisions himself as a starter.

"I wouldn't say I would necessarily be OK with sitting on the bench all year," Vick said. "But, I know what I signed up for and I know what I came to New York to do."

He said his first order of business is competing with Smith and helping the second-year quarterback along.

"At the end of the day," Vick said, "I'll be content with it."

Vick said he met Smith last year during the draft process and has stayed in touch since. He also acknowledged that he won't wear his familiar No. 7 with the Jets, saying it was Smith's number to keep.

Vick was a free agent after spending the last five seasons with the Eagles. He will be reunited with Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who helped the quarterback have the best season of his career in Philadelphia in 2010. Vick was plagued by injuries the last three years and lost the starting job last year to Nick Foles.

"I want to personally wish Michael Vick and his family all the best as he heads into the next phase of his career," Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "I really enjoyed getting to know him over the last five years. He always represented our team with a tremendous amount of class."

Vick thanked the Eagles, their fans and the city of Philadelphia in an open letter posted on The Philadelphia Inquirer's website.

"I was honored to be their quarterback and took the privilege to heart every day," he wrote.

Daily Clips Cont.

3 | P a g e

Vick was considered the top quarterback available in this offseason's free agent class, although he didn't garner much attention. Vick said he was sold on the Jets because he enjoyed the idea of being reunited with Mornhinweg and playing for Rex Ryan, an opportunity he always hoped for.

"He's a great talent who's won many games, including playoff games, in this league," Mornhinweg said of Vick in comments posted on the team's website. "He has the respect of both his teammates and opponents. He's here in a role where he's going to compete and push Geno Smith to become the very best that he can be. Michael will be able to go in and play at a high level and a winning level if called upon."

Vick, who had a solid start in Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense, injured a hamstring in Week 5 last season. He was replaced by Foles, who led the Eagles to the NFC East title and was selected the Pro Bowl MVP. Despite losing the starting gig, Vick was praised by Kelly and team officials for being a leader in the locker room and maintaining an outstanding relationship with Foles and helping him through his second NFL season.

"I have a lot left," Vick said. "It's evident with what I was able to do last year."

The move by the Jets is reminiscent of the headline-making trade they made in 2008, when they acquired an unretired Brett Favre — but as their unquestioned starter. The Vick signing also came two years to the day that the Jets made the stunning move to trade for Tim Tebow.

Vick, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who will be 34 in June, was once considered the most dynamic player in the NFL, particularly during his first six NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

His playing career was abruptly halted for two seasons in 2007 when he pleaded guilty to being part of a dog fighting ring. He served 21 months in federal prison, and two more in home confinement. Since his release in 2009, Vick has worked with the Humane Society of the United States to stop organized animal fighting.

The move drew mixed reviews by Jets fans on Twitter and message boards, but that didn't concern Vick.

"I appreciate all the Jets fans who appreciate me and accept me for who I am and what I've become, not for what I've done," Vick said. "Right now, my past is irrelevant."

The Sanchez move came as no surprise, but completes a stunning downfall for the quarterback who once drew comparisons to Joe Namath after helping lead the Jets to consecutive AFC title games in 2009 and 2010.

Sanchez struggled with consistency after that, and the lasting image of his time with the Jets came in 2012 when he fumbled after running into the backside of guard Brandon Moore. It was returned for a touchdown by New England's Steve Gregory in front of a national television audience on Thanksgiving night and infamously labeled "The Butt Fumble."

He spent last season on injured reserve after tearing the labrum in his right shoulder in a preseason game, clearing the way for Smith to start every game. Sanchez had three years remaining on his contract, but his $13.1 million salary cap number for next season — and $2 million roster bonus due Tuesday — made it unlikely the team would keep him at that amount.

"I'd like to thank Mark for everything he's done for this team and me personally," Ryan said in a statement issued by the team. "We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach-quarterback to go to back-to-back championship games. We experienced a lot together and I really appreciate Mark.

"He's a great player, a great teammate and I wish him nothing but the best."

Daily Clips Cont.

4 | P a g e

Back_to_Top

Jets sign Vick to challenge Smith for QB job (Dennis Waszak Jr.) Associated Press March 22, 2014

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-sign-vick-challenge-smith-qb-job

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Vick is in for the New York Jets.

Mark Sanchez is out.

And, the stage is set for one hot quarterback competition this summer with Geno Smith.

The Jets signed the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback to a one-year deal Friday, and released Sanchez, the one-time face of the franchise.

"Anywhere I go, or any team, I'm always going to compete for the No. 1 spot," Vick said during a conference call. "And I will encourage any other quarterback behind me or in front of me to always compete for their job, for the No. 1 spot.

"That's how champions are made."

Vick will present a real challenge to Smith, who played well down the stretch of his rookie season, but finished with 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. The Jets, however, never labeled Smith their starter entering the offseason — and last year's second-round draft pick will have his work cut out during training camp if he intends to be under center in Week 1 this season.

"As of right now," Vick said, "Geno's the starting quarterback of this football team."

But, Vick also made it clear that he still envisions himself as a starting-caliber player.

"I wouldn't say I would necessarily be OK with sitting on the bench all year," Vick said. "But, I know what I signed up for and I know what I came to New York to do."

That means competing with Smith, helping the youngster along and getting better himself.

"At the end of the day," Vick said of however things turn out, "I'll be content with it."

Vick was a free agent after spending the last five seasons with the Eagles. He will be reunited with Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who helped the quarterback have the best season of his career in Philadelphia in 2010. Vick was plagued by injuries the last three years and lost the starting job last year to Nick Foles.

Vick was still considered the top quarterback available in this offseason's free agent class. Vick said he was sold on the Jets because he enjoyed the idea of being reunited with Mornhinweg and playing for Rex Ryan, an opportunity he welcomed.

"I love competition and I love football," Vick said. "And, I feel I have a lot of football left to play."

Vick, who had a solid start in Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense, injured a hamstring in Week 5 last season. He was replaced by Foles, who led the Eagles to the NFC East title and was selected the Pro Bowl MVP. Despite losing the starting gig, Vick was praised by Kelly and team officials for being a leader in the locker room and maintaining an outstanding relationship with Foles while helping him through his second NFL season.

Daily Clips Cont.

5 | P a g e

"I really enjoyed getting to know him over the last five years," Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement in which he thanked Vick. "He always represented our team with a tremendous amount of class."

Vick thanked the Eagles, their fans and the city of Philadelphia in an open letter posted on The Philadelphia Inquirer's website.

"I was honored to be their quarterback and took the privilege to heart every day," he wrote.

The move by the Jets is reminiscent of the headline-making trade they made in 2008, when they acquired an unretired Brett Favre — but as their unquestioned starter. The Vick signing also came two years to the day that the Jets made the surprising move to trade for Tim Tebow.

Vick, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who will be 34 in June, was once considered the most dynamic player in the NFL, particularly during his first six NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. His playing career was abruptly halted for two seasons in 2007 when he pleaded guilty to being part of a dog fighting ring. He served 21 months in federal prison, and two more in home confinement. Since his release in 2009, Vick has worked with the Humane Society of the United States to stop organized animal fighting.

The move drew mixed reviews by Jets fans on Twitter and message boards, but that didn't concern Vick.

"I appreciate all the Jets fans who appreciate me and accept me for who I am and what I've become, not for what I've done," Vick said. "Right now, my past is irrelevant."

Sanchez's release came as no surprise, but completes a stunning downfall for the quarterback who once drew comparisons to Joe Namath after helping lead the Jets to consecutive AFC title games in 2009 and 2010. He struggled with consistency after that, and spent last season on injured reserve after tearing the labrum in his right shoulder in a preseason game.

Sanchez had three years remaining on his contract, but his $13.1 million salary cap number for next season — and $2 million roster bonus due Tuesday — made it unlikely the team would keep him at that amount.

Needing another veteran to push Smith, the Jets set their sights on Vick as soon as free agency began last week.

"I came to New York to play football," Vick said. "That's what I came to New York to do. I came to New York to play football. As long as I have a uniform on, I'm good."

Back_to_Top

NEWSDAY

Jets release Mark Sanchez, sign Michael Vick (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday March 21, 2014

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-release-mark-sanchez-sign-michael-vick-1.7469195

The closing of one door signaled the opening of another.

Mark Sanchez's time with the Jets officially ran out Friday as the team announced his release after five seasons. But before the dust could even settle on the Sanchez Era, the team ushered in a new quarterback at One Jets Drive: Michael Vick.

Daily Clips Cont.

6 | P a g e

The free agent and former Eagles quarterback signed a one-year deal that reportedly is worth $5 million. And now Vick -- who turns 34 this summer -- will serve not only as incumbent Geno Smith's mentor but his competitor.

"As of right now, Geno is the starting quarterback of this football team,'' Vick said on a conference call Friday night.

Vick knows all about being a backup. He lost his starting job in Philly to Nick Foles and said it "would have been tough'' to return to the Eagles because "we all know Nick deserves to be the starter there.''

Vick has no intentions of being a locker-room distraction, but even though he's happy to help Smith prepare in the classroom and on the field, he won't be satisfied to hold a clipboard.

"I wouldn't necessarily say I'd be OK sitting on the bench for a year. But I know what I signed up for,'' he said.

"Anywhere I go, any team I go to, I'm always going to compete for the No. 1 spot,'' he said, adding that he would encourage all quarterbacks to do the same. " . . . If I was named the starter right now, I would want the guy behind me to push me.''

And high-level competition is exactly what the Jets hope to see from Vick and Smith.

"He's here in a role where he's going to compete and push Geno Smith to become the very best that he can be,'' said offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who served in the same capacity in Philadelphia for several years. "Michael will be able to go in and play at a high level and a winning level if called upon.''

The Jets' quarterback swap was made on the two-year anniversary of their ill-conceived trade for Tim Tebow, and there hasn't been much quarterback consistency in that span.

It was a foregone conclusion that Sanchez would be released, but the front office kept its plans under wraps for quite some time. Sanchez, 27, was due to earn a $2-million roster bonus on Tuesday and also carried a $13.1-million cap charge in 2014. By releasing him, the Jets saved $8.3 million.

His dismissal was the final curtain call on a roller-coaster Jets career that some will most remember for his infamous "Butt Fumble'' against the Patriots on Thanksgiving night in 2012.

"I'd like to thank Mark for everything he's done for this team and me personally,'' coach Rex Ryan said of Sanchez, whom the Jets drafted fifth overall in 2009 after trading up 12 spots. "We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach and quarterback to go to back-to-back [AFC] championship games. We experienced a lot together and I really appreciate Mark.''

Sanchez helped lead the Jets to back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010 but struggled after that, and his long-term status with the team became even more tenuous after Smith was drafted in 2013 and Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the 2013 preseason. He was 33-29 as a starter and passed for 12,092 yards (1,028-for-1,867), 68 touchdowns and 69 interceptions for the Jets.

Vick, meanwhile, feels at home in Florham Park -- even if some Jets fans aren't thrilled to have him. "I'm a Jet and I appreciate all the Jets fans who appreciate me and accept me for who I am and what I've become -- not for what I've done,'' said Vick, who spent 21 months in prison for running an illegal dog-fighting operation. "Right now my past is irrelevant.''

