Last season, the Jets won 11 regular season games -- something they had not done since 1998 (when they won 12 games, took the division and lost a heartbreaker to Denver in the AFC Championship).
Mark Sanchez hopes the Jets can build on that success by retaining as many of last year's players as possible, especially their high-profile, soon-to-be free agents.
Sanchez appeared on The Dan Patrick Show, but didn't speak to Patrick and Co. Internet legend Pro Football Talk's own Mike Florio was today's host and chatted with the Jets third-year quarterback.
"Keeping as many guys as possible from last year's team is the most important thing," Sanchez said. "We have a decided advantage against a lot of teams with new offensive or defensive systems, new coordinators, new quarterbacks, new coaches. We have a good thing in place; we have a real good thing going, and and we'd love to just build on that."
He goes on to talk about the inconsistency of contract offers in the NFL.
"I would not be surprised if the days of the $50 million rookie contract are over," Sanchez said. "I just think that’s the way things are headed. There are veteran players that have proved themselves, and now ... I've seen the kind of hard work and dedication that it takes, that these guys have put in."
Sanchez also said he wants to see WR Santonio Holmes, WR Braylon Edwards and CB Antonio Cromartie return to the team; and that he personally need to "step up and make a big jump."
You have to love Sanchez's maturity. He is already stepping up and taking a leadership role which we have seen many veteran quarterbacks in the NFL take on. If the pundits want to continue questioning the strategy of trading up to select a quarterback high in the first round of the draft, they can yammer on all they want. The fact remains, Sanchez is proving to be a leader, hard worker (on the field and in the film room) and team player. Love it, the young QB just wants to win.