ESPN

We interrupt Tebow-mania to bring you the Jets' starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who chatted with reporters Thursday after an OTA session. Some of the highlights of that conversation:

• On whether he feels differently on the field with everyone watching him and Tim Tebow: "I don’t really think about it while we’re playing. No offense to Tim, I’m not really thinking about Tim. I’m thinking about the play we have, the protection we have, what potential blitz we’re going to get and making sure everybody’s lined up in the right spot. So, my mind is racing a million miles an hour. I feel good, I feel like the system is coming along and nothing's really changed that way, I’m focused on football."

• On whether the offseason feels more competitive with Tebow here: "I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think you guys know that. Everybody in the building knows that, that I want to make it right for me and this team. Whether we have Matt Simms, or (G.J.) Kinne, or (Greg) McElroy, or if it happens to be Tim Tebow behind me, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter. I’m playing hard and trying to get this thing right for all of us in here."

• On what experiences he can draw from over his last three seasons to help him overcome the scrutiny because of Tebow being here: "It’s a new experience, but like you said, I’ve got plenty to draw on. The highs and lows of a season ... understanding that this thing is a marathon, not a race ... don’t get caught up in who completed what ball and who didn’t. Don’t even let your mind go there. It’s not worth the time, it’s a waste. Just focus on the next play, have a short memory and keep playing. Be the leader this team needs."

• First impressions of rookie WR Stephen Hill: "He’s a great player. He’s always got a smile. He’s one of those guys who loves coming in the building, and loves to learn. He’s a big, strong, fast kid. He’s a sponge, which is exactly what you want from a young guy like that."

• On new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano: "He doesn’t smile too often. If you catch one, you better save it. They’re few and far between. Sometimes it’s not a smile, it’s a smirk. You never know. But he’s tough on us, he’s fair, he’s an old-school guy and he wants things done right and that’s exactly what we need."

• On looking to Eli Manning for inspiration because he is in the same city: "I look at that as kudos to him for doing a great job and thriving under that pressure. Look where he’s at today, two Super Bowl rings and he’s on the top of the world and doing a great job and he deserves it. He’s put in a lot of hard work so you look at it and admire it. That’s a guy who really did a good job."

• On whether he’s tired of answering questions about Tebow: "It's only OTAs." (Smiling.)

Observations on OTA No. 3 (the first session open to the media):

1. Yes, Mark Sanchez outplayed Tim Tebow. So what? It's only May, and it's only OTAs. In the big picture, this means very little. It's almost laughable how some have jumped to conclusions. Chill, people. Frankly, Sanchez should outplay Tebow because he's a better thrower of the football and, with no live pass rush, that's all they're doing -- throwing.

2. There were some dropsies in the early portion of team drills. WR Jeremy Kerley let a well-thrown Sanchez pass sail through his hands, rookie WR Stephen Hill dropped a throw from Sanchez (had plenty of zip on it) and TE Dustin Keller dropped a Tebow pass. Keller rebounded with a diving catch on a Sanchez pass.

3. The play of the day was an 80-yard pass from Sanchez to Hill. The second-round pick got past CB Kyle Wilson on a fly pattern and turned on the jets. He was wide open and Sanchez hit him in stride. As Rex Ryan noted afterward, the Jets want to emphasize vertical passing this season. That's the Tony Sparano philosophy: Hammer them with the running game and hit 'em deep on play-action.

4. RB Shonn Greene is listed at 226 pounds, but it looks like he dropped a few. He ran with a little extra giddy-up. I even saw a little something out of Bilal Powell. Yeah, Powell.

5. The defense, which has three-plus years in Ryan's system, is way ahead of the offense, which is just learning Sparano's scheme. RG Brandon Moore noted how the defense showed a few wrinkles, including a "Bear" front and third-down pressures, forcing the offense to react quickly. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. On a couple of plays, Tebow was scrambling around the backfield, looking to escape an unblocked rusher.

6. You'd better be prepared for a summer-long battle, Nick Folk. Recently signed PK Josh Brown impressed at the end of practice, nailing five of six FGAs. His only miss came from 45 yards.

