Dan Pompei

The Jets are going to be one of the most fascinating teams to watch in training camp.

They have added as much talent as any team in the league in the offseason, and they have a quarterback competition going between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens.

Everything about the Jets says they are driven to win now. They were ultra aggressive in the offseason, both in the free agent market and in the draft.

So that might indicate that the veteran Pennington has an edge over Clemens, a third year player who has started only eight games in his career.  The Jets like Clemens' potential, no doubt. But he has proven nothing. Pennington at least has a track record of success, having led the Jets to the playoffs three times in his career and having completed 65.6 percent of his NFL passes.

There are some who believe the Jets are ready to turn the page on the 32-year old, however. Last season they chose to bench Pennington in favor of Clemens after the team started out 1-7. There were rumblings that Pennington was hoping to be traded in the offseason, but the Jets showed no public interest in moving him.

Coach Eric Mangini has declared an open competition between the two passers. The early edge went to Pennington when offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer tossed a coin to determine who would get the first offseason snap with the first team, and Pennington won. But since then, it's been pretty even.

If coaches believe Clemens is ready to take the next step, they very well may go with him. They know what Pennington can and cannot do, and probably believe the offense is limited by his lack of arm strength.

They haven't seen Clemens enough to know what he can't do, so the unknown could work in his favor.

Hot seat
To whom much is given, much is expected. We're talking about you, Eric Mangini.

The Jets made some considerable investments in the free agent market, so team owner Woody Johnson probably expects more of Mangini and the Jets this year than he did in previous seasons.

This is Mangini's third year in New York, and the Jets have yet to establish themselves as consistent winners. In his first season, the team made the playoffs with a wildcard berth, but the Jets were one of the most disappointing teams in football last year.

The Jets have the capacity to turn it around this year—so if they fail to do so, Mangini might be blamed.  

Overheard at camp
There was much speculation that the Jets had their draft sights on running back Darren McFadden. But the truth is they believe they improved their running game significantly without adding McFadden or any big ticket runner.

The Jets' approach was to make things easier for holdovers Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. So they brought in Pro Bowl fullback Tony Richardson, tight end Bubba Franks and two starting offensive linemen—Alan Faneca and Damien Woody. Faneca was the best offensive lineman on the market, and perhaps the best unrestricted free agent at any position who changed teams.

Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum believe the holes for Jones and Washington will be bigger with Faneca, Woody, Richardson and Franks clearing the paths. And they also hope the holdover offensive linemen, particularly left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold, are enhanced by the presence of Faneca and new offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Comings and goings
A defensive makeover saw the Jets purge holdovers Dewayne Robertson and Victor Hobson and add defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and pass rushers Calvin Pace and Vernon Gholston.

The Jets determined they needed more pass rush, and their moves should provide it. Many talent evaluators thought Gholston was the best pure pass rusher in the draft, though his uneven production scared off some suitors. He should be well suited for the Jets' 3-4 defense, as should Pace, who previously played in a 4-3 in Arizona.

Prediction
As quickly as things fell apart for the Jets last year, they can come together this year. The Jets have too much talent, and Mangini is too shrewd a coach for this team not to rebound in 2008.

Look for the Jets to resemble the surprise team they were in 2006, rather than the disappointing team of 2007.  All they need is some stability at the quarterback position and this team can go 9-7.

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