ESPN

After last season, Rex Ryan said Mark Sanchez needs to erase his hard drive and start over. As for Ryan's hard drive, it remans intact. That was the takeaway from Wednesday, the Jets' second OTA practice, the first open to the media.

Sanchez, who threw three interceptions in a non-contact practice, became perhaps the first quarterback in recent history to be publicly chided by his coach for a bad performance in May. May! But here's the thing: Ryan didn't see it as May; he saw it as Week 18, an extension of last season's 26-turnover debacle.

Ryan's post-practice comments triggered two thoughts: Sanchez, once regarded by the organization as a quarterback who could do no wrong, will get absolutely zero slack from Ryan throughout this so-called QB competition. Secondly, Ryan has to be rooting for Geno Smith to prevail.

There's some backstory here. In the past, Ryan playfully tweaked the media for our obsession with offseason practices -- the keeping of stats, the charting of plays, etc. Hey, what can I say? Guilty as charged. On Wednesday, Ryan could've said, "Look, it's only an OTA practice, it's a new offense, there's a learning curve ..." But he didn't go there. He fueled the story by expressing his disappointment with Sanchez and the turnovers.

"Obviously, I wasn't happy with how many times we turned the ball over," he said in his opening statement, sounding as if he were reading from his 2012 postgame scripts.

Ryan also used the word "unacceptable." Yes, he sprinkled in a couple of compliments, but the message was clear: zero tolerance.

His reaction was overly harsh, considering it was only the second practice, but it reflected the new philosophy of the organization. GM John Idzik's philosophy is based on competition, creating a sense of urgency for every practice, every weight-lifting session and every meeting. When offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg says he hopes the QB competition is decided sooner rather than later, it's a message to the players: Every practice is important. Ryan amplified that sentiment by dissecting Wednesday's practice as if it were a September loss to the Patriots.

Obviously, this competition will last into the summer. Neither Sanchez nor Smith is capable of throwing an early knockout punch, and the Jets know it. In the meantime, their plan is to ratchet up the intensity as much as possible.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The Jets' first open OTA practice Wednesday looked a lot like many of their games last season -- their best receivers were on the sideline.

Starters Santonio Holmes (foot rehab) and Stephen Hill (knee swelling) didn't practice. Neither did Clyde Gates (hamstring) and Jordan White (undisclosed).

"We had a good-looking receiving corps that wasn't out there," Rex Ryan said.

Holmes' absence was expected, as he's still recovering from a LisFranc injury that required surgery last September. Ryan said Holmes won't be ready for next month's minicamp, but he expects him to be ready for training camp in late July. Chances are, he'll be limited in camp. The team's goal is to get him ready for Week 1.

Hill underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last December, and said as recently as two weeks ago that he was 100 percent. But he has sat out the first two OTA practices, according to Ryan.

The receiving corps was crushed by injuries last season, including a number of hamstring issues. Ryan senses that old, familiar feeling. He's convinced the team is in good shape, but he wondered aloud, "Sometimes you're like, 'What are we doing here?'"

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan is not going to let Mark Sanchez's three interceptions slide.

"This is OTAs and things, but that's going to be the pressure we're putting on him that this is unacceptable," Ryan said. "Did a lot of great things, not that you try to cover up the fact that you had some bad plays, you flat tell him we can't have these and all that type of stuff. He knows."

Sanchez threw three interceptions on Wednesday as part of a 6-for-11 performance. The Jets quarterback has a total of 52 turnovers over the past two seasons, the most of any player in the league, and Ryan is putting extra emphasis on ball security from his quarterbacks this upcoming year.

"You can do 90 percent really good things but if you do 10 percent poor things you're going to get beat in this league and those are the things we have to get better at," Ryan said. "Protecting the football over anything else, that's what we have to get better at it. We know it. Today was a disappointment as far as that is concerned."

The quarterback found himself victimized Wednesday by cornerback Antonio Cromartie, safety Jaiquawn Jarrett and most surprisingly, 6-4, 350-pound lineman Damon Harrison.

Harrison snagged a screen pass, eliciting a huge reaction from the defense. Harrison's pick conjured up memories from Jan. 1, 2012, when Miami's defensive tackle Randy Starks picked off Sanchez twice on screens.