All he cares about now is winning. And there's "a lot left'' in the tank, he said.

Daily Clips Cont.

7 | P a g e

"I came to New York to play football,'' said Vick, who has worn No. 7 but plans to allow Smith to keep the number. "As long as I've got a uniform on, I'm good.''

Back_to_Top

Fresh start is best thing for Mark Sanchez and Jets (Bob Glauber) Newsday March 22, 2014

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/fresh-start-is-best-thing-for-mark-sanchez-and-jets-1.7470351

Until the moment the Jets made the announcement in a terse text message to reporters early Friday night, Mark Sanchez was hoping he'd get one more chance.

One more chance to prove himself to the team that invested so heavily in him since pulling off a blockbuster trade during the 2009 draft.

One more chance to finish off the job he started with such promise those first two years with trips to the AFC Championship Game.

But then it was finished. With these words, followed by a news release, his five-year run was over: "The Jets have released QB Mark Sanchez."

So it goes for the 27-year-old Sanchez, whose level of play never quite matched his unbridled enthusiasm and whose fate essentially was sealed the moment that Giants defensive tackle Marvin Austin hit him in his throwing shoulder during garbage time of a preseason game last year.

Sanchez never should have been inserted in the game behind a backup offensive line in the fourth quarter, but a befuddled Rex Ryan put him in after Geno Smith looked as if he'd surrendered the starting job with a series of miscues through the first three quarters.

Austin's hit caused an injury that eventually required surgery, and Sanchez never got the chance to throw another pass for the Jets. Friday night's decision, which came moments after the Jets agreed to a one-year contract with former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, ended Sanchez's run with the Jets in the cold, calculated manner that the NFL displays when a team no longer has any use for a player.

The Jets haven't found the answer at quarterback since Joe Namath last played for them, and Sanchez is simply the latest in a long line of passers to have ended in failure.

There were hopes that the former USC star would be the next Namath. Joe Willie himself has been a steadfast supporter, suggesting in recent days via Twitter that the Jets should keep Sanchez, albeit at a reduced salary from his $11- million price tag for 2014.

But after being a good enough game manager during his first two seasons, both of which ended just one victory short of the Super Bowl, Sanchez regressed the next two years, bottoming out with the infamous "Butt Fumble" on Thanksgiving night in 2012. After he missed last season and Smith did well enough to get the Jets to 8-8, it was obvious the team was ready to go in another direction.

At this point, that is the best for all parties involved. The Jets have Smith and now they have Vick to challenge for the starting job and potentially get this team into a playoff-challenging position in 2014.

Sanchez now has a chance to get a fresh start somewhere else. He'll most likely be a backup, especially after the Raiders stated their preference for Matt Schaub over Sanchez.

Daily Clips Cont.

8 | P a g e

There's a chance that former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, now the Browns' head coach, could bring in Sanchez to compete for a starting job -- ostensibly with whatever quarterback the Browns draft in May and with returning veteran Brian Hoyer.

Or perhaps it will be with his old college coach, the Seahawks' Pete Carroll, who is coming off a Super Bowl win and could use a solid backup for rising star Russell Wilson. Or maybe it will be with another team looking for an experienced backup.

Whatever the case, now is the time for Sanchez to look ahead with a chance to start over the way other former first-round quarterbacks have done. Vinny Testaverde bombed in Tampa Bay but eventually got another shot in Cleveland and then with the Jets. Jim Harbaugh had a bumpy ride in Chicago and then enjoyed some terrific years with Indianapolis. And perhaps the most encouraging example of all: After bombing with the Patriots, Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls with the Raiders.

Sanchez has a good head on his shoulders and a live arm that in all likelihood will be as good as new after last year's surgery. Now that his ill-fated run with the Jets is over, it's time for him to look ahead to his next chance, wherever that opportunity takes him.

Back_to_Top

THE RECORD

Jets sign Michael Vick and cut Mark Sanchez (J.P. Pelzman) The Record March 21, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/news/jets-sign-michael-vick-and-cut-mark-sanchez-1.748232#sthash.PBWNBGK3.dpuf

When the Jets acquired Tim Tebow two years ago, it proved to be a polarizing move, pitting their fan base against the charismatic Tebow’s followers.

The quarterback move they made Friday night could make that ill-fated maneuver pale in comparison, or it could turn out to be a stroke of genius.

The Jets signed veteran quarterback Michael Vick and released fellow veteran Mark Sanchez. Vick, 33, who will be entering his 12th NFL season, missed two full years in the prime of his career because he was in prison after pleading guilty to charges of running a dog-fighting operation. Not only will fantasy football players be weighing in on the move via the Internet, but so will animal-rights activists.

But Vick doesn’t want to talk or think about all that.

“Right now my past is irrelevant,” Vick said on a conference call. “We’re talking about football and not the things that transpired off the field.”

On the field, his ability was immense when he was an electrifying player for Atlanta early in his career, known for his running and powerful left arm. But because of his running style, he has been injury-prone, and he suffered a hamstring injury in the fifth game of the 2013 season and eventually lost his starting job with the Philadelphia Eagles because of that.

Because of the crimes he committed, Vick could be a divisive figure among fans. However, by all accounts, he conducted himself well last season with Philadelphia after losing his starting job to Nick Foles because of injury. Vick didn’t become a distraction as the Eagles went on to win the NFC East title with Foles at the helm of the offense.

Daily Clips Cont.

9 | P a g e

“I got injured and Nick Foles came in and played great,” Vick said when asked why he didn’t play more last year. “It wasn’t because of my play or because I didn’t have anything left in the tank. … I still feel I have a lot of football left to play.”

Vick, who has 128 career touchdown passes and 85 interceptions, visited the Jets on Friday and they didn’t waste any time obtaining his services. Vick, who spent the past five seasons with the Eagles, signed a one-year deal worth $5 million, ESPN reported. He will back up incumbent Geno Smith and possibly compete for the starting job. The Jets still have made no long-term commitment to Smith, and have not said if he will be the starter going forward.

Vick didn’t make any projections about whether he would wrest the starting job from Smith.

“As of right now,” Vick said, “Geno’s the starting quarterback for this football team. From this point on, we’re going to compete each and every day.”

But he also said, “I wouldn’t say I would necessarily be OK sitting on the bench all year.”

Smith, a second-round draft choice from West Virginia, had 12 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions during his rookie season in 2013. He was benched during a loss to Miami on Dec. 1, but played better after that, helping the Jets to wins in three of their last four games.

Vick played for four years, from 2009 to 2012, in current Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s system while with Philadelphia.

Prior to that, Vick served 21 months in prison, plus two months of home confinement, for his part in the dog-fighting ring.

Vick was considered by many to be the best quarterback left on the free-agent market. Friday’s moves leave the Jets with three quarterbacks on their roster — Smith, Vick, and former Don Bosco standout Matt Simms.

He said he is excited to play for coach Rex Ryan and Mornhinweg, with whom he has a “great rapport.”

Vick added, “I thought it was a great opportunity to come in and compete and push Geno, who I have a friendship and relationship with, push him to become the quarterback we all want him to become.”

By cutting Sanchez, the Jets will save $8.3 million against the salary cap. The timing isn’t great for Sanchez, as most other NFL teams already have obtained backup quarterbacks during this off-season.

Sanchez’s tenure as the Jets starting quarterback ended last August, when he suffered a torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder because of a hard hit by Marvin Austin in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Giants. At the time, Sanchez was battling Smith for the starting job. The injury, which eventually required surgery in October, ended Sanchez’s season before it started and gave Smith the job by default.

He finished his career as a Jet with 68 touchdown passes and 69 interceptions.

Back_to_Top

NEW YORK POST

Jets cut Mark Sanchez, sign Michael Vick (Brian Costello) New York Post March 21, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/03/21/jets-qb-shuffle-michael-vick-in-mark-sanchez-out/

Daily Clips Cont.

10 | P a g e

The Jets’ quarterback picture underwent a dramatic makeover Friday evening.

The Jets signed Michael Vick and released Mark Sanchez, finally making two moves that have been rumored for weeks.

Vick visited with the Jets on Friday, and he said he did not leave before signing a one-year, $5-million deal with the team. The 33-year-old is expected to compete for the starting job with second-year quarterback Geno Smith.

“I think it’s open competition every day,” Vick said in a conference call Friday night. “We’re going to compete every day and push one another. If I was named the starter right now, I would want the guy behind me to push me and for his mindset to be that he was the starter.

“As of right now, Geno is the starting quarterback for this football team. Like I said, from this point on we’re just going to continue to compete each and every day.”

Vick once was one of the most dynamic players in football, but there are questions about his durability and skill level 13 years after he was the No. 1 overall pick by the Falcons. He has not played a full season since 2006, before he was convicted for his involvement with a dog-fighting ring. He spent 19 months in prison before joining the Eagles in 2009.

Vick is a polarizing figure because of his crimes, and many Jets fans took to Twitter on Friday night to say they no longer would root for the team.

“I think right now my past is irrelevant,” Vick said. “We’re talking about football, not the things that transpired off the field.”

His former offensive coordinator with the Eagles was Marty Mornhinweg, who now has that job with the Jets. That relationship helped bring the Jets and Vick together.

Vick made it clear he still believes he can play, even after losing his starting job in Philadelphia to Nick Foles.

“I have a lot left,” Vick said. “It’s evident with what I was able to do last year. I got injured and Nick Foles came in and played great. That was the reason I was sidelined. It wasn’t because of my play or because I had anything left in the tank.”

With Vick on the roster, the Jets released Sanchez, the former starting quarterback.

“I’d like to thank Mark for everything he’s done for this team and me personally,” coach Rex Ryan said in a statement issued by the Jets. “We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach and quarterback to go to back-to-back championship games. We experienced a lot together, and I really appreciate Mark. He’s a great player, a great teammate, and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Sanchez was drafted No. 5 overall by the Jets in 2009 and helped guide them to appearances in the AFC Championship game in his first two seasons. But thinks went south after that.

Sanchez committed a total of 52 turnovers combined in 2011 and 2012. The low point came on the “Buttfumble” against the Patriots on Thanksgiving night in 2012, a play that was replayed thousands of times on TV. He endured the Jets trading for Tim Tebow in 2012, then watched them drafted Geno Smith last year to challenge him for the job.

Ryan made the strange decision last August of putting Sanchez in during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Giants behind a backup offensive line. Sanchez was hit by defensive

Daily Clips Cont.

11 | P a g e

lineman Marvin Austin and injured his shoulder. The torn labrum in his right shoulder required surgery and he missed the season.

The Jets had to make a move with Sanchez before Monday. If he had remained on the roster on Tuesday, he would have been due a $2 million roster bonus. By releasing Sanchez, the Jets cleared $8.3 million in salary-cap space.

The Jets signed Vick two years to the day after they traded for Tebow. Now, Vick versus Smith will be the latest quarterback controversy for the team. Vick chose his words carefully Friday night, but it’s clear he didn’t join the Jets to hold a clipboard.

“I wouldn’t say I’d necessarily be OK with sitting on the bench all year, but I know what I signed up for,” Vick said. “I know what I came to New York to do. First and foremost, I came to compete and to be a helping hand to Geno. I believe he has a long way to go.”