7. No doubt, LB Bart Scott, 12 pounds lighter than last season, is moving better in coverage. He made a nice interception on a Tebow pass.

8. Sparano is big on tempo. In practice, he's always preaching the offense to pick up the pace. You don't want to be the guy who slows down the rest of the group.

The Jets already have two OTA practices in the books, and the third -- Thursday -- is open to the media. On the agenda in Florham Park:

• 10 a.m. to noon -- Practice

• Noon to 1 p.m. (approx.) -- Player availability in the locker room

• 2:45 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. -- Rex Ryan news conference

Three stories we'll be following:

1. Tim Tebow: What, you expected something on the fullback situation? This will be our first glimpse at backup QB on the practice field. He's expected to work exclusively at quarterback, with no wildcat plays. They want to get him assimilitated into Tony Sparano's offense by teaching him the QB position before they branch out. Tebow isn't known as a terrific practice thrower, so there could be some ... um, interesting passes.

2. Mark Sanchez: Remember him? He's still the starting QB, after all. Sanchez also is learning the new offense, so these OTA practices are important to him, too. This is the first time since he's been the starter that he has legitimate competition, and he'll have a no-nonsense coordinator -- Sparano -- bellowing in his ear. The coddled days are over.

3. New faces: The key newcomers are rookie DE Quinton Coples, rookie WR Stephen Hill, veteran S Yeremiah Bell, and WR Chaz Schilens. S LaRon Landry (foot) belongs on the list, but he's still rehabbing an old injury.

Anybody can formulate power rankings, but it takes vision to rank teams three years into the future.

But that is precisely what we have here, as ESPN analysts Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Gary Horton and Matt Williamson put their crystal balls together to predict the NFL in 2015.

Our four experts ranked the 32 teams, basing their evaluations on five categories -- roster, quarterback, draft, coaching and front office. The Jets are ranked No. 16. Here's Dilfer's take on the quarterback situation:

"I still love the potential and talent of Mark Sanchez, but this situation is bordering on toxic. He doesn't have elite talent to throw to, and the offense won't show off a QB's skills. It's do-or-die time in New York, though he could still succeed elsewhere."

Click here to read the entire Insider article.

Notes and observations on the Jets and the NFL:

1. MARKED MAN: This notion that the Jets are setting up Mark Sanchez to fail because they want Tim Tebow to be the starting quarterback is total bunk. (One talking head actually suggested "the fix is in.") To paraphrase Wes Welker, the Jets have 20 million reasons to root for Sanchez -- the $20.5 million he's guaranteed in 2012 and 2013. Like they say in the old mob movies, just follow the money. That's how it works in professional sports. Why would the Jets want Sanchez, the handpicked QB of Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum, to crash and burn? Yeah, the coaches and players are talking up Tebow (Darrelle Revis was in full gush), but it's just hot air in May. Here's the thing about players: They'll back whichever QB gives them the best chance to win. Right now, that's Sanchez. The organization hopes it stays that way.

2. DECISIONS, DECISIONS: QBs coach Matt Cavanaugh, in an interview with the New York Daily News, said most of Sanchez's 18 interceptions last season resulted from poor decisions. No kidding. Check out this stat: Over the last three seasons, Sanchez has thrown 38 interceptions when facing four or fewer rushers, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The bloated total, tied with Drew Brees for most in the league, suggests that, yes, he makes bad decisions when opponents use a standard rush and drop at least seven into coverage. By the way, Brees has 62 more TD passes than Sanchez against such pressure.

3. RINGING THE BELL: The Jets envision newly-signed safety Yeremiah Bell as a starter, meaning a Bell-LaRon Landry safety tandem. Here's the concern with that pairing: Both players are new to Ryan's defensive system, which is mentally challenging for the safeties. You need a cerebral player back there to make calls, and you could have the blind leading the blind with Bell and Landry. That's why Jim Leonhard was always so valuable; he knew how to get everybody lined up.

4. RUN, JOEY, RUN: Joey Clinkscales decided to leave his post as the head of college scouting, in part, because he was frustrated he wasn't given a bigger say on draft picks, according to a league source. He let his contract expire and took a job as the Raiders' director of player personnel -- maybe not a lateral move, but not a significant advancement, either. I hear the Jets, perhaps trying to convince him to stay, gave him a bigger say in the recent draft. Obviously, that didn't do the trick.

