BOCA RATON, Fla. – As Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak faced inquisitors Tuesday morning at the NFL meetings about his team's still-vacant quarterback job, at least one thing became clear.

The Broncos, Kubiak in particular, might like Mark Sanchez in the job more than many folks on the outside believe.

“We wouldn’t have went and got Mark if we didn’t think he can run our offense, but it’s up to him to prove he is the guy or can be the guy," Kubiak said. “... I think he’s definitely got the ability to do what we need him to do. ... He has had some experience in our system. ... When we watch him play, you go back and watch him play, I watch him make plays, I watch him do the things we want him to do."

The Broncos shipped a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Sanchez. And while some folks only remember Sanchez’s 2012 Thanksgiving Day fumble against the New England Patriots when he was the New York Jets’ starter -- a play that has become a YouTube staple, known as the "Butt Fumble" -- Kubiak sees something different.

Kubiak sees a quarterback with 72 regular-season starts and four playoff wins, who already speaks the Broncos’ language on offense because of Sanchez’s experience in similar schemes.

Mark Sanchez should feel comfortable in Gary Kubiak's scheme because it's very similar to those Sanchez has run in the past. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

“There’s a lot of quarterbacks who play their best football at this stage of their careers," Kubiak said. “We’re going to work with him and give him a chance to do that. ... And I think [the transition] will be quick, because he has a background. At [the University of Southern California] his verbiage and stuff was our verbiage ... so he’s been in the West Coast system, that verbiage at points in his career. ... I think we’re going to make up ground really, really quick."

When he arrived in Denver, Sanchez expressed similar sentiments.

“I’ve seen [Kubiak’s] success, not only as a player, but as a coach and one of the great offensive minds in this league," Sanchez said. “That is encouraging as a quarterback. I feel like they put their quarterback in a great situation. ... I have run a lot of those concepts. I’ve seen a lot of their stuff on film. That’s encouraging and I think it will be a smooth transition."

It doesn’t mean Kubiak said Sanchez will be the team’s starter. Kubiak reiterated that the team wasn’t finished adding quarterbacks and wouldn’t rule out another acquisition in free agency and a potential draft pick.The quarterback who gets the job, he said, will have earned it.

“He’s going to have to make us comfortable," Kubiak said. “ … Mark hasn’t asked for anything. He wants to come in here and compete and he has a tremendous opportunity to do that with us. ... I think he’s very excited at this stage of his career."

Sanchez started two games last season for the Eagles to go with eight starts for the team in 2014. Toss in a shoulder injury in 2013 and Sanchez hasn't been somebody’s full-time starter since 2012 with the Jets.

The 29-year-old Sanchez and Trevor Siemian, who was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in the 2015 draft, are the only quarterbacks on the roster. Kubiak was asked Tuesday if he would be comfortable if the Broncos went to training camp with Sanchez, Siemian and a quarterback from this year’s draft as the top three.

“If that’s how our competition ends up, if that’s what’s best for our football team, [but] we’re going to see," Kubiak said. “We’re not through creating this competitive environment we’re going to create. I know that."