Back_to_Top

This late in the offseason, Sanchez has few options left (Brian Costello) New York Post March 21, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/03/21/this-late-in-the-offseason-sanchez-has-few-options-left/

The Jets certainly did no favors for Mark Sanchez on his way out the door.

The team delayed releasing Sanchez until Friday after they signed Michael Vick, severely limiting his options for a new team. The Jets had to make a decision by Monday on Sanchez or pay him a $2 million roster bonus. They nearly waited until the final minute.

Sanchez would have been one of the top free-agent quarterbacks on the market two weeks ago, but now many of the teams looking for a veteran quarterback have filled that spot. Sanchez’s representatives pushed for a resolution of the issue at last month’s scouting combine, but Jets general manager John Idzik refused to make a decision before he had another quarterback on the roster.

Earlier on Friday, a possible Sanchez landing spot disappeared when the Raiders acquired Matt Schaub from the Texans. The Texans, another team that had some interest in Sanchez, made the trade after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick on Thursday.

At the moment, the Browns still may be in the market for a quarterback, but Cleveland coach Mike Pettine was never a Sanchez fan when he was the Jets defensive coordinator. The Bills also may be in the market for a backup to EJ Manuel.

Then there are teams that have staff members with ties to Sanchez. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll coached Sanchez at USC, but the Seahawks recently re-signed Tarvaris Jackson to back up Russell Wilson. Former Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has the same role with the Rams.

St. Louis seems committed to Sam Bradford as its starter, but Sanchez would get strong consideration as a backup there. Bears quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh worked with Sanchez for the first four years of his career with the Jets and could sell the Bears on being Jay Cutler’s backup. Chicago lost Josh McCown this offseason to the Buccaneers.

Sanchez is just 27 and has four road playoff wins on his resume. His surgically repaired right shoulder is progressing nicely and he has begun throwing. He is sure to draw interest from a few teams, just not as many as he would have 10 days ago.

Back_to_Top

Daily Clips Cont.

12 | P a g e

Jets move on Vick shows they still don’t trust Geno (Steve Serby) New York Post March 21, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/03/21/jets-move-on-vick-shows-they-still-dont-trust-geno/

The Jets whacked Mark Sanchez Friday night.

Right move.

Out with the old, and in with Michael Vick.

Wrong move.

With all due respect to an artist formerly known as Sanchise, It is another Jets Buttfumble.

It is the makings of yet another ugly Jets quarterback controversy.

Sanchez simply had to go. He badly needs a fresh start somewhere else, anywhere else. His mere presence would have made for an awkward and potentially divisive dynamic in the Jets locker room, if for no other reason than he wanted his old job back.

But guess what? No matter what Vick says publicly, he wants Geno Smith’s job every bit as much.

Everyone knows the mantra around the Jets since general manager John Idzik arrived: competition through and through. Vick already has the talking points.

“It’s open competition every day,” Vick said on a conference call Friday night. “Right now, Geno’s the starting quarterback for this football team.”

It was coach Rex Ryan’s enabling of Sanchez, his reluctance to have a veteran backup so much as take a single practice snap away from his Chosen One, led to the artist formerly known as Sanchise’s unraveling and undoing.

But it is one thing to push a young quarterback, and quite another to threaten his tenuous hold on the starting job

The danger here is the signing of Vick, who becomes the highest-paid Jets quarterback with his reported one-year, $5 million deal, sends an unmistakeable message to Smith the organizational does not believe in him the way an organization needs to believe in a young quarterback. After all, what is Smith to think, when everyone knows how much offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who coached Vick in Philadelphia, obviously lobbied to work with him again?

In other words: In Geno, They Do Not Trust.

The best-case scenario is Vick, who has turned his life around and was viewed in Philadelphia as a wonderful teammate, even by the quarterback who supplanted him, Nick Foles, proves to be mentor to Smith, who takes the next step with the weapons Idzik has begun getting him.

But how many times do you remember best-case scenarios ever visiting Hofstra or Cortland, N.Y., or Florham Park, N.J., or East Rutherford, N.J.?

Remember: Vick beat out Foles last summer, and no one should be surprised if he beats out Smith this summer.

The reason why Vick lost his job to Foles was he couldn’t stay on the field, which happens to be his history. Along with being a turnover machine.

Daily Clips Cont.

13 | P a g e

If you notice, the Bills aren’t putting this kind of heat on EJ Manuel, the Bengals never tried to push Andy Dalton to greatness, the Titans supported Jake Locker, on and on it goes.

Despite what the Jets have been saying publicly, Smith obviously did not show them enough to make them fall in love with him.

So in other words, they have no starting quarterback, but a pair of No. 2 quarterbacks vying to be the starter.

In Jets world, where so much is open to interpretation, you can view Vick’s arrival as Idzik and Ryan being on the same page, or, more ominously, the general manager with the long-range vision throwing Ryan, the head coach who must win now to keep his job, a bone.

Two summers ago, the Jets gave us Sanchez vs. Tim Tebow.

Last summer, they gave us Sanchez vs. Smith, with Smith the survivor only because Ryan put Sanchez in harm’s way in Garbage Time to win the Snoopy Bowl.

This summer: Smith vs Vick.

Buttfumble II.

Back_to_Top

STAR-LEDGER

Michael Vick signs with Jets (Michael J. Fensom) The Star-Ledger March 21, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/03/michael_vick_signs_with_jets.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Michael Vick, a free agent who spent the last five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, has agreed to a contract with the Jets.

The NFL's top draft pick in 2001 and once one of the league's biggest stars, Vick was the most accomplished quarterback left on the free agent market. Though Vick joins the Jets in all likelihood to serve as a backup to Geno Smith, the quarterback who started 16 games here last year. Vick will be 34 years old by the time training camp begins this summer.

The signing of Vick sets off another series of ripples at quarterback for the Jets. Vick has displaced Mark Sanchez, who was released in conjunction with the signing. Sanchez once the team's starter who is due to receive a $2 million check if he is on the roster Tuesday. Sanchez was leading a competition with Smith last preseason, but a shoulder injury cost him the job and the entire regular season, as well.

In his rookie season, Smith struggled to string together successful performances. He threw 21 interceptions compared to 12 touchdowns. Though in his final two games scored four times and did not give the ball away.

Smith will be able to lean on Vick as he begins his second year in the NFL. After serving 21 months in prison beginning in 2007 for his role in a dog-fighting ring and filing for bankruptcy a year later, Vick has rehabilitated his public image and found success on the field.

In 2010, he made his fourth Pro Bowl after leading the Eagles to the postseason with eight wins in 11 games as the team's starting quarterback. Injuries, though, limited Vick's tenure in Philadelphia and he lost his starting job last season to Nick Foles. The Eagles were not interested in Vick once his contract expired this offseason.

Daily Clips Cont.

14 | P a g e

If Smith stumbles in his second season, the question will be raised: should Vick, who already has 109 starts at quarterback in the NFL, get another?

The Jets are well-suited to answer. The team's offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, held the same job with the Eagles for Vick's three seasons starting under center.

Darryl Slater contributed to this report

Back_to_Top

Mark Sanchez cut by Jets (Michael J. Fensom) The Star-Ledger March 21, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/03/mark_sanchez_cut_by_jets.html

FLORHAM PARK -- The Jets have officially moved on from Mark Sanchez, not long ago the quarterback who helped lead the club's charge to consecutive AFC title games.

Sanchez lost his starting job last year when a tear of the labrum of his throwing shoulder ended his season before Week 1 even kicked off. After surgery, Sanchez will be healthy for the 2014 season -- but with his contract weighing down the Jets' payroll he will play somewhere else.

By cutting ties with Sanchez -- 5 days before they were due to pay out a $2 million bonus -- the Jets save $8.3 million in salary cap space for the coming season, but will still pay him a $4.8 million sum that counts against the cap. Three years remained on Sanchez's contract.

Only 27, Sanchez's quicksilver arc with the Jets demonstrates how rapidly fortunes can turn in the NFL.

Sanchez had only missed two games over his first four seasons after the Jets drafted him No. 5 overall in 2009. With Sanchez under center as a rookie, the Jets advanced to the AFC Championship Game -- and returned the following year too.

Sanchez improved his touchdown total in each of his first three years -- from 12 to 17 to 26. But interceptions mounted also. In 62 regular-season games, Sanchez threw 69 compared to 68 touchdowns.

Despite unsteady play, the Jets offered Sanchez a three-year contract extension after the 2011 season -- only to watch the quarterback struggle through another sour season by throwing 13 touchdowns,18 interceptions and losing his starting job momentarily.

With a new crew of decision-makers in the front office, the Jets selected Geno Smith in the second round of last year's draft to compete with Sanchez. The perception was that Smith -- who threw 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in 16 games last season -- would eventually assume Sanchez's job. But the suddenness of the transition was unexpected.

After competing throw-for-throw throughout the preseason with Smith -- who looked the less comfortable candidate -- the Jets thrust Sanchez into an August preseason game during the fourth quarter with the score of little consequence. It would prove to be his last appearance on the field as a member of the Jets.

Protected by an offensive line patched together with backups, Sanchez injured his right shoulder when Giants defensive tackle Marvin Austin plowed into him after releasing a throw.

The final image of Sanchez in a Jets jersey is one of departure. A team doctor by his side, he walked down a tunnel at MetLife Stadium that night to receive an X-ray, his right arm limp and heavily wrapped.

Daily Clips Cont.

15 | P a g e

Darryl Slater contributed to this report

Back_to_Top

Michael Vick arrives as Mark Sanchez departs in latest chapter of Jets QB drama (Michael J. Fensom) The Star-Ledger March 22, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/03/michael_vick_arrives_as_mark_sanchez_departs_in_latest_chapter_of_jets_qb_drama.html

The unsettled Jets, in search of a trustworthy leader for their offense, and always hedging against failure, have swapped, switched and flipped quarterbacks so often in recent years, it’s starting to feel like an unbroken habit.

The churning continued Friday night with a quick one-two step. First, the Jets severed ties with Mark Sanchez, the high draft choice who not long ago fell just short in carrying the club to not one, but two Super Bowls.

In his place, they signed Michael Vick, once a swashbuckling runner and passer, now 33, who has charted his own tortuous path between stardom and troubled times. He reportedly received a one-year $5 million contract.

For now, his role on the depth chart is to be the backup to young Geno Smith, who has one uneven season under his belt. Friday night, Vick said that while he accepts that Smith is the starter, he wouldn’t have signed with the Jets if he didn’t foresee one final chance at starting.

"I plan to compete with Geno," Vick said. "And push Geno as hard as I can."

While Vick is no longer one of the speediest players in the NFL, he can still slingshot throws around the field and has a familiarity with the Jets’ offense — coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was in charge when Vick regained a starting job in Philadelphia. After serving a 21-month jail sentence, beginning in 2007, for his role in a dog-fighting ring and filing for bankruptcy a year later.

Vick has rehabilitated his public image and found success on the field.

The Jets’ move away from Sanchez came with some urgency. In five days, the team was due to pay him a $2 million bonus. The Jets also saved $8.3 million in salary cap space for the coming season. They will still pay him $4.8 million that counts against the cap this season but wriggled out of the three years remaining on Sanchez’s contract.

