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During the opening of organized team activities Thursday, Tim Tebow was used as a punt protector on special teams. Next week it could be a Wildcat quarterback, or H-back, or backup tight end, or some other role on special teams.

The Jets are wisely experimenting with Tebow early. He is, first and foremost, a solid football player. There are not many who will doubt Tebow's athleticism, character and work ethic. It's up to the Jets to find a way to get Tebow on the field in a way that gets the most out of his unique skills.

But what Tebow is not, in my opinion, is a franchise NFL quarterback. The Jets would be in trouble during an important fourth season under coach Rex Ryan if Tebow is thrust into that role.

Tebow struggled at quarterback again Thursday by throwing two interceptions to Jets linebacker Bart Scott and safety Yeremiah Bell in practice. Starting quarterback Mark Sanchez had a much better day, according to reports.

But Tebow certainly can help New York if the coaching staff is creative enough. Tebow also can hurt the team if he is asked to do too much, which would include leading the Jets as their starting quarterback.

It's never too early to start keeping tabs on the high-profile quarterback race between Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. As much as the New York Jets try to downplay their quarterback situation, it's no secret Sanchez must do all he can to keep his job in 2012.

According to reports, Sanchez scored the first point in the opening of organized team activities by outperforming Tebow in the first practice Thursday. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News praised Sanchez for his accuracy and making all the throws.

Meanwhile, Tebow threw a pair of interceptions in team drills and was yelled at by new Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano. Turnovers are a huge point of emphasis for the Jets this offseason.

Granted, it's just the first practice. But Sanchez needs to establish himself early as the unquestioned starter, and Thursday was a good start.

The AFC East blog will join the Jets for mandatory minicamp next month. That will be the final chance to see the team together before training camp begins. But this week's OTAs are a nice appetizer, and Sanchez got the early jump on Tebow.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Jets in 2012.

Dream scenario (11-5): Everything comes together and the Jets set themselves up for another playoff run. Much of this comes down to starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, who must have a bounce-back year in order keep his job and fend off backup Tim Tebow. If Sanchez throws well, Tebow can effectively stay in his role as the Wildcat quarterback and things could run smoothly for New York’s offense. The defense will be fine. The Jets finished fifth last year in total defense, and that was despite their offense's inability to sustain time-consuming drives. New York has the talent to be a playoff team. But chemistry and quarterback issues remain. The Jets also would need a their division rivals, especially the New England Patriots, to have a down year. The Jets were 3-3 against the AFC East last year and need to improve that mark to get a playoff spot and perhaps a division title in 2012.

Nightmare scenario (5-11): If things fall apart, this has the potential to be the worst year of the Rex Ryan era. The Jets haven't had a losing season under Ryan. But with so many questions, this is very much a boom-or-bust season. New York has locker room issues, a quarterback controversy and a brutal first five games that could set a bad tone for the year. If the Jets start 1-4 or 2-3, can this team stay together enough to pull out of it? That wasn’t the case a year ago and probably won't be the case this year. The Jets have a lot to prove both on the field and in the locker room. There are a lot of combustible personalities on the team, and New York proved last year that things can implode quickly from within. It also doesn't help that the Jets are under the biggest media spotlight in New York. If Tebow is the starting quarterback at some point next season, that means something went wrong. Tebow could take over Sanchez's starting job either because of poor performance or injury. Neither scenario would be good.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Broncos in 2012.

Dream scenario (11-5): Peyton Manning takes a 2011 playoff team to the Super Bowl, which the Broncos win, of course. I find this scenario to be unlikely, but it is possible -- because I won’t doubt the greatness of Manning. For this to occur, Manning’s new teammates will have to quickly adapt to an offense that is extremely different than what they ran with Tim Tebow behind center. But, of course, Manning will be orchestrating it and can get an awful lot of out his teammates. The Broncos’ run defense improved dramatically from 2010 to 2011. They did lose their best run defender in Brodrick Bunkley, but if they can overcome that loss and remain strong in this department, it will go a long way toward getting opposing offenses into third-and-long situations. Denver’s pass-rushing duo of Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller, along with what looks like a vastly improved set of cornerbacks, could make things very difficult on opposing passing games. All of this plays well into the hands of the offense and Manning. Also, unlike the Manning years in Indianapolis, the Broncos were exceptional overall on special teams last season. There is no reason that shouldn’t keep up. Denver has quickly built this team around Manning, and to win now.