5. THE NEW GUY: The Jets hired Midwest scout Jeff Bauer to replace Clinkscales. Interesting background: He was a high-school coach in the Kansas City area and his backup QB was Mike Bradway, son of then-Chiefs executive Terry Bradway, according to the Des Moines Register. Bauer and the elder Bradway became friendly. A short time later, in 2001, Bradway was hired as the Jets' GM and he wound up hiring Bauer as the Midwest scout. Bradway remains with the Jets as a senior personnel executive. Bauer's glowing scouting report on RB Shonn Greene was one of the reasons why they drafted him in 2009.

6. MY TURN: I see that former Jets punter Steve Weatherford called me out on Twitter, claiming it was out of context to say he "ripped" Sanchez. I like Weatherford -- I wrote a glowing profile of him a few days before the Giants' Super Bowl win -- but this is a classic case of an athlete making a stink about the headline instead of owning up to his quotes below the headline. There's no doubt that Weatherford was critical of Sanchez's maturity level. That's the real story, not the headline.

7. MARSHALL PLAN: Because of Tony Sparano's background with the Dolphins, the Jets have been watching some Miami tape in an effort to learn his system. Rookie wide receiver Stephen Hill has spent a lot of time studying ex-Dolphin Brandon Marshall, another big-bodied wideout. Hopefully, Hill doesn't try to emulate Marshall's lack of balance along the sideline.

8. ROGER THAT: I'm dating myself here, but offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo's effusive defense of right tackle Wayne Hunter reminded of a long-ago quote from a long-forgotten Jets assistant. If you didn't catch it, DeGuglielmo said of Hunter, "Until they tell me otherwise, until they ship him out of this building or until they shoot me dead in my office, that sonofagun is going to be the starting right tackle." Back in '87 or '88, running backs coach Bobby Hammond was peppered with questions about the struggling Roger Vick, a No. 1 pick in '87. Hammond got fired up and said he'd "go to my grave" believing Vick would be a top back. That was a swing and a big miss; we're talking a Dave Kingman miss.

9. THE POWER OF BILL: Welker wouldn't make a good agent. He told reporters his contract negotiations have "actually gotten worse," and suddenly there's a story in the Boston Globe saying those comments weren't well-received in the Belichick bunker. So Welker backtracked, saying it was "probably a bad choice of words" and insisting he's happy with his franchise tag. At least he didn't say they were taken out of context; give him credit for that.

10. TALL TALE: 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told a radio program that Michael Crabtree has "the best hands I've ever seen on a wide receiver." Wow, and they say Rex Ryan is prone to hyperbole.

Mark Sanchez has received a lot of criticism this offseason, the latest coming from an unlikely source -- the punter.

Wait, make that the ex-punter.

New York Giant Steve Weatherford, whose 15 minutes of fame have lasted five months, questioned Sanchez's maturity this week during an NFL.com podcast.

"I like Mark -- I think he's a very talented quarterback -- but from my standpoint, I haven't seen a lot of maturation," said Weatherford, making the media rounds this week because the Giants received their Super Bowl rings. "When you're a quarterback and you come in, and you're expected to be the face of the franchise, and you're expected to lead the team.

"That's a lot to take on as a rookie. But as the years go on, I think you're expected to mature, skill-wise, and also mature as a leader, and to be honest with you, as much as I like the guy, I just haven't seen that."

Weatherford has been removed from the Jets for a year. He was Sanchez's teammate in 2009 and 2010, when they reached back-to-back AFC Championship Games, but the Jets decided not to re-sign Weatherford last offseason. He landed with the Giants and, lo and behold, he was a pivotal player in their championship run, landing a new contract.

Weatherford also was critical of Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff at various points during the season.

Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow? In Joe Namath’s opinion, it’s a no-brainer. The legendary New York Jets quarterback said Sanchez is the superior QB.