For Sanchez, only 27, his odyssey with the Jets demonstrates how rapidly fortunes can turn in the NFL. Since his arrival in 2009 — the same year Rex Ryan blasted into town, crowing that the Jets were destined for glory — quarterback and coach have been bound, loyal to one another without apology.

How loyal? On his right arm, Ryan has a tattoo of his wife wearing Sanchez’s No. 6 jersey.

For the first two years, the pairing worked, Sanchez with his California cool, and Ryan with his loud-mouthed bravado. The Jets made it to consecutive AFC title games behind Sanchez, who was drafted fifth overall in 2009.

"We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach/quarterback to go to back-to-back championship games," Ryan said in a statement released Friday by the club.

Daily Clips Cont.

16 | P a g e

Soon Sanchez lost the golden touch, and instead of blossoming, he struggled to repeat the early successes. While his touchdowns increased in his second and third seasons, so did the blunders. In each of his final two seasons as starter, Sanchez gave the ball away 26 times.

Despite the unsteady play, Ryan never wavered, insisting Sanchez was his man. The Jets offered Sanchez a three-year contract extension after the 2011 season — only to watch the quarterback struggle through another sour season by throwing 13 touchdowns, but 18 interceptions. He lost his job momentarily when Greg McElroy took over for a game in December.

By that point, the organization’s faith in Sanchez had already begun to falter. Before the 2012 season the team traded for another passing fancy — Tim Tebow, a fan favorite who did not displace Sanchez but loomed as a threat to his job throughout their lone season as teammates.

With a new crew of decision-makers in the front office, the Jets selected Smith in the second round of last year’s draft to compete with Sanchez and likely succeed him. The perception was that Smith would be groomed to assume Sanchez’s job.

Ambivalence likely led Ryan to thrust Sanchez into the team’s first preseason game last year. Sanchez seemed the comfortable choice for Ryan, but late in the summer the coach’s decision to play Sanchez behind an offensive line patched together with second-stringers backfired. Sanchez tore up his shoulder, ending his season before it could begin.

Ryan had no choice but to start Smith, a rookie who proved as unsteady as his predecessor. In 16 starts last season, Smith threw 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Now, the question is: Will Ryan be tempted to give a starting shot to Vick, known as the rare quarterback who can spark an offense equally with his feet and his arm?

"I have a lot left," Vick said Friday.

The final image of Sanchez from last year has him leaving the field quietly. A team doctor by his side, he walked down a tunnel at MetLife Stadium that night in August for an X-ray, his right arm limp and heavily wrapped.

Back_to_Top

NJ.COM

NFL free agency 2014: Michael Vick's signing with Jets ... what it means (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com March 22, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/03/nfl_free_agents_2014_an_informational_qa_about_michael_vicks_jets_visit.html

Michael Vick signed with the Jets today. Yes, the Jets still have Geno Smith, the quarterback who started all of their games last season as a rookie. And yes, they got rid of Mark Sanchez as expected. It was all part of the plan.

We're guessing you have questions about what's going on here. Here are the answers:

Why did Michael Vick sign with the Jets?

He wants to be a starting quarterback and apparently got a promise from the Jets that he'll get a shot to unseat Smith. Vick had the starting job with the Eagles last year before he got Wally Pipped by Nick Foles. Vick will be 34 in June, he's injury-prone, and he's been consistently inconsistent throughout his

Daily Clips Cont.

17 | P a g e

career. He's the kind of quarterback capable of taking your breath away with his physical gifts one moment, then causing you to shake your head in wonder after he commits a costly turnover the next.

But why the Jets?

Vick didn't have many options. He could have gone to the Bills, he could have tried to get a job with the Browns, and he probably could've gone back to the Eagles -- for the right price. But he chose the Jets because they have refused to commit publicly to Smith as their starter. And Marty Mornhinweg, the Jets' offensive coordinator, had the same job with the Eagles for Vick's first four seasons there. Vick knows the Jets' system. And Florham Park isn't that far from Philly, so Vick wouldn't have to move his family very far, if at all.

Does this mean the Jets aren't committed to Smith?

Yes and no. The Jets like the way Smith finished his rookie season, but they're not sold on him for the future—at least not yet. They wanted to bring in a veteran to compete with him, and Vick was the best veteran free agent on the market.

So they're ready to give up on Smith?

Not necessarily. They recognized he had little help last year, which is why they got wide receiver Eric Decker in free agency. Based on everything they're saying publicly, they want as many guys as possible to have competition for their starting spots. Of course, they're not doing that for proven veterans like D'Brickashaw Ferguson or Nick Mangold, so read into that what you will.

Will the Jets give Vick the chance to win the job?

A report in Thursday's Metro New York indicated that's exactly what the Jets' plan is. Because they couldn't sell Vick on being Smith's backup—if that were the case, he might as well stay in Philly and do the same for Foles.

Would Vick be a good influence on Smith?

By all indications, he would be. Vick's name often got linked with phrases like "good locker-room guy" and "humble leader" during his time in Philly. He's supremely self-confident, but ever since he returned to the league in the aftermath of his prison term for dog fighting, he's carried himself with a quiet humility.

But does Vick really want Smith's No. 7? ?

Likely not. The latest report says it's the "last thing" on Vick's mind. And it simply doesn't make sense to come to a new team and defrock the young quarterback.

What's all this stuff about DeSean Jackson? Is he coming with Vick?

Not really, but maybe? The Eagles are reportedly open to trading Jackson, and the Jets have reportedly checked with the Eagles about dealing for Jackson. It won't be a package deal, since Vick was a free agent, but Jackson and Vick are tight, and Jackson would be exactly the kind of deep threat the Jets have lacked since Santonio Holmes's first two seasons.

How does Smith feel about all this?

He hasn't said anything publicly, but we can speculate: On one hand, Smith might feel threatened by Vick's presence, since it's entirely possible Vick could beat him in a fair QB battle in training camp. Smith might also be hyper-aware that any mistake could mean he's getting the hook, that the franchise didn't bring Vick in to just watch Smith fail. At the same time, Smith could welcome the challenge, rise to the occasion (or whatever the right cliché is here), win the job, and succeed.

Daily Clips Cont.

18 | P a g e

Are the Jets being fair to Smith?

On one hand, Smith didn't do much to prove he'd be a franchise quarterback last year. On the other hand, he was a rookie, and for every Ben Roethlisberger or Russell Wilson or Andrew Luck, the league is littered with dozens of quarterbacks who struggled as rookies—even guys who went on to later success. And, remember, Smith had no one to throw to last year. After Sanchez was injured, Smith was thrown into as difficult a situation as possible, and the team still managed to go 8-8. If the Jets are really ready to give up on him after one season—and for a band-aid like Vick, who's also not going to be a franchise QB at this stage in his career—then we'll know they really never had much faith in him to begin with.

What kind of deal do you think Vick got?

Given his age and injury history, Vick likely didn't get more than a one-year deal. Even if the Jets gave him two years, they likely structured it to allow them to walk away with little-to-no dead money in 2015, should they so choose. [Update 8:07 p.m.: Per Adam Schefter, the Jets gave Vick a one-year deal worth $5 million.

So we could be looking at another summer obsessing over a quarterback competition, huh?

Yup.

Back_to_Top

New Jets quarterback Michael Vick: 'I have a lot left. It's evident.' (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com March 21, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/03/new_jets_quarterback_michael_vick_i_have_a_lot_left_its_evident.html

Michael Vick will be 34 in June. He's been hampered by injuries throughout his career. He's coming off a season in which he started just six games and lost his starting job with the Eagles because he got hurt.

But the new Jets quarterback didn't flinch when asked Friday night how much he has left in the tank.

"A lot," he answered. "It's evident, with what I was able to do last year. I got injured and Nick Foles came in and played great. That was the reason I was sidelined. It wasn't because of my play and it wasn't because I didn't have anything left in the tank."

Say hello to the Jets Quarterback Competition 2.0. One year after Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith duked it out till Sanchez got hurt and was lost for the season, the Jets signed Vick as a free agent to a reported one-year, $5 million deal moments after they released Sanchez. Now it will be Vick versus Smith, the rookie who led the Jets to an 8-8 record with no receivers but whose inconsistencies were enough to keep the Jets from naming him their starter heading into 2014.

Vick, who visited Florham Park on Friday, said all the right things about what a "great opportunity" this was and how much he wanted to "push" Smith and "help" him. He waxed on about his "great rapport" with Marty Mornhinweg, his old offensive coordinator down the turnpike in Philly. And, he added, he "always wanted to play for Rex Ryan."

But what if Smith wins the job? Vick handled the backup role on a playoff-bound Eagles team last year without causing a stir. Would he be willing to do it again?

“I wouldn’t say I would necessarily be OK with sitting on the bench all year," Vick said. "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 a

Daily Clips Cont.

19 | P a g e

helping hand for Geno. I know he has a long way to go. But we both talked and we both agreed that we’re going to push one another and make each other better. Whatever happens, happens."

Vick said he and Smith met around the time Smith declared for the draft last spring. He said they initially spoke about adjusting to life in the NFL and have remained friends since.

"Being out there and having that experience is the best teacher, but I've also been a guy who had to sit around and wait—in college and when I first came into the NFL—and it was very beneficial," Vick said. "But I don't know if that's going to be the case [for Smith].

"Anywhere I go, on any team, I'm alway going to compete for the No. 1 spot ... that's all I know. That's what helps you keep that edge, that's what helps you keep that level of competitiveness that you have to have in this league."

Back_to_Top

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

NY Jets sign quarterback Michael Vick to one-year, $5 million deal: source (Manish Mehta) With Mark Sanchez now gone, the four-time Pro Bowler is expected to mentor Geno Smith and give the Jets a viable option in case their young starter struggles. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS March 22, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-sign-four-time-pro-bowler-vick-article-1.1729975

The Jets reshuffled their quarterback depth chart by signing four-time Pro Bowler Michael Vick Friday night. Minutes after Mark Sanchez was officially released, the team announced that Vick would fill the void.

Vick, who spent the past five seasons with the Eagles, inked a one-year, $5 million deal, according to a source. He is expected to mentor Geno Smith and give the Jets a viable option in case their young starter struggles.

“I wouldn’t say that I would necessarily be OK sitting on the bench all year, but I know what I signed up for,” Vick said. “I know what I came to New York to do. First and foremost, I came to compete and be a helping hand for Geno.”

Vick, who visited the Jets' facility in Florham Park on Friday before signing on the dotted line, will be reunited with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg after they spent four years together in Philadelphia. Vick’s familiarity with Mornhinweg’s West Coast offense made him the ideal fit for a team that lacked a viable backup option last season. “He’s here in a role where he’s going to compete and push Geno Smith to become the very best that he can be,” Mornhinweg said in a statement.

Vick, 33, entered last season as the Eagles’ starter before suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5 against the Giants. He didn’t rock the boat last season after Nick Foles took over for good as Philly’s starter.

“I have a lot left. It’s evident,” Vick said. “I got injured and Nick Foles came in and played great. That was the reason I was sidelined. . . . It wasn't because of my play or because I didn’t have anything left in the tank.”