While Ryan joked that being picked off by Harrison, affectionately known as "Snacks", is nothing to be ashamed of, he said that's the type of play where Sanchez has to just throw the ball away.

"It's a good thing defense made some plays, but I'd rather him not turn the ball over once," Ryan said. "He did a lot of great things, and then those negative things, but at the end of the day that's what gets you beat. We got to do a better job of eliminating those turnovers."

Jets rookie Geno Smith, who took second-team reps on Wednesday, also threw an interception, leaving Ryan disappointed with his quarterbacks' carelessness with the ball. He described it as a "huge issue" for the team.

If either quarterback can't figure out how to eliminate those turnovers, it could keep that individual from being named the starter on Sept. 8.

"There's going to be competition," Ryan said. "There's no doubt. Today was one of the early stages in that."

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill did not participate in the organized team activity on Wednesday. The second-year receiver battled knee problems last season but said a few weeks ago that he is 100 percent healthy.

Hill's disappointing rookie season came to an end after knee surgery in December, and in early May he said that he was fully recovered. He had just 21 catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns last year and failed to become the impact player the Jets drafted him to be.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan should have an update on Hill later Wednesday.

THE QUARTERBACKS: Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith took nearly the same amount of reps on Wednesday, with the veteran getting the first-team reps. Neither player had a stellar day, combining for four interceptions and a pair of sacks.

Sanchez went 6-for-11 with three interceptions and one sack, while Smith went 3-for-10 with one interception and a sack. Sanchez tossed his picks to Antonio Cromartie, Jaiquawn Jarrett and defensive lineman Damon Harrison, who picked off a screen pass. The defense erupted after the 6-4, 350-pound lineman snagged the pass.

Linebacker Garrett McIntyre intercepted Smith.

Quarterbacks Matt Simms and Greg McElroy both received barely any reps. Simms was the third-team quarterback while McElroy was the fourth-team signal caller.

BACK FOR A DAY: Jets linebacker Quinton Coples spent Wednesday back on the defensive line. The team is transitioning him to linebacker after playing on the line in his rookie season.

"We had different calls today that sent me in different situations," Coples said.

Those different calls could have been attributed to an absent player, as defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis was not seen on Wednesday. The Jets used Coples, Muhammad Wilkerson and first-round pick Sheldon Richardson on the line, with Richardson playing some nose tackle.

Coples said he loves his new position because he gets a head start in rushing or dropping into coverage. Coples had 5.5 sacks to lead the Jets last year but will have to work on his coverage skills as a linebacker.

WHO SAT OUT: In addition to Hill and Ellis, receiver Santonio Holmes, defensive lineman Antonio Garay, first-round cornerback Dee Milliner and receiver Jordan White didn't practice. Holmes and Milliner were not scheduled to participate as they recover from surgery.

HIGHLIGHTS: Receiver Jeremy Kerley had a good day. He was featured due to the absences of Hill and Holmes. ... Tight end Hayden Smith also made some nice catches. ... Safety Antonio Allen seemed to be taking the first-team reps alongside Josh Bush. The Jets lost their starting safeties this offseason in LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- We know where Joe Namath stands on the Jets' quarterback competition. He's a Mark Sanchez guy.

"I know Sanchez is going to play better," the Jets' legend told reporters Wednesday night at the United Way's annual Gridiron Gala in Manhattan. "He went through some major distractions last season. ... I promise you, you'll see a different guy."

Namath has been a Sanchez supporter since his rookie year, and he readily acknowledges, "I'm pulling for him. ... I know he can do better than he's done. And we saw him lead a team to two AFC Championship Games, right? I also know what it's like not to necessarily have the weapons you'd like to have, not to necessarily have the time you'd like to accomplish."

As for rookie Geno Smith, Namath called him a "sensational athlete." Namath said he watched a lot of Smith's games at West Virginia, and was impressed, but he doesn't believe the Jets needed to draft a quarterback.

"No, I don't think they needed a quarterback," he said. "They needed the other positions filled, possibly the offensive line. They got some defensive line. The safeties are still questionable. The outside linebackers are still questionable."

