Mark Sanchez Presents the Broncos' Best QB Option to Repeat as Super Bowl Champs

Before this topic can begin in earnest: Forget about the Sanchize or the butt fumble. Too many define Mark Sanchez's career by a premature nickname or a fluky turnover. 

Each of those previously defining elements to Sanchez's career are now years in the past. 

Instead, a positive outlook should be taken when it comes to his potential as a starting quarterback for his new team, the Denver Broncos. 

Surely, some snickered when executive vice president of football operations John Elway allowed Brock Osweiler to leave in free agency after Peyton Manning announced his retirement and responded by trading for Sanchez. 

The move seems like a Band-Aid at best and a possible disaster at worst. Even so, the eighth-year signal-caller still places the team in the best position to win this fall. 

Sanchez is an ideal fit for head coach Gary Kubiak's system. He's far more developed as a quarterback compared to the rest of the Broncos' depth chart. And the surrounding cast already proved a dynamic presence isn't needed behind center to succeed. 

The coach still isn't letting on who will be the team's starting quarterback, and last year's seventh-round pick, Trevor Siemian, could still push Sanchez. 

"It's a very competitive situation," Kubiak said, per Andrew Mason of the team's official site. "They're obviously ahead of our young guy just from a mental standpoint right now, but those two guys have been very close throughout the course [of OTAs]."

No. 26 overall pick Paxton Lynch is the "young guy" Kubiak referenced. Denver aggressively traded up to acquire the Memphis signal-caller's services, but he's considered a long-term project. 

The team supposedly knows exactly who its starting quarterback will be when the Broncos open the season Sept. 8 on Thursday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers in a Super Bowl 50 rematch. 

"It's no mystery to us," an unnamed Denver player told Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman. 

While the players reportedly know who their starter will be—even though no one will publicly admit it—there is organizational support behind Sanchez, as NFL Network's James Palmer noted: 

Players' careers are often determined by circumstance. Success requires talent, but talent needs to be placed in the right situation to succeed. 

System Matters

During his time with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, Sanchez played in two diametrically opposed systems that never quite fit his skill set. 

A West Coast offense orchestrated by then-offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer became the young quarterback's introduction to the professional ranks. In the highly regimented scheme, he floundered in the passing attack when asked to make full-field reads and understand all of the nuances of a complicated setup. 

In Philadelphia, then-head coach Chip Kelly relied heavily on tempo, simple reads and getting the ball quickly out of his quarterback's hands. 

Denver's offense under Kubiak's watchful eye should reach a happy medium between Sanchez's previous two stops. 

The basis of the Broncos' offensive scheme is rooted in West Coast passing principles, but a strong play-action game sets up the passing attack. Kubiak's famed zone-stretch system has enabled running back after running back to be productive. 

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press/Associated Press

Denver's offense will be predicated on the success of its running backs and not Sanchez. As the Broncos demonstrated last year, they didn't need high-level quarterback play to capture their third championship. 

C.J. Anderson took over down the stretch and became the workhorse the Broncos required during their playoff run, carrying the ball 54 times for 234 yards in three postseason games. When Denver needed a tough yard, the running back made the play. 

As a restricted free agent, Anderson signed a four-year, $18 million offer sheet with the Miami Dolphins, but the Broncos wisely matched the deal. 

After a slow start last year, the Cal product is more prepared for the upcoming season by taking his conditioning far more seriously this offseason compared to the last two, per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold:

"

Waaaayyyy better. I’ve never come back at playing weight, so I’m excited about that. I’m leaning up.

I think it’s maturity—I learned every year. After my rookie year I came back at 240-something, then last year … I came back at, like, 225, 224—they were happy upstairs. This year I think it’s better to come back to OTAs at playing weight. 

"

More importantly, a strong running game will open up a key component within the scheme and Sanchez's game. 

Bootleg action off the zone stretch is a staple of Kubiak's offense. This is where Sanchez excelled in college. Below is a highlight package from his time with the Trojans: 

It's not a coincidence the first four plays shown involve bootleg movement. Sanchez is far better when the pocket is moved than when he's asked to stand tall in a traditional offense and deliver the ball. 

Bootlegs also cut down on a quarterback's reads. Sanchez's decision-making has always been suspect. In his seven-year career, the former fifth overall pick has thrown 86 touchdowns compared to 84 interceptions. 

By cutting the field in half with bootlegs, the quarterback's reads are far more simple. Unless Manning suddenly decides to reverse course on his retirement, whoever starts will have fewer responsibilities than other quarterbacks around the league. 

"I think you said it a little bit, there is more flexibility and more control in the quarterback’s hands at the line of scrimmage [in the Houston Texans' system]," Osweiler told The MMQB's Jenny Vrentas. "And again, I don’t want to really compare the two systems, because like you said, I did play well in Gary Kubiak’s system last year. And I really enjoyed playing in his system."

The combination of structured system with quick and/or half-field reads plays to Sanchez's strengths and should hide some of the weaknesses exposed over the early portions of his career.  

Leading the Way

David Zalubowski/Associated Press/Associated Press

While overall fit is vitally important, the man leading the Broncos will also be instrumental in any success Sanchez experiences. 