In a conference call on Friday, Vick maintained that he wants to “help (Smith) to become the quarterback that we all want him to become,” but there will be “an open competition every day.

“As of right now,” Vick said, “Geno is the starting quarterback of this football team.”

Daily Clips Cont.

20 | P a g e

General manager John Idzik intimated Thursday during a conference call that Mornhinweg’s experience with Vick was a valuable resource.

“Whenever you have inside knowledge on a player,” said Idzik, “with a coach that worked with him . . . some member of your staff had been around that player for a while, that is a tremendous advantage. There is less projection. Especially if you're dealing with a position that entails a lot.”

Vick may no longer be a game-changing player, but he provides a dimension that was lacking last season for Rex Ryan’s team. Although Vick’s production dipped in the past two seasons, he still can be productive if needed. He threw for 57 touchdowns and 33 interceptions in five seasons with the Eagles.

Vick was a human highlight reel for the Falcons for six seasons before his role in a dogfighting scandal ended his days in Atlanta and put him behind bars for 18 months. He resurrected his career and transformed his life in Philadelphia.

“I appreciate all the Jets fans who appreciate me for who I am and what I’ve become, not for what I’ve done,” Vick said. “Right now, my past is irrelevant. We’re talking about football, not the things that transpired off the field.”

Vick has had ball-security issues in recent years. He had 15 fumbles (and lost seven) in his last 17 games with the Eagles. There have always been durability concerns with Vick, who has played in 16 games only once in his 11-year career, but his role as a veteran backup makes plenty of sense for the Jets. Matt Simms, who was Smith’s backup last season after Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason, will be the No. 3 quarterback now.

The Vick-Sanchez quarterback shuffle came on the two-year anniversary of the Tim Tebow trade.

HE DIGS DESEAN: Vick would welcome former Eagles teammate DeSean Jackson, who is rumored to be on the trading block. The Jets are among the teams to reportedly express interest in the Pro Bowl wide receiver.

“If there’s an opportunity to get DeSean,” said Vick, “I’m pretty sure the New York Jets fans would be in favor of that. But who knows? It takes a lot to make a trade happen. . . . It’s not for us as players to try to decide. Hopefully everything works out for DeSean. If he is up in New York, we’ll be happy — just as happy as he will be. But who knows? We can’t say.”

Back_to_Top

NY Jets release Mark Sanchez, sign Michael Vick to compete with Geno Smith at QB (Manish Mehta) The former first round pick out of USC had ups and downs with the Jets - Sanchez led the Jets to two AFC championship games before things soured - but it officially ends with his release Friday. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS March 22, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/sanchise-jets-officially-release-mark-sanchez-article-1.1729973

Mark Sanchez's long, sometimes strange, career with the Jets is over.

Mark Sanchez knew this day was coming even as he wished in a strange sort of way that it wouldn’t.

There was no shock when the Jets officially released him on Friday, no disbelief when the organization ended a strange five-year relationship with its erstwhile Golden Boy. The team signed veteran Michael Vick to replace him.

Daily Clips Cont.

21 | P a g e

The Jets moved on many months ago, filed Sanchez neatly away into the past as they crossed their fingers that the new kid taking his place will be the real deal. Sanchez had his shot. They had no use for him anymore.

“We were rookies together and had some early success,” Rex Ryan said in a statement. “We experienced a lot together and I really appreciate Mark.”

There was an inevitability about this divorce, but Sanchez still wanted to make it work and orchestrate a comeback with the Jets, according to people close to him. In his heart, he beat out Geno Smith in the Jets quarterback competition last summer, beat him fair and square, only to suffer a season-ending shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of the meaningless fourth preseason game.

Sanchez’s career with the Jets ended that August night at MetLife Stadium. He writhed in pain, clutching his shoulder, screaming into the night, cursing circumstance. He blamed Ryan and general manager John Idzik, blamed the whole organization for never shooting him straight during a sham of a competition.

His future with the team was effectively sealed when he was placed on injured reserve in September, a sad finish to a career that began with so much promise. Sanchez went 36-31 as a starter with 89 total touchdowns and 72 interceptions with the Jets. The team freed up $8.3 million under the salary cap by cutting Sanchez, who was scheduled to have a $13.1 million cap charge this season. He was due a $2 million roster bonus on Tuesday.

Sanchez was supposed to be the star quarterback that Woody Johnson craved, the good-looking superstar at the sport’s most important position.

The options for the 27-year-old Sanchez, who is looking to compete for a starting job, have shrunk since the Jets decided to hold onto him throughout the first two weeks of free agency.

Sanchez was supposed to be the star quarterback Woody Johnson craved, the superstar at the sport’s most important position. Johnson had always gravitated toward the idea of a larger-than-life figure quarterbacking his team. Brett Favre’s brief stay had ended in disgrace with a sexting scandal.

At that point, Johnson saw another chance in Sanchez, the glitzy quarterback with matinee-idol looks and a skill set to match. He was the sketch of Southern California cool. He was goofy and quirky, but football smart. He had Johnson, Ryan and then-general manager Mike Tannenbaum at hello.

The Jets’ draft-day trade to take Sanchez with the No. 5 pick in 2009 signaled a new day for the franchise. The Sanchise was their prophet. He would lead them to the Promised Land like the guy in the fur coat.

Sanchez may have been a passenger for the Jets’ back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two seasons, but he elevated his play in the biggest games in 2009 and 2010. He had a 3-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the postseason. He beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive weeks. He won four road playoff games in his first two years, giving hope for a future without a ceiling.

Sanchez was supposed to have his breakout in 2011, but his maddening inconsistency (31 total TDs, but 26 turnovers) and a season-ending three-game implosion that kept the Jets out of the playoffs drew criticism inside the team’s walls. He was a polarizing figure. Was he a franchise quarterback or the beneficiary of a strong supporting cast?

The team’s decision-makers looked into the possibility of acquiring blockbuster free agent Manning that offseason before a swift rejection from the future of Hall of Famer pulled them back to Sanchez.

Daily Clips Cont.

22 | P a g e

Tannenbaum gambled by giving Sanchez a three-year contract extension, a curious move that ultimately contributed to the GM’s ouster less than a year later. The Jets made another miscalculation a couple of weeks later by trading for lightning-rod quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tebow’s presence, coupled with an eroding skill-position supporting cast, had a disastrous effect on Sanchez, who looked lost for much of a turnover-riddled 2012 season that got him benched for the first time in his career and included the infamous Butt Fumble debacle on Thanksgiving night.

Idzik’s arrival after the 2012 season was the beginning of the end for Sanchez. The new GM took Geno Smith in the second round of his first draft with the hope that he’d supplant Sanchez in a competition during which the rules were changed to accommodate Smith throughout training camp.

Sanchez, working with his third offensive coordinator in as many years, picked up Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast offense. He was hardly perfect in the preseason, but clearly outplayed Smith.

Despite mounting criticism from fans who couldn’t see past his league-high 52 turnovers in the previous two seasons, Sanchez stayed above the fray. When a classless contingent of fans booed him after an interception during an intrasquad training camp scrimmage, he shrugged it off, believing that he could turn all that angst into approval once more with one big play.

He carried that mind-set 3,000 miles away to his home just outside Los Angeles as he rehabbed his surgically repaired shoulder. He carried that mind-set when the owner who once embraced him told the world that maybe the player should have better protected himself on the play that cost him his season.

He didn’t stop thinking of himself as the quarterback of the New York Jets even as the head coach who had an image of his wife wearing a No. 6 Jets jersey emblazoned on his arm, the guy who once said that “The Kid” would be his starting quarterback for as long as he was in charge, had moved on.

Sanchez still wanted to author a comeback.

The Jets predictably never gave him that chance.

Back_to_Top

Former Eagle Michael Vick has landed with NY Jets, but he’ll have to earn new set of wings (Gary Myers) Really? Vick? This would have been a good idea about 10 years ago. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS March 22, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/myers-ex-eagle-vick-landed-earn-new-set-wings-article-1.1730137

The Jets looked smart trading for Brett Favre six years ago until his right arm fell off down the stretch and cost them the playoffs. It took two seconds for Peyton Manning to reject the Jets’ free-agent sweet talk in 2012, but they had the right idea as he has thrown about 1,000 TD passes for the Broncos the last two seasons.

The Jets do have a thing for older quarterbacks, don't they, especially since they can’t get it right in the draft.

Now it’s Michael Vick.

Really?

Michael Vick?

Daily Clips Cont.

23 | P a g e

This would have been a good idea about 10 years ago.

Here’s what surely convinced Vick: He knows he can beat out Smith.

The Jets have a quarterback controversy: Vick, who may be over the hill, vs. Geno Smith, who has the look of a career underachiever.

Vick is a nearly broken down soon-to-be 34-year-old who arrives with some forgettable baggage from his former days as a dogfighter. Off the field, he has now become a strong voice for the prevention of animal cruelty, but on the field, he takes way too many bone-crunching hits, gets hurt all the time and is in the twilight of a very strange injury- and scandal-plagued career.

Even though he’s been back in the NFL since 2009, Vick is now in a new market, and the dogfighting stories are sure to come up at least in the short term. He’s still a controversial figure.

“I’m a Jet,” he said. “I appreciate all the Jets fans who appreciate me and accept me for who I am and what I’ve become, not for what I’ve done. So, I think right now, my past is irrelevant. We’re talking about football, not the things that transpired off the field.”

Vick’s game is still about his legs, but last season he suffered hamstring injuries that knocked him out of both games against the Giants, allowing Nick Foles to step in and win the job and end Vick’s five seasons in Philly. Vick never complained as he couldn’t get off the bench. Foles played lights out with 27 TDs and two INTs and led the Eagles to the NFC East title, but Vick can’t be planning on sitting behind Smith.

“Anywhere I go, on any team, I’m always going to compete for the No. 1 spot,” Vick said Friday night after signing with the Jets. “I will encourage any other quarterback behind me or in front of me to always compete for the No. 1 spot. That’s how champions are made. That’s all I know.”

Smith was the lowest-rated QB in the NFL last season and despite his relatively strong finish — compared to his first three months — the Jets clearly are not sold on him.

So, Smith is the incumbent but will be fighting from behind this summer if for no other reason than Ryan will be fired after the season if he makes it four years in a row without the playoffs. He’s got to believe Vick gives him a better chance than a scatter-armed second-year QB.

Besides, Marty Mornhinweg was Vick's offensive coordinator his first four years in Philly and they have a great relationship, which slants the competition toward Vick — unless John Idzik orders Ryan to play Smith, to justify the GM’s second-round pick last year.

The Jets’ new motto is “sustainable success.” How does a QB drafted in 2001 fit into that model? As one NFL source said of Vick the other day, “Do I want to give the keys to Michael Vick? Depends how fast you want to go in reverse.”

I asked Vick on Friday night how much he has left. “A lot,” he said. “I have a lot left. It’s evident what I was able to do last year. I got injured and Nick Foles came in and played great. That was the reason I was sidelined. It wasn’t because of my play or because I didn’t have anything left in the tank.”

