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Jets fans mixed on newest Gang Green QB
By Andrew Breiner and Marlene Naanes
The football season is months away, but the Jets’ new charismatic quarterback Mark Sanchez already has fans dreaming of better days ahead.
“It's great that we've got somebody,” said Elliott Seaver, 59, Manhattan. “(Kellen) Clemens wasn't that good. We have a great defense, good running backs, and now we need a good passing game.”
In Saturday’s NFL draft, the Jets traded five players with the Cleveland Browns to move up to the No. 5 pick so they could land Sanchez. With Brett Favre retiring and Clemens untested and unreliable, the Jets needed to make a bold move that could help end the 40-year Super Bowl drought.
Fans embraced the University of Southern California import, even saying he has more promise than No. 1 draft pick Matthew Stafford, another quarterback that went to the Detroit Lions.“I think Sanchez was a good pick,” said Alex Slavin, 39, of Brooklyn. “Who were they going to put in without him? Mark my words, he will be better than Stafford.”
Some fans weren't exactly running out to buy Sanchez jerseys, but they said anyone was better than Clemens, who has barely played since 2007 when the Jets went 3-5 with him as a starter. Many Gang Green faithful yesterday said they were optimistic with the young QB but not expecting a Super Bowl out of Sanchez —and he wasn't promising one either.
“All I can promise is that I'm going to work hard," he said after he was drafted.
He would first have to start, and whether he would win out over Clemens remained unclear.
“I don't think Sanchez will play next year, but give him a couple (years) and he could be good,” said Kyle Marchese, 42, a Giants fan from Manhattan. “It's good to have a new, young player in New York. They need some fresh blood.”
Some fans weren't so quick to get excited about the new Jet.
“It was a pretty expensive deal, so I hope it pays off,” said Anthony Monticello, 35, of Manhattan. “I have no idea whether it will work out. I haven't seen enough of him.”
With AP
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