Kubiak brings a completely different understanding to the position than the quarterback's previous head coaches. Rex Ryan is a boastful, defensive-minded head coach. During his tenure, the Jets were built around his personality. In Philadelphia, Kelly tried to transition from being a successful collegiate head coach to the professional ranks with varying degrees of success. 

Denver's head coach understands the position to a degree Sanchez has never previously experienced. Kubiak played quarterback, and his offense is built around nuanced play-calling.

"I went back and looked at some of the film from last season," an assistant general manager told Freeman. "He did a lot of really smart things that he doesn't get credit for. That offense went through some permutations that I'm not sure people recognize. He did one of the best coaching jobs that I've seen in maybe the past 15 or 20 years."

In his 22 seasons as an NFL coach, Kubiak has coached three Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Elway, Manning and Steve Young. He also experienced relative success with Matt Schaub, Joe Flacco and Osweiler. This is a man who knows how to coach the quarterback position, and Sanchez should greatly benefit. 

What's even more impressive about last year's offense is the fact the team didn't have all the necessary pieces in place to properly run the system, as Mike Klis of 9News Denver mentioned: 

Fullback might be a dying position in the NFL, but it's always been vitally important in Kubiak's scheme. Kyle Juszczyk, Greg Jones, James Casey and Vonta Leach performed well as lead blockers/outlet options during the nine seasons before the coach's return to Denver. 

As the offense transitioned from a wide-open, pass-first scheme under Adam Gase to Kubiak's run-heavy preference, all of the pieces weren't in place. This fall, the offense will be far more representative of the current coach's preferred approach, which adds to an already talented group of targets. 

Skilled Receivers

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Here are Sanchez's top receivers during seasons in which he started at least eight games: Jerricho Cotchery, Braylon Edwards, Dustin Keller, Jeremy Kerley and Jeremy Maclin. Save for Maclin, that's a depressing group. Maclin was the only one of those targets who provided a 1,000-yard season, and it came during the 2014 campaign when Sanchez only started half of the year. 

Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are completely different animals. Even with all of the team's issues at quarterback last year, the duo combined to make 181 receptions for 2,439 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Those numbers will likely dip this fall with a heavier reliance on the running game, but these are proven targets who can create explosive plays at a moment's notice. 

Thomas is one of the league's most physical receivers. His expansive catch radius will only help Sanchez be a better quarterback even if his ball placement isn't ideal. 

Plus, the Georgia Tech product will be far more comfortable this season since he didn't have the time to properly engage in last year's preparation, per SiriusXM NFL radio (via Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper): 

"

I think the main thing was sometimes thinking too much. As I got my deal done, my mom got out. I was happy to be back with my team, but it was going out on the field, getting the timing down with the new offense. I wasn’t there for OTAs, I wasn’t there for minicamp. And then you had new routes. It was different for the quarterbacks because it was something Peyton [Manning] had never done before, Brock [Osweiler] had never done, either.

"

Sanders, meanwhile, is a silky-smooth route-runner with the ability to separate from nearly any cornerback. 

Sanchez has never played with a wide receiver duo this talented, and they will almost certainly help him become a better quarterback, while those behind him might have to wait their turn. 

Quarterback Outlook

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Eventually, Lynch will be the guy. But he's not right now. And that's OK. 

In fact, Siemian has a better chance to eventually unseat Sanchez as the starting quarterback, according Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris Jr., per Legwold: 

"

Trevor has a maturity to him. He's kind of the sleeper, I would say. Of course Mark and Paxton are going to be the headlines, but Trevor knows the offense. He's very comfortable and can throw the ball, too. We've also seen him make big plays in the preseason games under the lights. I wouldn't sleep on Trevor to win the job.

"

Siemian is still a former seventh-round pick going into his second season. It's advantageous for the Broncos to have a legit option behind Sanchez, but it's unlikely he's the answer. If the organization was truly invested in Siemian, it wouldn't have made the move for Lynch in the first place. 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press/Associated Press

The 6'7" Memphis product oozes talent. His raw athleticism and potential make him an exciting option. However, the reason he fell to the latter portion of the first round is due to the fact he isn't nearly as advanced as Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, the two quarterbacks taken first and second overall, respectively. 

Memphis' offense last season didn't require many NFL-caliber throws or an in-depth understanding of professional passing concepts. As such, Lynch will be best served sitting as long as possible to gain necessary mental reps.

"I need to be more consistent," Lynch said, per Mile High Sports' Colton Strickler. "I come out here, and I have some great days, and then I come out here and have some not so great days, but I think that I obviously need to be more consistent." 

The best situation to possibly befall the Broncos during the upcoming season is not having to play Lynch in any instance other than garbage time.

Super Bowl Standard

The NFL may be a quarterback-driven league, but the Broncos definitively proved last year that a complete team effort, particularly a dominant defense, can still result in a Super Bowl victory. 

Last year's run evokes fond memories of an aging Manning riding off into the sunset while the young Osweiler held down the fort for a short period. 

But the bottom line is their combined performance: a 60.7 completion percentage, 4,216 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. These are the numbers Sanchez needs to improve upon, or at the very least duplicate, as a full-season starter. 

In his last 13 games since leaving the Jets, Sanchez has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 3,034 yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He can provide a similar presence behind center while being a better overall fit in the team's current direction.

The goal should be to start the veteran quarterback in all 16 games. If that were to happen, Denver will likely return to the playoffs and compete for another Super Bowl. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.