Jets OC: Sanchez has 'leg up' in QB competition

"Mark will probably have just a little bit of a leg up, it would appear," Mornhinweg said Monday during a conference call a few hours before the team signed veteran David Garrard. "I would like to have competition at that position as well as all the other positions. There are a select few on this football team that have kind of earned the right to step in there as No. 1 on the depth chart.

"But I certainly would like competition at all the other spots, including the quarterback spot."

The maligned Sanchez, who was benched by coach Rex Ryan late last season, will remain with the Jets, in large part due to the $8.25 million in guarantees he's owed this year. He struggled mightily last season, appearing to lose confidence as he threw 18 interceptions and just 13 touchdowns.

Despite all that, Mornhinweg insisted that Sanchez doesn't need to be "fixed" to build on the success he had in his first two seasons in 2009 and 2010 while leading the Jets to consecutive AFC title games.

"I'm not sure that's a term, that he needs to be 'fixed,'" said Mornhinweg, who was hired in January to replace the fired Tony Sparano. "Mark's got a lot of strengths. He has shown he can play at a high level. Our job is to get him to play at a high level on a consistent basis."

The 35-year-old Garrard, who has not played in the NFL since 2010, gives the Jets a veteran who could back up Sanchez and potentially challenge him for the job. He started 76 games in nine seasons with Jacksonville, and was with Miami last summer before a knee issue required surgery.

Mornhinweg, who spent the past 10 years with Philadelphia, added that he would tailor his offense around his players' strengths — including Sanchez, if he indeed wins the quarterback job.

New general manager John Idzik recently said he expects to bring in competition for every spot on the roster, including quarterback. The Jets already have Sanchez, Garrard, Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy and Matt Simms under contract, and might have interest in Brady Quinn.

Tebow's time might be ending, though, as it is generally believed he will be traded or released soon after one disappointing and unproductive season in New York. Mornhinweg said he has already had "a long discussion" with Tebow about his role with the Jets, but chose to keep the conversation private.

"He's got my thoughts on the situation and he has some thoughts, as well," Mornhinweg said. "If he's on this football team, which he is right now, then I would do it a certain way and try to utilize all our players that would help us win a football game."

Although Mornhinweg's specialty is running a West Coast offense, which would appear to not suit Tebow, the coordinator insisted he would find a way to use the former Heisman Trophy winner — something Sparano was unable to do last season. Tebow ran for just 102 yards, went 6-of-8 passing for 39 yards and stunningly scored zero touchdowns after being acquired in a trade last March from Denver.