The Jets will conduct the second of 10 OTA practices Wednesday morning. This one is significant because the media will be allowed to watch. Some storylines we'll be following:

Mark vs. Geno: These OTA practices -- and next month's minicamp, for that matter -- are the preliminary heats in the quarterback competition. The serious stuff starts in training camp and, of course, the preseason games. But we here in New York love a good quarterback controversy, so you can bet we'll be following closely as Mark Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith begin what should be a three-month battle for the No. 1 job. Based on his experience, Sanchez should take the early lead over Smith. Granted, it's a new system for both players, but Sanchez has practiced for four years against a Rex Ryan-coached defense -- a big edge. The key for Smith is to avoid mental errors and show daily improvement.

The new Q: This will be our first look at Quinton Coples as an outside linebacker. It's hard to get a feel for linebackers in non-contact practices, but it'll be interesting to see how the 280-pound Coples handles the responsibilities of the position -- moving in space, dropping into coverage, etc. The Jets are convinced he can make the transition, but this is a tall order. We're talking about a former interior lineman playing in a two-point stance, moving forward, backward and side-to-side. It should be fascination to see this unfold over the next few months, assuming it lasts that long.

The post-Revis defense: Darrelle Revis is gone, happy that he found his bucks with the Bucs. Also gone are Bart Scott, LaRon Landry, Yeremiah Bell, Mike DeVito and Sione Po'uha. That formidable Jets defense, so impressive in 2009 and 2019, is a memory. They could have at least six new starters, including four players with limited or no NFL experience -- LB DeMario Davis, NT Kenrick Ellis, rookie DE Sheldon Richardson and the winner of the safety battle between Josh Bush, Antonio Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett. It's not like starting over, but it's close. Fortunately for the Jets, they have a stalwart on each level of the D -- CB Antonio Cromartie, LB David Harris and DE Muhammad Wilkerson. That will help with on-field communication. First-round CB Dee Milliner (shoulder) still is rehabbing.

On guard: Unlike last summer, when the Jets created a faux competition between Matt Slauson and Vladimir Ducasse at left guard, there are legitimate battles at both guard spots. Old vets Willie Colon (still limited by a knee scope) and Stephen Peterman are the favorites, but they'll be pushed by third-round pick Brian Winters and, yes, Ducasse. Change doesn't come too often to the Jets' offensive line. In fact, the last time they began a season with two new starters was 2008, when Alan Faneca and Damien Woody. That was so long ago that some guy named Favre was the quarterback.

All hands on deck: New offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg likes to throw the ball. The question is, does he have enough people to catch it? WR Santonio Holmes (foot) is out, so this will be a good opportunity for others to get reps. The MIP (most important player) is sec0nd-year WR Stephen Hill, who needs to take a giant step. Slot man Jeremy Kerley is solid, but they need more production out of the tight ends (hello, anyone home?) and the backs. The key addition in the backfield is Chris Ivory, but he's a banger, not a pass catcher. Mike Goodson is supposed to be that guy, but he's dealing with his legal problems. Right now, the offense could be as limited as it was last season.

Jets owner Woody Johnson must have read a lot of comic books when he was a kid. Commenting Monday on Mike Goodson's arrest, Johnson invoked a famous line from "Superman."

"We're trying to win games and do the right thing. Truth, justice and the American way," Johnson told reporters at the NFL meetings in Boston, according to USA Today Sports. "We live by it, we really do."

Goodson, arrested last Friday on drug and weapons charges, showed up at the team's facility Monday morning for the first OTA practice, a source said. However, he didn't practice at all. He didn't watch practice, but he met with team officials.

"We're at a point of investigating the facts," Johnson said. "[General manager] John Idzik met with him this morning, he'll meet with the coaches today. We'll try to get the story on what the facts are and go from there."

The case of David Garrard gets curiouser by the day.

In an interview over the weekend with Peter King of Sports Illustrated, the former Jets QB revealed there wasn't much cartilage remaining in his balky knee, creating a bone-on-bone condition.

