Jets, Sanchez agree to five-year deal

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Mark Sanchez wanted no contract squabbles or training camp headaches.

The New York Jets' rookie quarterback got his big deal — and a huge sense of relief — before minicamp was even completed, signing a five-year deal Wednesday that could be worth up to $60 million, including $28 million guaranteed.

"It sends the right message," Sanchez said. "It's not in my makeup to hold out like that. That would've just been terrible for me. This just eliminates that whole factor. I'll be there Day 1, ready to go and compete. It's going to be a good time and a competitive time."

Agent David Dunn said the deal is worth "around the $50 million mark," but could reach as high as $60 million with incentives. That would make it the richest rookie deal ever given out by the Jets.

"This is just the beginning," Sanchez said. "I'll be working every day to justify this contract."

Detroit gave quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick and the only other first-rounder to sign, a six-year contract worth up to $78 million, with $41.7 million in guarantees. While Sanchez's deal falls short of that, Dunn said doing the contract for five years instead of the usual six for top picks satisfied both sides.

"I think from the Jets' standpoint, there's probably a little bit less money at risk," Dunn said. "And from our standpoint, I think $28 million in guaranteed money will tide him over fine for a while. And, obviously, he reaches free agency a year sooner."

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Wolf said:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9598902/Jets,-Sanchez-agree-to-five-year-deal-

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Such adoration is wonderful and provides hope. But as institutions, marriage and first-round quarterbacks are roughly equivalent in terms of risk and reward, about half of them last and far fewer are truly successful. Even more, almost all of them are costly.

Furthermore, the secret to success is about finding a great balance between patience and expectation.

With that in mind, you have to wonder about how this is all going to work for the Jets, particularly as head coach Rex Ryan comes in guns blazing in the form of verbal jousts with Bill Belichick to the north and Channing Crowder(notes) to the south.

If a glimpse at one practice means anything, the Jets and their future with Sanchez figure to be the typical combination of painful learning with a glimpse of greatness along the way.

That was clear Tuesday at practice as Sanchez went from one extreme to the next. His early throws were a collection of ugly. There was a bad decision to throw into double coverage for an easy interception on one play. There were two other throws into double coverage on seam routes that made you wonder if Sanchez had a blind spot for safeties.

There were a couple of nervous check-down throws, a misread of an open receiver and a moment of happy feet that all made Sanchez look like a guy in over his head while about to drag his team down with him.

The promising part of it is that Sanchez never seemed to lose his poise, never got truly rattled, never showed a hint of disappointment. He simply turned to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, listened to the critique and moved on to the next play.

By the end, when the Jets put him in a situational drill that’s the closest thing you can find to live action in the offseason drills, Sanchez was borderline brilliant.

“That’s what Brett Favre(notes) talked about all the time when he was here,” Jets running back Leon Washington(notes) said. “For a quarterback, once the play is over, it’s gone forever. To see Mark react the way he did [Tuesday], that was good.”

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Wolf said:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...=jc-sanchezcontract061109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

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kiwitexansfan said:

I hate the pay scales of the NFL, how can a guy yet to do anything in the NFL become a teams highest ever paid player.....

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Carr Bombed said:

In the next CBA, that's something they're going to iron out.........even if it takes a lockout year to get it done. I serously think the owners are ready to go that far to get rid of those rediculous rookie contracts.

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kiwitexansfan said:

I hate the pay scales of the NFL, how can a guy yet to do anything in the NFL become a teams highest ever paid player.....

My vote is for Sanchez being decidedly average.

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Carr Bombed said:

In the next CBA, that's something they're going to iron out.........even if it takes a lockout year to get it done. I serously think the owners are ready to go that far to get rid of those rediculous rookie contracts.

Click to expand...