Nightmare scenario (4-12): Of course, the huge nightmare scenario for Denver is if Manning takes a big hit early in the season and is sidelined. As great as Manning has supposedly looked during his recovery process, taking big hits is the true test of this elder statesman’s health. As I alluded to above, I have some doubts as to how well the holdover Denver offensive players will adapt to the Manning way of playing offense. It will be like going from The Flintstones to The Jetsons. The offensive line is the spot that worries me most in this drastic transition. The offense now requires the linemen to be athletic, move in unison, excel with the mental aspects of the position, and be on the same page as Manning with all of his pre-snap adjustments. As is also the case with the receiver routes and adjustments, all of these drastic adjustments will take a lot of time and a ton of practice and game repetitions. Defensively, the loss of Bunkley does loom large, and the middle of this defense could be vulnerable. Also, the Broncos could also really use one more pass-rush threat to step up. Denver also will play a first-place schedule, and half of its games against the AFC North and NFC South, which seems very daunting. The rest of the division really fought injury problems in 2011; the Broncos remained quite fortunate on that front. If it goes bad in Denver this season, it might go really bad … like 4-12 bad.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Jets and why.

Tony Sparano is very likeable and well-respected in NFL circles. But even Sparano might not be sure exactly what he's getting into by taking over the New York Jets' combustible offense.

Sparano was a longtime rival of the Jets as former head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He's well aware of the talent but also the personalities in New York. Sparano's biggest responsibility this season isn't X's and O's. It's fixing chemistry and getting everyone to play as a group.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez and No. 1 receiver Santonio Holmes didn't get along last season. Neither did Holmes and right tackle Wayne Hunter. The defense also bickered with the offense last season for not holding up its end. Oh, by the way, there's also a brewing quarterback controversy between Sanchez and wildly popular backup Tim Tebow. This is a lot for Sparano to manage.

In terms of strategy, Sparano has to step up his game. The Sparano I saw in Miami was very conservative and often criticized for going for (and celebrating) too many field goals. That won't fly in New York. It's Sparano's job to produce more touchdowns on the field and better chemistry off it.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Carson Palmer gave himself a refresher course this offseason in what watching football without the modern convenience of high definition is like.

It brought him back to the late 1980s, when he watched football just because he liked what he saw without knowing the complications of the game.

This time around, it was for the benefit of his NFL career.

As part of his indoctrination into the West Coast offense, Palmer, 32, watched as much of the scheme's attack as he could. He went all the way back to the Bill Walsh San Francisco 49ers.

“It was pretty cool going back to those days,” said Palmer this week during a break in the Raiders’ organized team activities. “There were no HD films back then, so it was kind of gritty. … It brought me back to when I was 8 years old and I just wanted to see (San Francisco running back) Roger Craig score a touchdown. … You look at the game so differently now, but it was a good learning experience.”

Palmer’s West Coast cram sessions included several incarnations of the scheme. However, a primary focus was the 2010 and 2011 Houston Texans. Palmer watched every game the team played the past two seasons.

New Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was Houston’s quarterbacks coach in those seasons. Knapp is bringing a version of the West Coast offense to Oakland. He is a disciple of the 49ers’ West Coast offense and has used versions of it as a coordinator in San Francisco, Atlanta, Oakland (in 2007-08) and in Seattle.

Palmer was in a West Coast offense in his first year at USC, at age 18. In a season during which he will turn 33, Palmer must adjust to the offense in what will be a crucial year for him personally. The previous Oakland regime traded two premium draft picks for Palmer last season in a desperate attempt to stay in the playoff hunt when starter Jason Campbell went down for the season with a broken collarbone.

Oakland was 4-2 when Campbell went down. It was 4-6 after acquiring Palmer from the Bengals. Thrown into the Oakland system after holding out in Cincinnati, Palmer’s rust showed as he threw 16 interceptions and 13 touchdown passes for the Raiders.

Palmer is now comfortable in Oakland, and though he is still adjusting to Knapp’s system, he says he is thrilled with the playbook because Knapp’s offense has so many variations. There are some classic West Coast schemes, but there is also zone-blocking running and other modifications. Palmer said he believes it is the most varied offense he has been in.

He thinks it will blend nicely with Oakland’s speed at receiver. Mostly, Palmer is confident his transition to the offense will be easy because of Knapp himself.