For sure, Vick didn’t sign with the Jets to be Smith's mentor. He’s here to beat him out. He lost two prime years of his career while he was serving an 18-month prison sentence, so he’s still trying to make up for lost time. Vick said he had another visit set up next weekend, but once he showed up at the Jets’ facility on Friday and met with Ryan, he was sold.

Here’s what surely convinced Vick: He knows he can beat out Smith. He knows his best opportunity to start is with the Jets.

Daily Clips Cont.

24 | P a g e

“I thought it was a great opportunity to come and compete,” Vick said. “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 a helping hand for Geno. I know he has a long way to go, but we talked, we both agreed we are going to push one another to make each other better. Whatever happens, happens.”

Mark Sanchez was released four days before he was due a $2 million roster bonus. Now it's Vick vs. Smith.

Vick concedes, “As of right now, Geno is the starting quarterback for this football team.”

Check back on the first Sunday in September.

Back_to_Top

Mark Sanchez's career with NY Jets: A timeline (Seth Walder) Sanchez had plenty of highs and lows with Gang Green. Here is a complete look back at his career. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS March 21, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mark-sanchez-jets-career-timeline-article-1.1729937

Mark Sanchez is no longer a member of the New York Jets.

The Jets officially cut ties with Mark Sanchez Friday. Here is a timeline of his career with the Jets:

April 2006 - Sanchez, a student at USC, is arrested in connection to an alleged sexual assault on another USC student.

June 2, 2006 - Prosecutors decide not to file charges against Sanchez in relation to the sexual assault.

September 2, 2006 - Sanchez enters his first game at USC.

2008-2009 - Sanchez is the starting quarterback at USC for his junior season, throwing 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

January 1, 2009 - Sanchez leads USC to a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State, 38-24.

April 25, 2009 - The Jets trade up to the No. 5 overall pick and select Sanchez.

August 26, 2009 - Rex Ryan names Sanchez the team's starting quarterback for his rookie season, beating out Kellen Clemens.

October 25, 2009 - Sanchez is spotted eating a hot dog on the sidelines during a 38-0 win over the Raiders.

January 3, 2009 - Sanchez and the Jets improbably make the playoffs after defeating the Bengals in the game of the season.

January 24, 2009 - After leading his team to two playoff victories, Sanchez can't overcome Peyton Manning and the Jets lose in the AFC Championship Game.

2010 - Sanchez leads the Jets to an 11-5 record while throwing 17 touchdowns and 13 INTs.

January 16, 2011 - Sanchez throws three touchdowns in a road win over the Patriots in the divisional round.

January 23, 2011 - Sanchez and the Jets are bounced from the playoffs in the AFC Championship Game for the second straight season.

Daily Clips Cont.

25 | P a g e

February 2011 - a 17-year-old Connecticut girl claims she and Sanchez hooked up at his home in New Jersey.

September 2011 - Sanchez appears on the cover of GQ, with a photo shoot that includes pictures of him shirtless on a football field and in a bath tub.

2011 - the Jets disappoint after back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances, losing the last three games and missing the playoffs.

January 11, 2012 - Jets players rip Sanchez to the Daily News, calling him "lazy."

March 9, 2012 - After losing out on the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, the Jets gave Sanchez an ill-fated contract extension.

March 21, 2012 - the Jets trade for Tim Tebow, prompting season-long speculation over who would be the quarterback of the Jets: Tebow or Sanchez?

November 22, 2012 - During an embarrassing 49-19 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Patriots, Sanchez runs into Brandon Moore and fumbles the ball, a play that was later infamously dubbed the "butt fumble."

2012 - Sanchez holds the starting job for most of the year, but his development regresses, leading the Jets to a weak 6-10 season.

April 26, 2013 - the Jets draft Geno Smith in the second round, initiating a quarterback competition between the rookie.

June, 2013 - Sanchez is captured on video dancing while flashing his exposed butt at the camera.

July-August 2013 - Sanchez appears to be winning the quarterback competition with Smith.

August 24, 2013 - Sanchez hurts his shoulder in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Giants, making Smith the quarterback by default.

September 14, 2013 - Sanchez is placed on short-term IR.

October 8, 2013 - Sanchez has season-ending shoulder surgery. At some point during the season he underwent a minor arthroscopic left knee surgery as well.

March 21, 2014 - The Jets cut Sanchez.

Back_to_Top

ESPNNEWYORK.COM

Michael Vick to Jets for 1 year, $5M (Rich Cimini) ESPN.com March 21, 2014

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/10648890/new-york-jets-reach-deal-michael-vick?ex_cid=espnapi_public

The New York Jets set the stage for another season of compelling quarterback drama and perhaps controversy by signing former longtime starter Michael Vick on Friday.

The deal is for one year and $5 million, according to a league source.

With Mark Sanchez out of the picture after being released Friday, Vick and incumbent Geno Smith are expected to compete for the starting job. There was no clarity because no team officials were made available to comment on the quarterback shake-up.

Daily Clips Cont.

26 | P a g e

"As of now, Geno is the starting quarterback for this football team," Vick said in a conference call with reporters. "From this point on, we're going to compete every day."

After finishing last season on the Philadelphia Eagles' bench, Vick said recently he wants to be a starter again, so he obviously thinks he will have that shot with the Jets at some point. For now, he wasn't about to make headlines with a bold proclamation. He vowed to support Smith and help him develop.

"I wouldn't say I'd necessarily be OK with sitting on the bench, but I know what I signed up for," said Vick, who described Smith as a good friend. "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."

Vick, widely regarded as the top free-agent quarterback this offseason, wrapped up the deal -- rumored for weeks -- after a Friday visit with the Jets. He didn't generate a lot of interest on the open market; in fact, the Jets were his first visit. He said a "couple" of other teams were interested, but he declined to name them. A return to the Eagles, he said, wasn't realistic.

Despite an encouraging finish, Smith hasn't received a commitment as the Jets' 2014 starter. General manager John Idzik is philosophically opposed to naming starters. But on Friday, in a radio interview, coach Rex Ryan came close.

"Geno Smith, regardless of who's here at quarterback or who the competition is, is going to be hard to beat out," Ryan said only a few hours before Vick's arrival was announced.

Vick will be reunited with coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who coached him from 2009 to 2012 in Philadelphia. Vick enjoyed his best all-around season in 2010. His familiarity with Mornhinweg and the coordinator's system played an important role in his decision. They talked about old times Friday at the Jets' facility.

"He's here in a role where he's going to compete and push Geno Smith to become the very best that he can be," Mornhinweg said in a statement.

Vick's play has declined in recent years, partly because of injuries, but he insisted he's not washed up.

"I have a lot left," said Vick, who turns 34 in June. "It was evident with what I was able to do last year. I got injured, and Nick Foles came in and played great. That was the reason I was on the sideline. It wasn't because of my play or because I didn't have anything left in the tank."

Could DeSean Jackson be joining him? The Eagles are said to be shopping their top wide receiver, and the receiver-needy Jets reportedly made an inquiry.

Vick said he doesn't have any inside information, but added: "If there's an opportunity to get DeSean, I'm pretty sure the New York Jets' fans would be in high favor of that. ... If he ends up in New York, I'd be happy, just as happy as he'd be. But who knows? You can't say."

A Jets offseason wouldn't be complete without a significant move at quarterback. They traded for Tim Tebow in 2012 and drafted Smith last year in the second round.

Sanchez was on the verge of claiming the starting job last preseason when he hurt his shoulder. Smith got the job by default, but there was no experienced backup -- a void that might have cost the Jets a playoff spot. Ryan stuck with Smith through a brutal slump, in part because there was no seasoned alternative.

Under pressure after three straight nonplayoff seasons, Ryan wanted Smith insurance. He has that in Vick, who also could serve as a mentor to the young quarterback. Vick said he and Ryan hit it off when they met Friday. Vick said he always wanted to play for Ryan.

Daily Clips Cont.

27 | P a g e

Vick won the Eagles' starting job in a preseason competition with Foles last summer. After pulling a hamstring in an Oct. 6 game against the New York Giants, Vick tried to return to the field three weeks later. He aggravated the injury and spent the rest of the season as Foles' backup.

After signing a one-year, $5 million deal with the Jets on Friday, Michael Vick said a return to the Eagles hadn't been realistic.

The Eagles signed Vick in 2009, after he served his 21-month federal prison sentence for dogfighting conspiracy and was reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The move was controversial among fans who objected to Vick's dogfighting activities, and because the Eagles already had Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb on their roster.

Vick played sparingly in 2009. In 2010, after the Eagles had traded McNabb to Washington, Vick took over the starting job when Kolb was sidelined by a concussion. Vick played some of the best football of his career that season, leading the Eagles to a playoff berth. He was rewarded with a long-term contract but was plagued by injuries (he missed nine of 32 games) and interceptions (he threw 24) in 2011 and '12.

"I want to personally wish Michael Vick and his family all the best as he heads into the next phase of his career in New York," Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said Friday in a statement. "I really enjoyed getting to know him over the last five years. He always represented our team with a tremendous amount of class. Michael was a great teammate, a great leader and we're thankful for everything he provided to our organization and to our community."

Vick said he enjoyed his time in Philadelphia, mentioning his admiration for coach Chip Kelly, but said it "would've been tough" to re-sign with the Eagles.

"[Kelly] wanted better things for me," Vick said. "We all know that Nick deserves to be the starter for that team."

Vick also thanked the Eagles and their fans in a letter he sent to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I would like to thank the Eagles and the entire city of Philadelphia. I was honored to be their quarterback and took the privilege to heart every day. I especially want to thank Jeffrey Lurie and Andy Reid, who gave me the opportunity. I want to thank my teammates, who were not just coworkers, but friends. I also want to thank the millions of fans who cheered and supported our team," he wrote.

"The Eagles are an outstanding organization with a bright future, and I'm thankful for all the friendship, love, and support they gave me and my family. I look forward to seeing great things from them both on the field and in the community."

Back_to_Top

Jets release Mark Sanchez (Rich Cimini) ESPN.com March 21, 2014

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/10648868/mark-sanchez-released-new-york-jets?ex_cid=espnapi_public

Mark Sanchez, once considered the Jets' franchise quarterback, was released Friday, completing a stunning downfall even by New York standards.

The former USC star, dubbed "Sanchize" after helping the Jets to back-to-back playoff appearances in his first two seasons, was cut for a variety of reasons, including a bloated cap charge of $13.1 million and a

Daily Clips Cont.

28 | P a g e

surgically repaired shoulder. In reality, the team started moving away from Sanchez last spring, when it drafted Geno Smith in the second round.

The Jets also signed Michael Vick on Friday. The veteran, widely regarded as the top free-agent quarterback, wrapped up his deal after a visit with the team earlier in the day.

Sanchez was due a $2 million roster bonus March 25, forcing the issue. The Jets will save $8.3 million against this year's cap, incurring $4.8 million in "dead" money on the cap.

The team met with Sanchez's representatives last month at the scouting combine and maintained an ongoing dialogue, but at no point did the Jets ask him to take a pay cut, according to a source. Sanchez wasn't happy that the process dragged out this long but was prepared for the news and was said to be at peace with it.

As soon as the Jets received a commitment from Vick, they informed Sanchez of his release.

