The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have Discussed Trading for Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez as a Part of a Darrelle Revis Deal

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and coach Greg Schiano have expressed a desire for competition at every position this offseason, and Greg Schiano’s relationship with Josh Freeman has been a roller coaster of sorts. So it’s safe to say that an additional quarterback will be added the roster between now and the start of camp, and he’ll be brought in to provide a more competitive backup than Dan Orlovsky. Names like Matt Cassel, Carson Palmer, and John Skelton have crossed the minds of Buccaneers’ fans, but there is one source of potential quarterbacks that has been jokingly discussed, but might need to be taken more seriously.

The New York Jets.

Reports have surfaced today that the Buccaneers and Jets have been discussing the possibility of throwing in one of the Jets polarizing signal callers as a part of the Darrelle Revis deal. The idea behind the inclusion of either quarterback is similar to trades more often seen in the NBA, where a team includes a valuable player along with a player they want to get rid of but can’t cut, with hopes that the benefit of the good player (Revis, in this case) outweighs the negative of taking on the contract of a lesser player that is not a part of the team’s plans (Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow).

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So which quarterback would the Buccaneers be more interesting in bringing along in a Revis trade? Tebow seems like the casual fan’s favorite choice, with the fan bases of the Bucs and Gators overlapping and University of Florida faithful still trusting in Tim Tebow’s winning ways. Mark Sanchez seems like the ignorant choice, with the bigger contract and more recent struggles creating a perfect storm of disinterest from fans.

I have spelled out my thoughts about Tebow previously, and will not rant again about him, because he’s either loved or hated, with no middle ground amongst NFL fans. So let’s take a moment to consider Mark Sanchez as a possible addition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback depth chart.

Sanchez was taken a dozen spots higher than Josh Freeman in the 2009 draft, and came out of college boasting an NFL-ready arm with incredible anticipation. He was highly coveted by the Jets, who maneuvered up the draft board to select him and put him right into the starting role. He did “lead” the team to two AFC Championship games, but he never posted impressive (and more importantly, consistent) numbers, struggling with his accuracy and making plenty of boneheaded mistakes.

This would all be fine, and worthy of giving the former USC standout a chance, if it weren’t for the massive contract Sanchez brings along. He is signed through 2016, and has tons of bonuses and guaranteed dollars in his contract. Bringing Sanchez in means sticking with him for at least a couple of seasons, or suffering a cap penalty for letting him go. Considering the smart spending Mark Dominik has exhibited this offseason, it would be a total surprise to see Sanchez’s massive contract and cap hit added to the team.

Tebow’s deal is very incentive driven, and has a small base number. He’d be a much smarter choice to bring in and compete with Josh Freeman, although Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano may wish to avoid the ESPN three ring circus that comes with Tebow being in town. Either way, I believe it is safe to say the Buccaneers will not be bringing Mark Sanchez to town as a part of a deal for Darrelle Revis, and that they will also not let the decision to add a quarterback into the deal distract from their goal of completing a trade to bolster the cornerback position.

So what do you think, Buccaneer fans? Do either of the Jets QB’s interest you? Let us know in the comments below.