“He’s been fantastic with me,” Palmer said. “He’s amazing. He is a teacher in addition to a coach. … It will really help me get this offense down.”

New Oakland coach Dennis Allen said Palmer was a major reason why he chose to hire Knapp as his offensive coordinator. He said Palmer’s ability to adjust to Knapp’s offense made the Palmer-Knapp pairing a “great fit” in Allen’s mind.

Allen scoffs at concern that Palmer might not be athletic enough to run Knapp’s offense. He has repeatedly said he thinks that Palmer is athletic as Matt Schaub, who flourished under Knapp in Houston. Palmer often ran around the field freely Tuesday in addition to participating in a multitude of plays, including several deep passes, which mesh with his big arm.

“He moved around today,” Allen said Tuesday. “He’s plenty athletic.”

Allen also said the key is to be flexible -- not only on offense, but on defense, where the 4-3-based Raiders will use multiple front-seven sets. Allen -- who was Denver’s defensive coordinator last season -- saw the benefit of in-season coaching when the Broncos went to an option offense for Tim Tebow midway through the season. He said Tuesday he learned from that experience.

“We are running the 'West Coast offense,' but we’re going to do a lot of things,” Allen said. “We are going to take advantage of what Carson does best.”

While hopes are high in Oakland that Palmer will show he was worth the high price, some worry about the fit. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. is in that camp.

“I have a lot of concerns with Palmer adjusting to the Raiders’ new offense,” Williamson said. “First off, it was the former staff/philosophy that wanted Palmer. He doesn’t anticipate routes well. When the receiver becomes open, Palmer throws it. Therefore, defensive backs get a better break on the ball and run-after-the-catch potential is more limited. Also, he has heavy feet and not a movement-based quarterback, which is ideally what they now want in Oakland. I do think Knapp will adapt his system to fit Palmer -- he will have to.”

To help Palmer adjust to playing for Knapp, Oakland signed Matt Leinart to be his backup. Leinart backed up Palmer at USC and the two Heisman Trophy winners have a close bond. Leinart was in Houston the past two seasons.

Leinart said this week he is happy to help Palmer with any nuances of Knapp’s offense. He said keys for Palmer will be to use bootlegs and rely on what should be a strong running game.

"I'm here for Carson, to help him with reads, to let him know that certain things are very good, just to stay on it," Leinart said. "Because when you're taught a new offense, there's things that you're not used to; you're used to doing it a certain way. Sometimes the reads are a little different. I told him today, 'Just stick with this route because it's a great route for us. It's going to be a great route for us.'"

And if he needs any reassurance, all Palmer has to do is flip on the old, gritty, grainy game film of the West Coast offense of yesteryear.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Broncos and why.

John Elway’s second tenure with the Denver Broncos has gone well so far.

The legendary Denver quarterback has earned rave reviews around the league for his work as Denver’s primary football decision-maker since he took over in January 2011. On the surface, things are looking good in Denver, and there really isn’t a lot of pressure on anyone as the Peyton Manning era begins.

However, if Manning doesn't bounce back from the neck injury that sidelined him for the 2011 season, the heat will be on Elway. By all indications, Manning, 36, should be fine and plenty of teams would have taken the same risk as Elway did.

But if the 2012 season somehow starts without Manning behind center in Denver, Elway is going to hear it from fans. He will be asked every day how he could trade away Tim Tebow and sign damaged goods like Manning.

It will not be a pretty scene if that happens. The odds are Manning will be fine, but Elway needs to hope the odds play out as expected because he is all-in with Manning.

New York Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez is very durable. He's proved it over three seasons by missing just one start. However, Sanchez's durability has more to do with his toughness than his actual size, and that's something Sanchez aims to improve.

Sanchez wants to get bigger and stronger in 2012. That will help him take the punishment at quarterback over a 16-game season.

"Just starting with this first couple of weeks, one of these things is in the weight room, to really push myself and get a little stronger, a little thicker and maintain my agility, my speed and things like that. That was No. 1 physically," Sanchez told reporters at organized team activities this week.

Sanchez has had nagging injuries in the past but always played through them. Last year he took a beating as his offensive line was inconsistent. Sanchez, who is listed at 225 pounds, was sacked a career-high 39 times, often by defensive linemen who outweighed him by at least 50 pounds.

