New Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano seemed to confirm the reports that he plans to simplify the playbook for quarterback Mark Sanchez, saying Sanchez will benefit from taking a step back.
Sparano noted that in his last two coaching stints he has coached Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne, and he said that he believes in focusing on the fundamentals when working with a young quarterback.
“Get them back to Square 1 and break them back from a fundamental standpoint,” Sparano said, via the New York Times.
Sparano said he has a positive opinion of Sanchez based on his observations from coaching against the Jets over the last three years. He said he thinks Sanchez is a good athlete and a good arm, and he seemed to agree with head coach Rex Ryan’s defense of Sanchez, as well as with General Manager Mike Tannenbaum, who said, “He has all the attributes and traits we want.”
Still, it has to be a concern that Sanchez, after three seasons in the NFL, is the subject of all these questions about whether he has what it takes. When the Jets traded up to select Sanchez fifth overall in the 2009 NFL draft, they didn’t think they’d be going back to square one with him in 2012.