"There’s no doubt about it, at this point certainly," Namath said Tuesday at the United Way Gridiron Gala in Manhattan. "And Mark’s going to get better. He’s only going into his fourth year. Golly, I remember a team that won a championship with a quarterback in his fourth year. I hope that happens again."

He was referring to himself, although younger New York fans might think of Eli Manning.

The Jets set themselves up for a potential quarterback controversy as soon as they acquired Tebow from the Denver Broncos. At the time of the trade, in late March, Namath ripped his former team, calling it a "publicity stunt."

Namath changed his position, saying he can see the positives Tebow will bring to the team. He said Tony Sparano’s background in the Wildcat is the key to making it a successful package within the structure of the Jets’ offense. (Interesting side note: Namath also criticized the Jets when they hired Sparano.)

“I think it can work," said Namath, adding, “They’ve got some things up their sleeves to put on some other guys. We’ll see. It’s interesting, isn’t it?"

Asked how he’d feel if he were in Sanchez’s position, Namath said without hesitation, “I’d be tickled to death. Are you kidding? Mark knows he’s the better quarterback and bring on the competition."

Namath has always been a Sanchez supporter, but he wondered how the Jets’ incumbent will handle the pressure and intense scrutiny that will inevitably occur.

"That’s going to be sensitive," Namath admitted. "That’s going to be tough. We’ll wait and see what’s happening, of course. When things aren’t going well, we’re a little bit touchy. It’s easy to get upset with some things. Some things can get on your nerves. As a quarterback, I’d like to take every snap in practice I could get. It remains to be seen how they share the snaps in practice come regular-season time."

That is one of many compelling questions surrounding the Sanchez-Tebow dynamic. Tebow’s playing time and his specific role -- other than being listed as the No. 2 quarterback -- haven’t been defined by the team.

Namath, an outspoken critic of his former team in recent years, tried to put a positive spin on the current quarterback situation, yet he made one remark that will raise some eyebrows.

"Only four teams have used (the Wildcat) in professional football, and they were all because they didn’t have a quarterback," he said.

Hardly a ringing endorsement of Sanchez or Tebow, but Namath explained he likes the Wildcat for the Jets because of Sparano’s knowledge and the problems it will cause for opponents to prepare for.

"At any rate, Tebow is a positive," Namath said. "Any way you add him to the organization, he’s a positive."

Notes and observations on the Jets and the NFL:

1. COVERING SAN-BOW: I've covered a lot of backup QBs, from Pat Ryan to Bubby Brister to Mark Brunell, but I've never seen one draw as much media attention in the locker room as Tim Tebow did during Thursday's media period. It was almost surreal. The Jets are used to the spotlight, but one player shook his head and told me, "It's going to be an interesting year."

Mark Sanchez, in a radio interview the next day, acknowledged the crowd around his locker was smaller than usual -- and he thinks that might be a good thing if it continues that way.

"He can take pressure off you, as weird as that may be," Sanchez said of Tebow.

Huh? Sanchez speaks to the media only 30 minutes per week -- tops -- always drawing the most reporters. If he thinks that's pressure, you wonder how he'll respond when the pressure gauge starts climbing, when he and Tebow start playing for real.

2. BABY STEPS: Tebow told reporters Thursday that he's been practicing exclusively at quarterback -- no Wildcat -- prompting conspiracy theorists to conclude that it's the Jets' secret intention to use him only at QB (to take Sanchez's job), and that the Wildcat plan is nothing but a ruse.

That is ridiculous. Hello? The Jets are learning a new offense. They have to learn the basics of the offense before they can start running gadget plays -- and that goes double for Tebow.

3. DRAFT HINDSIGHT: Turns out the Seahawks' surprising choice of DE/OLB Bruce Irvin with the 15th pick did force the Jets (16) to change their plans -- according to the NFL Network, that is. A report said they had a deal worked out with the Steelers (24), who wanted to trade up for G David DeCastro, but the Jets decided not to do it when Irvin was picked. They would've traded down if Irvin and DE Quinton Coples had been on the board, increasing the likelihood they'd get one of them at 24.