This is an important season for Sanchez, who has a lot to prove. Durability will be especially key this year, because popular backup Tim Tebow is sitting behind Sanchez and waiting for his opportunity.

The quarterback controversy has already begun in Browns minicamp, Damien Woody thinks the Jets should skip "Hard Knocks" and Herm says Vince Young will be more than just a backup in Buffalo.

By now everyone is aware of New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow's biggest strengths and weaknesses. He is an athletic and powerful runner, but his passing often misses the mark.

As a result, the Jets' backup quarterback said he has been working diligently to improve as a passer. Last week Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano praised Tebow's passing. Improvement in that area would make Tebow a more dangerous quarterback in 2012.

"I've been working pretty hard at doing that," Tebow told reporters after organized team activities. "I feel like I had a good offseason before I got here, and being here and working with Coach Sparano and working with Mark [Sanchez] and working with Coach [Cavanaugh] on our drills and footwork and mechanics every day, I hope I'm improving. That’s my goal and I believe it's happening."

Tebow entered the NFL with faulty mechanics. He's in his third season and has a career completion percentage of 47.3. Tebow completed a career-low 46.5 percent of his passes in 2011.

Quality NFL quarterbacks complete about 60 percent of their passes. So Tebow has a long way to go in that department. He makes up for it in some ways with his ability to move the chains with his legs.

Tebow had nothing but good things to say about Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. Tebow is pushing Sanchez every day, but the pair do not seem bothered by the competition.

"It's been great," Tebow said. "We've had a great relationship ever since he hosted me at USC and we had a lot of fun together and a great experience. We got a lot of stuff to talk about, and always going back and forth, we have a very fun quarterback room, we have a good time."

Tebow said he went to dinner with Sanchez in New York City the other night. If this quarterback pair can be effective and work together in harmony next season, the Jets have a chance to make some noise in the AFC East.

The Patriots show they are dedicated to defense in 2012, Herm reminds us who the Jets' "backup" quarterback is, and it looks like the Vikings will get their new stadium.

The New York Jets are expected to have an extensive Wildcat package this season. New York acquired former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who has experience with the read-option offense in college and the pros.

New Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano unleashed the Wildcat on the NFL several years ago with the Miami Dolphins. Sparano used two running backs – Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams -- in Miami, and he talked about the differences this week with using Tebow, a quarterback, in New York.

"With Ricky (Williams) and Ronnie (Brown), the reason that we had to do it in Miami at that time was those were really our two best players at that point, and part of the philosophy was to get the two best players on the field at the same time. And in doing so, we created some matchup problems that way. I think the difference (with Williams and Brown) is there was very little element of pass involved in that, where obviously with Tim, that's a different element. So if we decide to go down that road, the element of being able to throw the football out of that brings a complete different dynamic into the picture here."

If effective, Tebow is expected to take some pressure off starting quarterback Mark Sanchez and add a unique element to the running game. Tebow averaged 5.4 yards per carry in 2011, and has the athleticism and toughness to move the chains.

Many feel there is a brewing quarterback controversy in New York. But Sparano thinks Sanchez will respond fine with fewer snaps. Tebow could get anywhere between 1-20 plays per game, depending on the game plan and opponent.

"I'm not concerned about that, no, I don't think so," Sparano said. "I think with all the work that we'll be doing between now and the time the season starts and all the steps, I think we have to remember that Mark, he's been under center here for a lot of games, for the three years that he's been here, and I think that between now and training camp and through training camp (with) all the snaps that Mark will get, I think we'll be in good shape."

Will starting quarterback Mark Sanchez rise to the occasion?

It's now or never for fourth-year quarterback Mark Sanchez. For the first time in his career, the New York Jets' former first-round pick is in danger of being benched if he doesn't perform up to expectations. This is a pressure-packed situation Sanchez must handle.

As much as the Jets try to dodge and deny the situation, the reality is Tim Tebow is the huge cloud hanging over Sanchez's head. Tebow is not Mark Brunell, who was Sanchez's harmless former backup the past two years. Tebow is capable of taking Sanchez's job and leading the Jets offense if needed. Tebow helped lead the Denver Broncos to the divisional round of the playoffs and even holds a head-to-head victory over Sanchez and the Jets last season.

"We're just excited to be able to add another good football player to our team; that's what this is all about," Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano said of Tebow in a conference call this week. "At the end of this whole thing, it's about trying to find good football players. Mark Sanchez is one [good] player. I am so excited about the opportunity to coach with him, and Tim Tebow is a good football player, too."