The move culminated a five-year run in New York that included four playoff victories.

"I love New York. I've had a ball there," Sanchez said last weekend. "Things were going great. I was competing well. I felt like I was winning the job and then I got hurt. We'll see what happens. I know management has some decisions to make here in the next few days. We'll see what happens. Whatever happens, it'll be great."

Coach Rex Ryan had long been a fan of Sanchez. His affinity for the quarterback remains visible on his right arm, which has a tattoo of his wife wearing a Sanchez jersey. Ryan got the tattoo a few years ago.

"We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach and quarterback to go to back-to-back championship games," Ryan said in a statement Friday. "We experienced a lot together and I really appreciate Mark. He's a great player, a great teammate, and I wish him nothing but the best."

Sanchez's popularity faded in recent years as the fan base turned on him. His low point was the infamous "butt fumble" in 2012, a slapstick play that became an instant classic for blooper reels.

Despite the adversity, Sanchez was on the verge of winning the starting job last summer after outplaying Smith in an open competition, but he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of a preseason game. The torn labrum was repaired in October, and sources say Sanchez is ahead of schedule, throwing with good velocity.

Sanchez is a far more accomplished player than Smith, but general manager John Idzik didn't want another Sanchez-Smith competition, perhaps fearing his handpicked quarterback -- Smith -- would lose.

After drafting Sanchez fifth overall in 2009, the Jets thought they didn't have to worry about the quarterback position for a decade. Following a promising start, Sanchez regressed in 2011 and '12. He received a three-year, $40 million extension before the 2012 season, but everything unraveled in a controversy-filled year with him and Tim Tebow sharing the spotlight. Sanchez was benched late in the season.

He was 33-29 in four seasons as the Jets' starter and had four road playoff wins. Ryan said as recently as 2011 that Sanchez would be his starting quarterback for as long as he remained the coach.

Sanchez has 68 career touchdown passes, 69 interceptions and a 71.7 passer rating.

In November, Sanchez said he had no desire to play elsewhere.

Daily Clips Cont.

29 | P a g e

"It's been a dream come true to play here and I don't want to go anywhere else, that's for sure," he said. "I know I have [three] years left, and I don't ever want that to end. I love being a Jet and I plan on being here."

Back_to_Top

Jets Release Mark Sanchez to Make Room for Michael Vick (Tom Pedulla) New York Times MARCH 21, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/22/sports/football/jets-release-mark-sanchez-to-make-room-for-michael-vick.html?ref=football&_r=0

Jets Coach Rex Ryan once felt so certain of quarterback Mark Sanchez that he repeatedly referred to him as Sanchize and had a tattoo of his wife wearing a Sanchez jersey added to his right arm.

Ryan may be stuck with the design but he no longer has Sanchez. The Jets released Sanchez, a former first-round draft selection, on Friday. The move cleared a roster spot for Michael Vick, whose signing (one year, $5 million) ushers in a new period of uncertainty.

Vick made clear his determination to compete with Geno Smith for the starting job when he told reporters during an evening conference call: “I came to New York to play football. That’s what I came to New York to do.”

He acknowledged, though, that Smith remained first on the depth chart despite an erratic rookie season. “Right now, Geno is the starting quarterback of this football team,” he said. “From this point on, we’re going to compete each and every day.”

Smith was not immediately available for comment.

Vick is a four-time Pro Bowler who turns 34 in June. He has not played a full season since 2006, and the Jets may be following the path they took two years ago when they acquired Tim Tebow to compete with Sanchez, who heard fans calling for Tebow whenever he faltered.

According to Vick, he and Smith developed a friendship after Smith sought advice from him before last year’s draft. He emphasized his desire to mentor Smith while vying with him for playing time.

“I wouldn’t say I would be O.K. sitting on the bench all year, but I know what I signed up for,” Vick said. “I signed to compete and be a helping hand to Geno.”

Sanchez’s release was expected because he was owed a $2 million roster bonus and is coming off surgery on his right shoulder that cost him all of last season. The move saves the Jets $8.3 million against the salary cap. Sanchez was injured in the final preseason game against the Giants when Ryan played him behind backups in the offensive line after Sanchez appeared to have won his closely monitored competition with Smith.

John Idzik, in his second year as Jets general manager, often expresses his desire to have keen competition at all positions, making it likely that Smith will feel the kind of pressure that Sanchez was subjected to when Tebow came aboard.

Vick should benefit from his familiarity with Marty Mornhinweg, the offensive coordinator. They spent four years together in Philadelphia. Vick was honored as the N.F.L.’s comeback player of the year in 2010, when Mornhinweg worked with him on the intricacies of the West Coast offense.

The Jets drafted Sanchez fifth over all in 2009 even though he had made only 16 starts at U.S.C. They limited his responsibilities in the first two years, preferring to ride a staunch defense and a high-

Daily Clips Cont.

30 | P a g e

powered running attack. He managed the game well enough to lead them to the conference championship game each of those first two years.

But he slipped badly when he was asked to do more with an extremely limited offensive supporting cast. His confidence waned as his turnovers mounted. He committed 26 turnovers in the 2011 season, when the team’s record slipped to 8-8, and another 26 turnovers when the Jets’ fortunes plummeted to 6-9 the next year as he fended off Tebow for playing time.

Idzik’s desire to pursue a different direction became clear when Smith was drafted in the second round after a record-setting career at West Virginia. Smith endured the kind of bumpy season that is typical for a rookie quarterback, showing promise at times as he threw for 3,046 yards in starting all 16 games for an 8-8 team but closing with far more interceptions (21) than touchdowns (12). He also fumbled eight times, losing half of them.

Vick became a polarizing figure when he served 18 months in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.

Vick is the only player in N.F.L. history to throw for more than 20,000 yards and run for more than 5,000 yards. Although he can be an electrifying performer and still has a strong arm, his ability to stay healthy will be a major issue.

He severely strained his right hamstring in helping Philadelphia to a 36-21 victory against the Giants last Oct. 6 and later reinjured the area. He never left the bench after that as Nick Foles, in his second season, earned the job.

“Nick Foles came in and played great, and that is the reason I was sidelined,” Vick said. “It wasn’t that I couldn’t play or had nothing left in the tank.”

Back_to_Top

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Jets Cut Mark Sanchez, Sign Michael Vick (Kevin Clark) Wall Street Journal March 21, 2014

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303802104579453863278177446?mod=WSJ_NY_Sports_LEFT_LEADNewsCollection&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303802104579453863278177446.html%3Fmod%3DWSJ_NY_Sports_LEFT_LEADNewsCollection

Mark Sanchez's tenure with the Jets began in 2009 with tales of coaches high-fiving in the draft room. The city swooned, and Sanchez delivered. The Jets reached two AFC straight championship games, making New York's second team appear as set at quarterback as the Giants.

It was a dream from which the Jets awoke quickly, On Friday night, the team released Sanchez, still just 27 years old, after a downward spiral few could have predicted. A few minutes later, they replaced him by signing free agent Michael Vick, the 34-year-old dual-threat quarterback who has been with the Philadelphia Eagles since 2009 but fell out of favor after an injury-plagued 2013 season.

Vick will not be assured a starting spot with the Jets, of course. He will compete with second-year quarterback Geno Smith, whom coach Rex Ryan has supported this off-season as a solid NFL starter.

On Friday Vick said that Smith is the team's starter, but repeatedly characterized every practice between now and the start of the season as a competition. Vick said he's been friendly with Smith since the 23-year-old entered the NFL.

Daily Clips Cont.

31 | P a g e

If the Jets were worried about Sanchez's tendency to get injured—as he did last year during the preseason—Vick won't do much to solve the problem. He hasn't played a full 16 games in a season since 2006, with the Atlanta Falcons, after which he was sentenced to a 23-month prison term for his role in a dogfighting ring.

Vick, who met with the Jets for the first time on Friday, said he's completely healthy, and that the Jets presented a "great opportunity to come in and compete."

Vick stopped short of saying he'd be happy to sit on the bench all year, but certainly isn't demanding to be a starter. "I know what I signed up for," he said. Both quarterbacks wear the jersey No. 7, but Vick said he's prepared to switch.

Before he was replaced by Nick Foles in Philadelphia last season, Vick played in seven games, throwing five touchdown passes and three interceptions. Though spotty as a starter, he could still run the ball, averaging 8.5 yards per rushing attempt on 26 carries, nearly a career high.

Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who was previously Vick's offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, said in a statement that Vick will "compete and push Geno Smith to become the very best that he can be. Michael will be able to go in and play at a high level and a winning level if called upon."

For Sanchez, the release was the inevitable end to a Jets career that showed much promise. After those two successful seasons in 2009 and 2010, his accuracy began to dip; he threw 18 interceptions in both 2011 and 2012. He was competing with Smith before the 2013 season when, in a preseason game against the Giants, he suffered a torn labrum that effectively ended his Jets career.

Ryan began his tenure with the Jets the same year Sanchez arrived via the draft, and he seemed to remain hopeful about Sanchez's long-term prospects with the team as late as Friday morning, when he hinted in a radio interview that Sanchez could be on the team's roster this season. But general manager John Idzik apparently disagreed. Ryan, in an interview last month, also refused to rule out drafting a quarterback to join the competition.

"I'd like to thank Mark for everything he's done for this team and me personally," Ryan said in a statement. "We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach and quarterback to go to back-to-back championship games."

Financially, Vick makes a little more sense than Sanchez, who would have counted for $13 million against the salary cap this season. Vick, by comparison, will sign a one-year deal worth $5 million, which is a little high for a backup, but a bargain for a starter.

Smith, in his second season, will count $1.1 million against the salary cap due to the rookie salary scale. That, in theory, is why Sanchez could have returned to the fold, but the Jets clearly felt it was best to move on from the former Southern California standout.

If Vick does win the starter's job from Smith—and he could be considered an early favorite—he should be a good fit for Mornhinweg's offense, which is rooted in the West Coast style, featuring a shorter passing game.

For his part, Smith picked up the Jets' offense as last season progressed, and his growing pains were only natural. Smith's college offense at West Virginia, the "Air Raid," was designed with routes that Jets coaches said weren't suited for the NFL, so he was essentially throwing all new routes when he arrived in the NFL. Smith threw 21 interceptions against 12 touchdowns in his rookie year, which ended with the Jets at 8-8.

Back_to_Top

Daily Clips Cont.

32 | P a g e

METRO NEW YORK

Jets sign Michael Vick to one-year deal (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York March 21, 2014

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2014/03/21/jets-sign-michael-vick-one-year-deal/#sthash.RW5MClie.dpuf

The Jets added the biggest name left in the free agency when they signed quarterback Michael Vick on Friday.

The one-year deal brings on board a true veteran under center and competition for Geno Smith, who was shaky last year as a rookie, but entered this season as the incumbent starter.

The signing of Vick also ended the five-year tenure of Mark Sanchez, who was cut by the team shortly before the announcement of the signing of Vick. Sanchez, who didn’t play the entirety of the 2013 regular season due to a should injury in preseason, leaves after a successful first two seasons in the league overshadowed by the profound struggles which followed.

As of late Friday afternoon, sources tell Metro that Sanchez did not know his future with the team.

