FanPost

Is Sanchez worth the roster spot?

Remember when the position of third-string QB was an afterthought for the Bears?

David Fales held that title and a clipboard for two years, before Ryan Pace realized there were better options on the open market, cutting him in camp and giving Bears fans that brief, crazy thrill ride that made you puke all over yourself: Matt Barkley.

This year, the third-string role won't be held by a low-upside player with no starting experience or hope. Instead, the Bears are faced with an intriguing choice: leave preseason phenom Mitchell Trubisky where he is on the depth chart, move veteran Mark Sanchez back, or join the NFL's big boy teams and carry only two QBs into the season?

By now, there's not a Bears fan left who doesn't think Trubisky has done enough to at least seize the backup role. But giving Trubisky that job means he's just one hit to our starting giraffe away from getting in a real NFL game, something Bears brass is hesitant about, even if it's all fans want to see this year. Carrying Sanchez on the roster gives the team a buffer if they don't want to throw the kid in the fray right away. But it's foolish to think Sanchez would give the Bears any meaningful production were he thrust into an emergency starting role.

Sanchez has avoided reps this preseason like John Fox avoids questions about this very QB situation. The Bears have said they don't need to see a lot of the former fifth overall pick because they know what he is already. According to Pace, "he's the savvy vet that we knew he would be. He's great in the room, he's comfortable in this offense, he gets the ball out quick."

For those who have never bothered to look it up, savvy is defined as: shrewd and knowledgeable; having common sense and good judgment. That second part definitely doesn't sound like the best adjective for the same Sanchez who holds a career 73.9 passer rating and the trophy for single greatest sports blooper of all time. Not to mention there's no way he's comfortable in a brand new offense when he still looked out of sorts three years into Brian Schottenheimer's scheme.

But for all the failures he's experienced on the football field, that's also his biggest argument for sticking around. Experience. Coaches and GMs like when their starter has someone to bounce ideas off of. "An extra set of eyes," they'll tout it. However bad he was at identifying coverages, Sanchez has seen his fair share. Trubisky can't lend that wisdom to Mike Glennon on the sidelines.

Going through some of the projected cuts for this year's Bears team, guys like KaDeem Carey, Jeremy Langford, John Timu, B.W. Webb and Daniel Brown could all be without a job next week. Sure, they're not going to make or break a season, but they have shown an ability to make an impact on the field either in the past or during the preseason. That's before you even consider the names from other teams that could be available once cut downs start. Wouldn't an extra one of those players bring more value to the team than a suggestion box who hasn't earned the chance to be an emergency starting QB?

After all, if injuries mean things get really desperate under center, you can always go out and find another Barkley.

This Fanpost was written by a Windy City Gridiron member and does not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of its staff or community.