"I couldn't jog most days," Garrard said. "I could barely walk around without it hurting. And we weren't even in the strenuous part of camp yet. I figured, 'No way I can just take every fourth day off.' I went to see Rex [Ryan], and I just told him I didn't think I could do it. He didn't want to hear it. But I just told him what the doctor said -- it's only going to get worse. And that was it."

Garrard abruptly retired last week, two months after signing a one-year, $1.1 million contract. His knee problem was widely known; he underwent arthroscopic surgery last August and was cut by the Dolphins. Nobody picked him up, which was odd. The Jets gave Garrard an extensive physical. Evidently, they didn't realize the severity of his condition or they figured he'd be able to play through it. It's no wonder Garrard was laboring in practice, struggling on his longer throws, according to a source.

It's a good thing the Jets drafted Geno Smith in the second round. You have to wonder if Garrard's condition was a key factor in that decision.

Garrard confirmed that he might accept a coaching internship on the Jets' staff this summer.

"I was excited to be able to work with Geno and Mark [Sanchez]," he said.

A few seconds after being drafted by the Jets, Geno Smith did an on-camera interview and predicted a playoff appearance. He's not sorry he said it, but that was his last Joe Namath moment, he claimed.

"I've already gotten in trouble for saying some things about playoffs and things, which I don't regret," Smith said Sunday on SiriusXM Radio, speaking from the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles. "I don't think I'll go as far as being as bold as Joe was."

The rookie QB said the media scrutiny in New York has been "eye opening." Smith suggested the media created the "diva" perception in an effort to generate headlines.

"I don't think I'm a bad guy," he said. "I don't think I'm some of the things they try to make me out to be. It's a part of the media. The one thing that I understand is you can't take it personally. Those guys have jobs and the key to their jobs is to sell papers and to keep the fans looking. So they're going to spin things and try to make an interesting story out of something that may not be so interesting."

The media didn't fire Smith's agents; he did that by himself, triggering negative publicity. Smith indicated he's close to hiring new representation. He reportedly met with Jay-Z of Roc Nation, which presumably would handle his marketing.

"I did some interviews with some really good candidates," he said. "I kind of started making that decision in my head. [I] obviously had camp, so I didn't really worry about it. I have plenty of time, don't really need to rush it. I've kind of been talking things over with my family and advisers and coming down to a decision pretty close here."

A quick check on the Jets:

1. Double trouble: John Idzik has a solid plan for rebuilding the Jets, but the plan isn't foolproof, as we now know. The new GM endured an Ike Davis kind of week, as he apparently has swung and missed on his first two free-agent signings -- QB David Garrard (retired) and RB Mike Goodson (arrested). Fortunately for the Jets, they weren't huge financial commitments, but that doesn't mean Idzik gets a pass. In both cases, he took a calculated risk -- and came up short.

The idea of signing a player of Garrard's ilk was smart, but they bet on damaged goods. He spent two years out of football and his knee problems were widely known. An AFC personnel executive told me at the time of the signing, "His knee is a concern. He'll look fine in drills, but I don't know if he can take a hit." Turns out that Garrard, 35, couldn't cut it in drills, either, prompting his abrupt retirement. Now there's a hole in Idzik's quarterback plan.

Goodson arrived with character concerns. There was nothing major on his record, but he bounced from the Panthers to the Raiders before becoming a free agent, and it always raises suspicions when a player with raw talent is on the move. The questions centered on his attitude and personal issues, a league source said. The Jets took a chance, betting on his upside with a three-year, $6.9 million contract. Now his future with the team is a major question mark after Friday's arrest on drug and weapon charges. An opposing scout, familiar with Goodson's background, said of the Jets: "Do these guys do background checks?"

They do, but there's risk with virtually every acquisition. Idzik assessed risk versus reward, arrived at a value and pulled the trigger for Goodson and Garrard. If you're a Jets fan, you hope these were only two blips on the screen and not indicative of Idzik's evaluation skills.

2. How 'bout a refund? It'll be interesting to see how Idzik handles the Goodson situation. He cut the two nobodies arrested recently for possession of marijuana, Claude Davis and Cliff Harris, both of whom were signed by the previous administration. But that doesn't mean he will take the same approach with Goodson, whose contract includes a $1 million signing bonus. The bonus is divided into payouts, and I'm told he has yet to receive the full amount; he has pocketed at least $500,000. If Idzik tries to send a message and decides to cut him before the legal process plays out, it would be harder to recoup the money, according to a source. He'll have a better chance if he waits for the courts (and the league) to rule on the matter.