In retrospect, based on the players chosen from 17 to 23, the Jets probably would've had Irvin or Coples -- plus third- and fourth-round picks from the Steelers (an educated guess on the trade compensation). If Irvin and Coples were gone, the Jets could've had WR Stephen Hill, whom they said was rated just below Coples. They got Hill in the second, but it cost them two picks to move up.

GM Mike Tannenbaum, speaking to reporters Saturday during an event at MetLife Stadium, declined to comment on the reported Steelers trade that fell through, according to The Star-Ledger of Newark. It's easy to read between the lines.

4. STURDY LIKE A BRICK: Of the top four picks in the 2006 draft, only one remains with his original team -- LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson (No. 4). The Jets could've gone a few different ways in that draft, but it's a credit to Tannenbaum that he got a foundation player. Interestingly, the top three picks are now in the AFC East -- DE Mario Williams (Bills), RB Reggie Bush (Dolphins) and QB Vince Young (Bills), who signed Friday.

5. NEW LEADER: The Jets' defensive linemen are raving about new position coach Karl Dunbar, who was fired by the Vikings. Dunbar had an advantage over his predecessor the moment he walked in the door: He actually played the position and coached it. The previous D-line coach, Mark Carrier, was a former secondary coach who played safety; it made no sense to have him coach the D-Line.

Dunbar already has taught the players a couple of pass-rushing tricks, including the long-arm technique. It's almost like a running back's straight arm, a way to create separation from the blocker. DE Mike DeVito told me it "allows you to read what the offensive lineman is doing. ... It's a great move. He's got a bunch of stuff like that."

Wonder how the long-arm technique would've worked with South Carolina pass rusher Melvin Ingram, whose arms measured only 31.5 inches at the combine -- a perceived shortcoming (no pun intended) that may have hurt his draft stock. The Jets bypassed Ingram with the 16th pick to take DE Quinton Coples (33.25-inch arms).

6. KEEPING IT SIMPLE: Several offensive players said new coordinator Tony Sparano uses play calls that consist of less verbiage than his predecessor, Brian Schottenheimer. After the season, Rex Ryan remarked that Schottenheimer's terminology was too confusing. Sparano definitely has made an early impact: He's a meat-and-potatoes coach and doesn't stand for any ... well, meat heads. As TE Dustin Keller said, "His coaching style is almost like college -- in your face." Linemen usually like that kind of law-and-order mentality; skill-position players -- the divas -- are less apt to embrace it.

7. ON-THE-JOB TRAINING: RG Brandon Moore told me it's not unusual to walk into the team cafeteria for breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and see a bunch of offensive playbooks open, players studying or quizzing each other on the new system. Said Moore: "Sometimes you feel like a rookie again."

8. TEAM WANTED: So, Plaxico Burress, how's free agency going so far?

9. PAYING RESPECTS: Say what you want about Patriots coach Bill Belichick -- Darrelle Revis said plenty the other day -- but give him credit for this: He attended Junior Seau's private wake Thursday night in San Diego and flew back for his team's rookie minicamp Friday morning. Seau finished his legendary career with the Patriots, 2006 to 2009.

10. PERSPECTIVE, PLEASE: It sounds like the Browns think they drafted the next Jim Brown, the way the coaches are gushing about first-round pick Trent Richardson. He's very good, no doubt, but can we wait until he puts pads on before we anoint him?

It probably pained their management types to walk away, but the New York Jets made a smart move by saying no to HBO's "Hard Knocks."

Owner Woody Johnson wisely listened to Rex Ryan and his football people, deciding that no amount of free publicity was worth the distraction of having NFL Films cameras imbedded in their training camp for the second time in three summers.

The Jets need to be about football, about healing the locker-room fractures from last season, about doing everything possible for Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow to co-exist and about trying to master Tony Sparano's offense.

Sparano is from the Parcells school of clandestine operations, and you can bet he didn't want a TV camera inside his meeting room. This is a man who, in a conference call with reporters last week, refused to acknowledge they're planning to run the Wildcat with Tebow. You think he wanted his Tebow package on display in living rooms across America?