As for Vick, his role with the team is anything but crystal clear. Throughout free agency, the former Eagles star made it clear he wanted to come into a team as a potential starter. Whether he will do that with the Jets or be relegated to clipboard duty is not clear — perhaps even to Vick.

“Anywhere I go or any team, I’m always going to compete for the No. 1 spot,” Vick said in a conference call with the Jets media Friday evening. “I’m always going to encourage any quarterback in front of me or behind me to compete for the No. 1 spot. That’s how champions are made.”

Eloquent and yet pithy in his conference call with the media, Vick did say “as of right now, Geno is the starting quarterback of this football team.”

Vick arrived at the Jets facility on Friday without a deal but left impressed after meeting with head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Mornhinweg was the offensive coordinator of the Eagles from 2006 to 2012 and helped resurrect Vick’s career after a stint in prison. The former Eagle came into the meeting thinking he would take another visit next week.

He left Friday night as a Jet.

His arrival means the Jets don’t have a clear-cut starter, even if Smith might have a slight edge. It is shaping up to be another summer of a quarterback competition for a team that has been unsettled in preseason at that spot for the last three seasons. The signing of Vick comes exactly two years to the day the team traded for Tim Tebow from Denver. He was released after one season.

On Thursday, a team source told Metro the Jets would tell Vick there would be a quarterback competition if he signed and that he wouldn’t be guaranteed a sideline role.

Whether Vick is the starter or not, he will be able to continue a relationship with Vick that started last winter. Prior to the NFL Draft process, Vick and Smith connected and the veteran played a mentor role to the would-be rookie, giving him advice on the league and the agent process.

But continuing that mentorship isn’t what drew Vick to sign with the Jets. He said repeatedly in his Friday night conference call that he was drawn to playing for Ryan and his former offensive coordinator again.

Daily Clips Cont.

33 | P a g e

“I think having the chance to play for Rex Ryan and coach Mornhinweg again,” Vick said. “I had some great years with Marty. We sat about it and talked about it today — the things that could have been and should have been.”

Back_to_Top

Jets release Mark Sanchez due to signing of Michael Vick (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York March 21, 2014

http://www.metro.us/newyork/uncategorized/2014/03/21/jets-release-mark-sanchez-due-signing-michael-vick/

Typical number of sessions to remove a moderate-sized tattoo: 20. Typical cost of laser tattoo removal: $2,000. The cap savings of cutting Mark Sanchez on Friday: $8.3 million.

There are some things money can’t buy for Jets head coach Rex Ryan — like removing the tattoo of your scantily clad wife in a No. 6 jersey from your right arm. For everything else, there is John Idzik, the Jets general manager who quietly cut Sanchez on Friday to clear salary cap space for the team.

The team used some of that space in the ensuing hours when they inked quarterback Michael Vick to a one-year deal.

Sanchez, who the Jets moved up to select No. 5 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, spent five up-and-down seasons in New York. At his highwater mark, Sanchez led the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship game appearances in 2009 and 2010. At his low, his “Buttfumble” gaffe was run repeatedly on “SportsCenter” and he suffered a humiliating shoulder injury in preseason that cost him the entirety of last season.

“I’d like to thank Mark for everything he’s done for this team and me personally,” Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach/quarterback to go to back-to-back championship games. We experienced a lot together and I really appreciate Mark, he’s a great player, a great teammate and I wish him nothing but the best.”

A team source tells Metro New York that Sanchez was not notified of the move until late on Friday night. The source also said that while the team was aware of the willingness on Sanchez’s part to restructure, that it was “never formerly discussed.”

It was clear early on the Jets had moved on from Sanchez, the source said.

Back_to_Top

USA TODAY

Michael Vick is Jets' new definition of hope (Jarrett Bell) USA TODAY March 21, 2014

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/jets/2014/03/21/michael-vick-new-york-jets-qb-quarterback-jarrett-bell/6717723/

All of these years later, it's still about hope for Michael Vick.

Now it's just a different type of hope.

Daily Clips Cont.

34 | P a g e

A few years ago, Vick hoped to get a crack at another job in the NFL after his activity in a heinous dogfighting ring was exposed and resulted in a 21-month prison stint.

This time, the job search didn't hinge on the image-rehab factor.

It's essential football: Can Vick put it all together again and produce magic?

The New York Jets, and their long-suffering fans, know all about hope. The Jets gambled with Brett Favre, rolled with Mark Sanchez. One day, someone woke up and thought Tim Tebow was a good idea.

Last year, they drafted Geno Smith.

Now here comes Vick.

This is a good move for the Jets, better than pursuing Matt Schaub or even Josh McCown, given the hope factor. Vick, when he's on, can still be so electric.

He showed that in flashes last season with the Eagles, initially winning the job over Nick Foles.

The obvious swing factor with Vick — even more so than when he was younger and just as much as the potential for turnovers — is whether he will stay healthy with that multi-dimensional style that can produce electricity and heartbreak. He lost the Eagles job after an injury opened the door for Foles to come in and light it up.

One way or another, if Vick wins the job over Smith, it will be temporary. Maybe Vick gives the Jets an extended period of time to allow Smith to develop in the wings. It's more likely that Vick, who turns 34 in June, will win the job and then suffer some injury that opens the door for Smith to play.

I'm not wishing anything bad for Vick. I'm just considering the history. He's played a full 16-game season just once in his career, way back in 2006.

Sure, the team has invited another quarterback controversy in its midst. Given the Big Apple media glare, the controversy — or just the threat of controversy — promises to more intense than elsewhere.

That's just the way it is with the Jets, and Rex Ryan won't run from that.

Yet budding controversy or not, Vick walks in the door already knowing the system run by offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg — putting him far ahead of the curve than he would have been had he left the Eagles for a team besides the Jets.

Of course, Vick, who will turn 34, has learned over the past couple of weeks since the free agency market opened, that no other team wanted him — at least not like the Jets.

He was arguably the most attractive quarterback on the free agent market, but when he went to Jets headquarters on Friday it marked his first visit.

The Bucs, incidentally, argued by their actions that McCown was the most attractive available quarterback.

In any event, Vick landing with the Jets says something about NFL connections. After prison, Vick had the best season of his NFL career in 2010 under Mornhinweg, with the Eagles. And Mornhinweg loves Vick and his talent – even now.

The challenge for both of them is to recapture that flow. Or else.

Vick isn't assured of starting job, but he'll get a shot. As free agency opened, buzz circulated that suggested Vick would wait before deciding his future, presumably with a chance to survey which teams might draft a young quarterback.

Daily Clips Cont.

35 | P a g e

If that was indeed the thinking, it provided a reality check. This is an era where in most cases the young quarterbacks play right away, ready or not, developing or not, along the way.

Yet Vick has landed in the best possible spot because he will get a chance to start, reunites with Mornhinweg and can even be a mentor for the young quarterback that he aims to beat out.

My, how times have changed. A few years ago, Vick was being mentored by Donovan McNabb as he sought to put his life and career back on track.

Now he can have what could be a final fling in the NFL and mentor Smith.

At least that's the hope.

Back_to_Top

FRIDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

Associated Press March 21, 2014

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/21/fridays-sports-transactions/

BASEBALL

American League

CLEVELAND INDIANS — Granted RHP David Aardsma his release.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Acquired LHP Jose Alvarez from Detroit for INF Andrew Romine.

MINNESOTA TWINS — Announced RHP Vance Worley cleared waivers and was sent outright to Rochester (IL).

SEATTLE MARINERS — Named Chris Prieto quality control coach.

TEXAS RANGERS — Optioned RHP Roman Mendez to Frisco (Texas).

National League

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Placed LHP Matt Reynolds and OF Cody Ross on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 19. Optioned RHP Charles Brewer and RHP Zeke Spruill to Reno (PCL).

LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Placed RHP Josh Beckett, RHP Chad Billingsley and OF Matt Kemp on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 19. Placed OF Carl Crawford on paternity leave. Optioned C Tim Federowicz to the minor camp. Reassigned OF Joc Pederson, LHP Zach Lee and INF Miguel Rojas.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Optioned RHP Phil Irwin, INF Chris McGuiness and INF Brent Morel to Indianapolis (IL). Reassigned RHP Jake Brigham, INF Chase d'Arnaud, RHP Cody Eppley, RHP Josh Kinney and LHP Yao-Hsun Yang to their minor league camp.

American Association

GRAND PRAIRIE AIR HOGS — Released INF Jorge Jimenez, LHP Jared Potts and INF Yasatsugu Nishimoto.

LAREDO LEMURS — Signed 1B Gerardo Avila.

Can-Am League

ROCKLAND BOULDERS — Signed OF Antone DeJesus, RHP Min Hur and INF Matt Nandin.

Frontier League

Daily Clips Cont.

36 | P a g e

EVANSVILLE OTTERS — Signed INF Josh Allen.

FRONTIER GREYS — Signed C Ramon Ortega.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MINERS — Traded 1B Gerardo Avila to Laredo (AA) for a player to be named.

WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS — Placed INF Chad Cregar on the retired list.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS — Signed F DJ White to a 10-day contract.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS — Signed G Seth Curry to a 10-day contract.

FOOTBALL

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

BALTIMORE RAVENS — Agreed to terms S Darian Stewart on a one-year contract.

CAROLINA PANTHERS — Signed CB Antoine Cason and QB Joe Webb to one-year contracts and WR Tiquan Underwood to a two-year contract.

CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed OT Marshall Newhouse. Waived QB Greg McElroy.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Signed DE Corey Wootton.

NEW YORK GIANTS — Signed OL John Jerry.

NEW YORK JETS — Signed QB Michael Vick. Released QB Mark Sanchez.

OAKLAND RAIDERS — Acquired QB Matt Schaub from Houston for an undisclosed 2014 draft pick. Re-signed CB Charles Woodson to a one-year contract.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Agreed to terms with WR Lance Moore on a two-year contract.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

NHL — Fined Pittsburgh F James Neal $5,000 for cross-checking Detroit F Luke Glendening and Detroit F David Legwand $5,000 for butt-ending Pittsburgh F Evgeni Malkin during a March 20 game.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS — Signed C Caleb Herbert to a two-year, entry-level contract.

American Hockey League

BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS — Agreed to terms with F Ryan Walters and F Brock Montpetit on amateur tryout contracts. Released F Joey Martin from his professional tryout contract.

ECHL

STOCKTON THUNDER — Announced the addition of F Joey Martin.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

MLS — Suspended Seattle MF Clint Dempsey two games for violent conduct toward Toronto FC D Mark Bloom in a March 15 game. Suspended Chicago D Lovel Palmer two games for violent conduct toward Portland's Maximiliano Urruti in a March 16 game. Suspended New York D Armando one game and fined

Daily Clips Cont.

37 | P a g e

him an undisclosed amount for serious foul play against Colorado F Deshorn Brown in a March 15 game. Fined Montreal MF Justin Mapp an undisclosed amount for simulation in a March 15 game against Houston.

PHILADELPHIA UNION — Loaned MF Cristhian Hernandez and MF Jimmy McLaughlin to Harrisburg City (USL PRO).

COLLEGE

VIRGINIA TECH — Named Buzz Williams men's basketball coach.

Back_to_Top