3. Wounded knee: Garrard missed some workouts early in the offseason program, a source said, fueling speculation in the locker room that he wasn't right, physically. In recent practices, he was sharp on his short throws, I'm told, but he labored on longer routes because he couldn't drive the ball, probably because of his balky knee. As a result, he bounced some passes. Maybe Garrard read the handwriting on the wall, seeing Mark Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith make throws he no longer could complete. Before the knee complications, the organization felt Garrard had a decent chance of emerging as the starter until Smith was ready.

4. A cool Brees: For those wondering if Sanchez still can get his career turned around, we bring you the story of Drew Brees, who received a second chance with the Chargers because of the actions of another quarterback on the roster. Brees played poorly in his third season (2-9 record, 67.5 passer rating), prompting the Chargers to draft Philip Rivers in 2004. Rivers would've started as a rookie, but he derailed his chances with a long holdout. They had no choice but to stick with Brees, who responded with his first Brees-like season. Sometimes athletes need to see the end before they can create a new beginning. Can Sanchez capitalize on his break (Garrard's retirement) in the same fashion? Food for thought.

5. The dilemma: The Jets are billing it as a fair and open competition, but is it really? Make no mistake, Smith is the preferred candidate. If he proves capable of running the offense, he'll be the Week 1 starter. But would that be the wise move? Not every rookie turns into Russell Wilson, you know. Considering the dearth of skill-position talent on offense, Smith probably would struggle. Unless he's Robert Griffin III, he could get swallowed up by the enormity of the challenge, perhaps at the expense of his psyche. The right thing to do, based on what we know now, would be to start Sanchez and make him the sacrificial lamb for a few weeks. But for this organization, which is suffering from Sanchez fatigue, there could be a temptation to ignore the right thing and do what feels right, which would mean starting fresh with Smith. Mark my words, this will become an internal debate if the competition is close.

5.a. Geno's pinnacle: This is what a longtime GM told me last week about Smith: "When I saw him against Texas [25-for-35, 268 yards, four TD passes], I said to myself, 'There's the No. 1 pick in the draft.' That's what he looked like. As the season went on, though, he never had any bring-back moments. He was a lot closer to ordinary." West Virginia lost five straight after the Texas win, dropping to 5-5.

6. All the king's men ... gone: When Rex Ryan was interviewed for the head-coaching vacancy in January, 2009, he met with four team officials -- owner Woody Johnson, GM Mike Tannenbaum, assistant GM Scott Cohen and scouting chief Joey Clinkscales. Don't look now, but three-quarters of that room is gone. Cohen became the latest casualty of the administration change, as his expiring contract wasn't renewed. Clinkscales left a year ago for the Raiders and Tannenbaum, of course, was fired.

Idzik might have an understated personality, but he has made it abundantly clear he's no wallflower when it comes to moving and shaking. He gutted the roster and gutted the front office, as he attempts to surround himself with his people. Ryan can't feel too comfortable. I have no reason to doubt Idzik's sincerity when he says nice things about Ryan, but the law of the NFL jungle usually prevails in these situations. GMs want to hand-pick their coach. Ryan needs a miracle season to save his job.

7. Survivor: One holdover expected to survive the purge is senior personnel executive Terry Bradway, who served as GM from 2001 to 2005 before slipping into a background role. It's unclear, however, if his role will change. Idzik will hire former Cards GM Rod Graves for a front-office position, CBS Sports reported. They worked together in Arizona. There was buzz in the scouting community that Idzik was interested in ex-Seahawks personnel director Will Lewis, another former colleague, but he was hired by the Chiefs. The Jets have at least three front-office positions to fill.

8. Tebow laughs: Speaking to a church group Friday night in his hometown of Jacksonville, former Jets QB Tim Tebow was asked to name his most memorable moment in 2011, when he led the Broncos to the playoffs.