Yes, the Jets are reality show waiting to happen, but that doesn't mean Joe Coach Potato in Des Moines, Iowa, needs a front-row seat to their inner sanctum. Ryan and his staff deserve the chance to prepare for the 2012 season without having to be concerned with omnipresent TV cameras, and now they will have that opportunity.

Training camp will be a circus, of course, because the Jets signed up for the circus as soon as they traded for Tebow. But it will be in a controlled environment in Cortland, N.Y., their summer home. That wouldn't have been the case with "Hard Knocks."

More than anything, it would've sent a bad message. After last season's disappointment, the Jets must sell "re-dedication" to their fans, not show biz and glitz. When they did "Hard Knocks" in 2010, they were a feel-good story, coming off a successful first year under Ryan. The exposure actually helped the team raise its national profile.

But that was then. Johnson probably could've used the show to sell a few more PSLs and club seats, but he'll find them harder to move if his team sinks to the level of mediocrity. There's a time for "Hard Knocks," but this wasn't the right time.

But here's a guarantee: The Jets will be hard knocking in 2013.

In Mark Sanchez's eyes, Tim Tebow is a backup quarterback and a good business decision.

Sanchez, in an interview Friday morning on WFAN, gave his thoughts on the reason behind the Tebow trade. (Yeah, two months later, we're still talking about it.) Probably echoing the company line he received from management, Sanchez described Tebow as a cost-effective addition to the roster.

"You’re always going to have a backup quarterback and this guy can do so many other things," Sanchez said. "From a business standout, if you’re running a team, and your backup quarterback can do five other jobs, from a business standpoint, you’re saving money. It’s a solid move, just like Brad Smith used to do for us. He returned kicks and punts and did everything, and he played quarterback."

In a vacuum, yeah, you could rationalize it that way. But we all know Tebow isn't your typical backup quarterback.

Sanchez, perhaps in denial, actually said Tebow's presence will help him deal with the media scrutiny. He noted there were more media at Tebow's locker during Thursday's media session than his own locker, adding, "He can take pressure off you, as weird as that may be."

Sanchez touched on other topics during the interview.

On his immediate reaction to the Tebow trade: (He paused and chuckled) "I don't know, that's a good question. A little curious."

On Tony Sparano's vocal coaching style: "It hasn’t been all smiles, he’s a no-nonsense guy. He’s pretty stern, but he’s fair … It’s loud and everybody can hear it. I'm really starting to like him, I'm understanding the system."

On his relationship with Santonio Holmes: "It feels like it did when he first arrived (in 2010)."

On the silver lining from the season-ending debacle in Miami: "Looking back now, I'm glad it happened that way because we needed to go into this season making changes. If we would've played well and won the game ... Let's say I threw five touchdowns and everything was great, do we really solve anything? We didn't make the playoffs, but is everything okay? Do we solve anything? I don’t think so. It was almost like a necessary evil."

On embattled RT Wayne Hunter: "He's just a physical freak, he’ just a monster of a human. He’s got all the ability, there no doubt. I have all the faith that he's going to have a great season."

Rich Cimini and Jane McManus discuss the Jets' quarterback dynamic this offseason, Darrelle Revis' war of words with Bill Belichick and the relationship between Wayne Hunter and Santonio Holmes.

Mark Sanchez reported to the Jets' off-season program in the best shape of his life.

"I feel great," he said Thursday. "This is probably the best I've felt coming into a season."

That's a no-brainer.

After the 2009 season, he underwent knee surgery and spent most of the offseason in rehab. After the 2010 season, he almost needed surgery to repair torn cartilage in his throwing shoulder, opting instead for rest and rehab.

Sanchez suffered a pinched nerve in his neck last season, causing occasional "stingers," but he healed with no medical procedures. He worked with his personal trainer in Southern California, adding five pounds of muscle to his now-230-pound frame. You can see his upper body is slightly more defined than in the past.

"I pushed myself to get a little stronger, a little thicker, maintaining my agility and speed," he said.

DeVITO GLAD TO BE BACK: DE Mike DeVito said he harbors no bitterness toward the team for drafting DE Quinton Coples in the first round and, subsequently, forcing him to take a $610,000 pay cut for 2012. DeVito will have a reduced role for the coming season, the final year of his contract.