The Jets have done a lot of good things for Sanchez this offseason. For starters, Sanchez received a three-year contract extension that showed confidence from the organization that he can be the long-term solution. Many were surprised by the move. Also, the Jets drafted a legitimate big-play receiver in Stephen Hill to complement weapons Santonio Holmes and tight end Dustin Keller. Even Tebow in the No. 2 role can help Sanchez if New York's Wildcat package is a success and can keep the chains moving.

There are no more excuses for Sanchez. Franchise quarterbacks rise to the occasion when pushed to be their best. The 2012 season is Sanchez's time to live up to "The Sanchise" nickname the Jets handed him prematurely.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan likes to exaggerate at times. Look no further than his back-to-back Super Bowl predictions in 2010 and 2011.

But Ryan would be wise to tone down the rhetoric when it comes to newly-acquired backup quarterback Tim Tebow. This is a unique situation in New York, where every comment by the head coach could add more gasoline to an already brewing quarterback controversy that is waiting to explode.

Ryan described Tebow's as "outstanding" in New York's limited practices. Ryan also added "same with Mark [Sanchez]," perhaps realizing that big kudos to Tebow could be taken as a slight to Sanchez, New York's starting quarterback.

The Jets should know that this situation is too delicate. Ryan would be wise not to over-hype Tebow or give a play-by-play account on workouts this offseason that have little to do with their performance in the fall.

If Ryan continues to applaud Tebow immensely in the spring and summer, it just provides more fodder for the New York media and fans the second Sanchez struggles. For example, if Sanchez throws a couple of interceptions in the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills, fans and media would quickly call for Tebow, who is already looks "outstanding" this offseason, in Ryan's words.

The Jets' quarterback situation is tense. The pressure already is on Sanchez to produce in his fourth season. The last thing New York's starting quarterback needs is his head coach overselling the backup in May. It's much too early for that.

A piece I linked to earlier today calls for more comment.

Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union wrote about how the Jaguars intend to experiment with a Wildcat package in camp and the preseason with Mike Harris, their sixth-round pick out of Florida State in position to throw.

I’ve been saying I think the Jaguars can close the gap on Tennessee if Blaine Gabbert can up his game to average and if the coaching staff lives up to its billing.

Two picks into the draft I was excited about what they’d done with receiver Justin Blackmon and defensive end Andre Branch.

Then they made the controversial third-round punter pick. And now they are talking Wildcat.

Seriously?

You lean on a gimmick when your base stuff won’t work, so looking at Harris’ good arm as potentially providing a change-up doesn’t serve as a great endorsement of Blaine Gabbert.

Harris was a spread option quarterback at South Miami (Florida) High School. I wouldn't bank on that for much beyond an occasional trick play.

My understanding about why Tim Tebow ultimately decided to steer the Broncos to trade him to the Jets instead of the Jaguars -- who made a similar offer -- was because he’d get more chances to play on offense in New York.

Great, I said, no gimmicky stuff for the Jaguars. They want to play and excel largely as a conventional offense.

Now I am wondering why they are pumping up the Wildcat, which is largely dead around the league.

Here’s a piece of Ganguli’s story with Mularkey talking.

“It’s not really the college Wildcat scheme but it is a way to attack defenses with somebody other than your quarterback,’’ he said.

He said his scheme sometimes doesn’t have the quarterback on the field. In some Wildcat formations, the quarterback is spread out as a wide receiver.

He said he always asks players if they’ve played quarterback at some point and how well they throw. Besides Harris, the other player he has identified as a candidate is wide receiver Cecil Shorts, who was a high school quarterback.

“We’re going to see how it looks in camp and maybe experiment a little bit in the preseason,’’ he said.

With anything they run that’s Wildcat-like this season, they are begging more Tebow questions, especially if he has any success in the system with the Jets.

The Jaguars, of course, are upbeat and confident they’ve made the right choices, with the selection of punter Bryan Anger in the third-round, outside linebacker Brandon Marshall at a spot where the roster is well stocked, and Harris and seventh-round defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton out of Ashland.

Every team in the league feels confident now. I just hope Terry McDonough, the team’s director of player personnel, doesn’t wind up regretting this enthusiastic comment:

“The bottom line is that we will win, we will fill the stadium and we are going to talk about the punter at the end of the year.’’