"One of my favorite stories, ironically, was against the Jets," he told the audience, according to the Florida Times-Union -- a reference to his last-minute win in Denver. With excellent timing, he added, "And probably my greatest Jets highlight, I guess." At least he can laugh about it.

9. Money for nothing: Between Garrard and Drew Stanton (remember him?), the Jets spent $600,000 in signing bonuses for quarterbacks that never made it to minicamp.

10. Sloppy seconds: Smith became the fourth quarterback to be drafted in the second round by the Jets. The first three went a combined 12-29 -- Al Woodall (5-14), Browning Nagle (3-10) and Kellen Clemens (4-5). I don't think Woodall fired his agent, though.

With David Garrard out of the picture, the Jets are down to Mark Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith, plus Greg McElroy and Matt Simms. On paper, it's a workable depth chart for the preseason. Thing is, GM John Idzik is always looking for competition, and he hasn't slammed the door shut on adding another quarterback.

Here's the problem: It won't be easy to find a Garrard-type player, a savvy veteran with the ability to start a few games, if necessary, and the desire to serve as a mentor to Smith. Because they're already one month into the offseason program, a quarterback with scheme familiarity (see: West Coast offense) would be a benefit. Otherwise, the new guy would be a month behind, as coordinator Marty Mornhinweg installs his system.

As you can see, the free-agent market doesn't hold much promise. Some of the top names:

Charlie Batch (Steelers): There's some familiarity here, as Batch started nine games for Mornhinweg in 2001, his first year as the Lions' coach. Batch wasn't horrible, but the Lions went 0-9. At 38, his best days are long gone, but he was 3-2 over the last three seasons when filling in for Ben Roethlisberger, including a dramatic win over the Ravens last year.

Tyler Thigpen (Bills): Quarterbacks coach David Lee is familiar with Thigpen, having coached him last season in Buffalo. Thigpen, 29, showed some flashes for the Chiefs in 2008 (despite a 1-10 record as a starter), but he has bounced around the league since then, barely getting on the field. Thigpen is a good athlete, better suited to a spread-type offense.

Trent Edwards (Eagles): He spent 10 months with Mornhinweg last season with the Eagles, making the team as the No. 3 after an impressive preseason (54-for-80, 489 yards, 4 TDs, 0 interceptions). He ended up playing in only one game (2-for-2) and was released by new coach Chip Kelly. Edwards, 29, knows Mornhinweg's system better than anyone on this list, but we're talking about a quarterback who hasn't won a start since 2009.

Byron Leftwich (Steelers): Could the Jets replace Garrard with the man Garrard replaced in Jacksonville? Leftwich, 33, has carried the clipboard for three different teams over the last six years, most recently with the Steelers. He started one game (and lost) last season. Because of his slow delivery, he's not a good fit in the West Coast system.

Tarvaris Jackson (Bills): He re-signed with the Bills, but he could be in trouble at some point if they decide to keep only two QBs, No. 1 pick EJ Manuel and Kevin Kolb. Idzik knows Jackson from their Seattle days, and there were rumblings before free agency that he was planning to make a run at Jackson before he re-upped with the Bills.

New York Jets running back Mike Goodson was arrested Friday morning on drug possession and weapon charges, according to the New Jersey state police. You can read the full story here.

After signing a three-year, $6.9 million deal with the Jets in the offseason, Goodson, 25, seemed like a lock for the team's backfield. He was expected to be in the rotation alongside fellow offseason acquisition Chris Ivory and returnee Bilal Powell. Joe McKnight, who said Thursday "They're gonna have to kill me to take my spot," also figures to be in the mix. The Jets lost starter Shonn Greene to Tennessee in the offseason.

Now, as the legal process plays out and a possible suspension looms for Goodson, this could throw a wrench into the Jets' plans. Will Goodson be available, and if so, can the team count on him? It seemed McKnight may have been the odd man out, but is he suddenly going to be needed? These are questions that will needed to be answered in the upcoming months.

Goodson, a fourth-round pick of Carolina in 2009, has rushed for 722 yards and three touchdowns in his career. He's played in 40 games, including 12 with Oakland last season, when he rushed for 221 yards. He's shown some ability of being a pass-catching running back, as he hauled in 40 passes in 2010, and caught 16 passes last season. His career-high in carries is 103, which came in 2010.