"I'm just grateful to be here," DeVito said. "Nothing is guaranteed in this business, or in life."

DeVito endorsed the decision to draft Coples, who likely will start in his spot.

"I'm glad we got him," he said. "He's a great player, a dynamic player, a guy that can add a lot to the defense. I'm excited to have him as a teammate."

SHOULDERING ON: LG Matt Slauson, who underwent major shoulder surgery after the season, said he's making excellent progress. He hasn't participated in drills, but he's been working on the blocking sled and blocking bags. He expects to be ready for training camp.

No. 1 pick Quinton Coples came away from his first practice thoroughly impressed with his performance. He said he didn't make any mental errors, claiming he had absorbed every bit of the defense that was installed.

And that made Rex Ryan smile.

"This is one practice and he has like four defenses in," Ryan said Friday after Day 1 of minicamp. "Our library is a little more extensive than that."

But, hey, you have to like the kid's confidence, right?

The Jets expect big things out of the defensive end from North Carolina, the 16th overall pick. It's tough to evaluate linemen in non-contact drills, but Ryan said he was impressed with Coples' effort, noting he outran teammates in pursuit drills. Coples recorded six "sacks" in team drills, according to Ryan.

They plan to use Coples in different spots, but they kept him at defensive end in the base, allowing him to flip sides based on the offensive formation.

After he was drafted, Coples was given 10 DVDs by the coaching staff, a breakdown of the Jets' defensive fronts from the entire 2011 season. He said it took him five days to get through the DVDs.

Coples arrived with high expectations, saying it's his objective to show "that I can compete at the highest level, that I can compete on the national stage, and that I can help the New York Jets win a Super Bowl."

NO WORRIES: Second-round WR Stephen Hill doesn't have to worry about his contract anymore. On Thursday, he agreed to a four-year, $5 million deal, becoming only the second player in the draft to sign.

"It's definitely getting it off your mind," Hill said. "Not being worried how much money you are going to make, because it's not really about that. It is about going out there and playing football, so that’s why I wanted to get it over with and get on the football field and get to work."

Ryan was impressed with Hill's first day, but he did something out of character -- he actually tried to downplay expectations.

"It is rare for rookies to come into this league and really have an impact as a receiver," Ryan said. "It really takes years. Jerry Rice was a back-up his first year. I'm not going to say he's going to do it right away, but ... I know he’s got that desire and all that. It will be interesting to see how quickly he can progress."

Joey Clinkscales, the VP of college scouting, made a Rex-like proclamation during the draft, saying Hill has Calvin Johnson-like athleticism.

COLEMAN REUNION?: The Jets were one of three teams Thursday that expressed early interest in CB Drew Coleman, who was cut by the Jaguars. Coleman played with the Jets from 2006 to 2010. Coleman appears intent to test the free-agent market. Likewise, the Jets had no immediate plans to sign him, but he's a down-the-line possibility.

TEBOW'S PLACE: This was the first time the media were allowed in the locker room, so I can bring you this breaking news: Tim Tebow's new locker is located next to TE Josh Baker, 10 lockers away from QB Mark Sanchez. Given the size of the Jets' locker room, that means they're in the same area code.

New offensive coordinator Tony Sparano conducted a conference call Thursday with reporters, his first media availability since he was hired in January. Obviously, there was a lot of ground to cover, much of which is included in the main story. Here are some leftovers and take-aways from the Q&A:

1. Sparano, educated in the Bill Parcells school of secrecy, refused to say how Tim Tebow will be deployed. He wouldn't even commit to the wildcat, saying, "If we go in that direction ..." Sorry, I jusy think I had an Eric Mangini flashback.

2. Sparano said he reviewed every snap from the 2010 and 2011 seasons to gain a better perspective on the Jets' personnel.

3. Echoing what GM Mike Tannenbaum said after the draft, Sparano said it was purely a "coincidence" that they drafted three players from option offenses -- WR Stephen Hill, G Robert T. Griffin and RB Terrance Ganaway. The inference, of course, is that they wanted players for their Tebow packages.

