Bears could use veteran Sanchez
Journeyman would help mentor Glennon, other young quarterbacks
The Bears’ quarterback depth chart starts with Mike Glennon and ends with Connor Shaw. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that they have interest in adding another quarterback. Enter Mark Sanchez. The fifth overall draft pick in 2009 is scheduled to meet with the team Thursday. But the addition of Sanchez or another veteran quarterback won’t preclude the Bears from drafting one.
It’s best to be deep at the position. Last season, the Bears started three — Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley — because of injuries. Shaw also broke his leg in the preseason.
Sanchez, 30, didn’t turn into the franchise quarterback the Jets had hoped for, but he still can be a serviceable backup. He has a 37- 35 record in seven seasons.
The Bears like Shaw, but his only NFL start came during the 2014 season with the Browns.
Sanchez, meanwhile, has spent time in different systems with the Jets, Eagles, Broncos and Cowboys. He would be a veteran voice in a quarterbacks room that will be one of the Bears’ youngest in years.
Sanchez could help Glennon deal with the scrutiny and pressure of being a quarterback in a major market. He was with the Cowboys last season and had a close relationship with Dak Prescott, the 2016 offensive rookie of the year.
With Tony Romo recovering from a back injury, Sanchez was Prescott’s main mentor.
“As competitive as I am and as much as I want to play and I want the ball and I want to be out there, there’s a job to do,” Sanchez told the Star- Telegram in November. “There’s a respect. There’s a professionalism in this locker room, in this building and out on the field. I think, what would I want to hear? What did I capitalize on? What did I miss? What experience can I draw on and say, ‘ Be wary of this. I don’t want to cloud your head. But from my experience, I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you what happened to me.’ ” NOTES: ESPN will debut an eight- part docu- series called “We The Fans” that chronicles the lives of Bears season- ticket holders in Section 250 of Soldier Field. The series premieres April 11.
The Bears re- signed defensive lineman C. J. Wilson to a one- year contract. He appeared in six games for the team last season and had one sack.
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