QUESTION: Do you think the Jets should release Goodson before the legal process plays out? Please let us know in the comments section below.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Vladimir Ducasse has one season left before he will be Vernon Gholstoned by the new Jets management.

“It's pretty much a year for me to do what they drafted me to do,” Ducasse said.

Ducasse and coach Rex Ryan, one of the few holdovers from the group that drafted him in 2010, have discussed that this is the year for him to make an impact. Ducasse said Ryan is excited to see what he can do this year.

Gholston, the Jets' most recent example of an ineffective high pick, was jettisoned after three seasons, and never caught on with another team.

“I’m not looking at it like I was a second-rounder,” Ducasse said. “That was three years ago.”

The thing is, Ducasse has never won a position battle, although he did end up splitting reps last season with Matt Slauson though few thought Ducasse earned the part. That seemed to be confirmed late in the season. Then-offensive line coach Dave Gugleilmo said he was instructed to rotate Ducasse in at left guard against his better judgement, a “directive from high above me.”

It’s not going to get any easier this season. The Jets signed veteran offensive linemen Willie Colon and Stephen Peterman, and drafted Oday Aboushi, Will Campbell and Tommy Bohanon.

The writing has to be on the wall for Ducasse.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Chris Ivory hasn't been guaranteed that he will be the New York Jets' No. 1 running back, but he figures he has a better chance to make an impact here than he would have in New Orleans.

"I think it does give me a better opportunity," Ivory said. "It was just a tough situation over there. We all had our roles. It's just tough to fit four backs in a system."

Ivory averaged 5.1 yards per carry in limited action during his three-year career with the Saints. The 6-foot, 222-pound back is a physical presence who could replace Shonn Greene as Marty Mornhinweg installs his own offense in his first season as coordinator. The Jets still have Bilal Powell, who got an even amount of reps at times last season, as well as free agent Mike Goodson and Joe McKnight.

Ivory is still picking up Mornhinweg's playbook.

"It's a little different," Ivory said. "I was so used to being in one system and now it's a completely different system."

The knock on Ivory is that he isn't as good at catching the ball as he is at bulldozing his way across the line of scrimmage.

Ivory, who was rarely targeted as a receiver in New Orleans, looks forward to an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

"People say I can't catch," Ivory said. "But how many times have these people seen me receive a pass out the backfield?"

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Antonio Cromartie wasn't happy when he first learned that fellow cornerback Darrelle Revis was going to be traded.

"It sucks," Cromartie told the New York Daily News, just before the deal officially went down.

On Thursday, addressing a full contingent of reporters for the first time since the April 21 trade, Cromartie sounded more resigned to the move.

"You just gotta move forward. You can't pout about it," Cromartie said. "It's a business. I think my job here is just to make sure, for one, that I'm ready to go out and play and make sure that the younger guys are ready to come out and play. That's the kind of role I'm trying to take on, and make sure guys are doing what they're supposed to do."

The Jets felt comfortable dealing Revis in part because Cromartie performed so well as the team's No. 1 corner after Revis was hurt early last season.

"I just go out and play football," Cromartie said. "If that's how they felt, that's how they felt."

Cromartie had 10 interceptions in 2007 as a member of the San Diego Chargers. But he said he felt last season was even better, because of his consistency.

"I think I can maintain the consistency," Cromartie said. "That's the goal."

As for who will be playing opposite him, the leading candidate is rookie Dee Milliner, drafted with the ninth overall pick last month out of Alabama.

"He's a smart kid," Cromartie said. "I think Dee is gonna come in and help us out a lot. Just from watching the film on him, he's a physical-type guy to come up and will support the run. That's something that's gonna help out big for us. We're not looking for him to fill anybody's shoes. He's Dee Millner and he's gotta be himself."

Cromartie also talked up Kyle Wilson, the team's first-round draft pick in 2010, who started 15 games last season.

"I think he's gonna take a big step this year. I honestly believe that," Cromartie said. "He's been working hard this offseason, both of us have. I think by us pushing each other, going out and making sure we're competing, it's gonna bring the more competitive side out of him once we're on the football field. ... I think it's gonna be his best year."