4. Sparano danced around the Wayne Hunter question, refusing to say he'll be the starting right tackle. He repeated a story that Rex Ryan told the other day, saying his old team -- the Dolphins -- looked into the possibility of signing Hunter as a free agent. "We thought an awful lot about him, we wanted to bring him down there," Sparano said. That was last summer. In fact, the Dolphins liked Hunter as a swing/insurance tackle, but not a 16-game starter.


5. He said having a big receiver like second-round pick Stephen Hill will help a mobile QB because of his ability to run a comeback route, providing a big window for the QB. "Quarterbacks find those big targets friendly, when they're on the move," Sparano said. Obviously, we think of Tebow as the mobile QB on the team, but Sparano said he's impressed with Mark Sanchez's ability to throw on the run.

6. Sparano said he wants his system to be "as player-friendly as possible." He said he made a handshake agreement with the players, vowing to give his best every day.

7. Sparano on third-string QB Greg McElroy: "This guy is brilliant ... He's a smart, smart player."

8. Sparano defined his terms 'A' and 'B' backs. An 'A' is a big back, a la Shonn Greene, whom he said has good field vision. A 'B' is "scatty," he said, mentioning Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles as examples.

The Jets wanted DE Quinton Coples with the 16th pick, not OLB Bruce Irvin. So says Rex Ryan.

Ryan, speaking Tuesday night at a charity event in Eatontown, N.J., said the team had no plans to select Irvin, who was selected 15th by the Seahawks. On Sunday night, the Pro Sports Xchange reported that a Jets official called the Seahawks' draft room and jokingly cursed out a Seattle honcho for taking the player they wanted.

Ryan hinted that Coples and second-round WR Stephen Hill were rated higher than Irvin on their draft board.

"Not at 16, I can tell you that much," Ryan said, when asked if they wanted the talented, but troubled pass rusher from West Virginia. "He's a guy we did a lot of stuff on. We liked Bruce Irvin as a player, but not ahead of the first two guys we took."

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said Coples was the top name among a group of players they targeted with the 16th pick. Pettine said he did a "mental backflip" when they landed Coples, whom he envisions as a versatile player in their scheme.

Coples will play left end in the base defense, but he also has the ability to slide inside in passing downs, even play over the center in certain situations. Pettine said the goal in the draft was to add explosive players on defense. He admitted what we all knew last season: The defense was slow.

"You need to be fast and athletic," he said. "The league is evolving that way. It's a pass-first league and we felt we became -- for lack of a better word -- a little dinosaur-ish inside. We needed to improve the athleticism and team speed."

The "rallying cry" this spring is "One Step Faster." The Jets believe they got faster by drafting Coples, third-round LB Demario Davis, sixth-round CB/S Josh Bush and seventh-round S Antonio Allen. The plan, Pettine said, was to formulate a plan to neutralize the Patriots' big-play TEs, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

"We have to defend them," Pettine said. "New England set the trend for it and we have to respond to it."

A GREAT CAUSE: Pettine spearheaded a fundraising effort at hotel in Eatontown, N.J., trying to raise awareness for bone-marrow donation and, specifically, looking for a bone-marrow match for a Jets fan named Michael Manganiello.

Manganiello, married with three children, was recently diagnosed with Acute Myelofibrosis. AMF is a rare condition where progressive scarring or fibrosis of the bone marrow impairs its ability to make blood cells. His only chance for survival is a bone marrow transplant.

Pettine was introduced to Manganiello through a mutual friend, and he sprang into action, organizing a huge benefit. Ryan, QB Mark Sanchez, NT Sione Pouha and LB Aaron Maybin showed up to support Pettine and lend their celebrity to the cause, signing autographs for fans.

"It was a no-brainer to step in and help," Pettine said. "We don't get a lot of opportunities to do something like this, when you have a chance to have an impact on a life."

The ever-perceptive Pouha noted the appropriateness of the address of the hotel -- Hope Road.

For more information, check out matchformichael.com.

MARK IS MUM: Ryan, Pettine, Pouha and Maybin all spoke to reporters at the event. Sanchez agreed to answer questions as long as they weren't football-related. He spoke about his involvement in the event, but that was it. No football. If it seems silly, it's because it was.