Ty Law has already brought a new swagger to the Jets defense. AP

EAST HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- In his first three days as a Jet, Ty Law has yet to take part in anything more strenuous than conditioning drills and a little individual work, with all eyes glued on each move he makes on his surgically repaired left foot.

But the former New England Pro Bowl cornerback already has given his new team at least one thing: A little more swagger, a little more bounce in its preseason step (even if Law himself should go easy on swaggering and bouncing for now.)

With the luster of Law's three Super Bowl rings and all that reflected New England glory temporarily obscuring the fact that he may not be the dominant player he was before he broke his foot last Halloween, his signing has sparked a new round of Super Bowl buzz for the Jets, a team that was a crossbar away from reaching the AFC title game in January.

The logic seems straightforward: With a stout running game, a young and improving defense, more weapons in the passing game and a promising new kicker to exorcise the playoff-game ghost of Doug Brien, the Jets must have closed at least some of the gap between themselves and the Patriots. Must have. Right?

And Law, if healthy -- and that's a considerable if -- gives the Jets a premier player who has saved his best performances for the games that have meant the most (isn't that right, Peyton Manning?) That's an ingredient Herman Edwards' team desperately craved, because the Jets lost most of their measuring-stick games in 2004 (see: New England twice; see: Pittsburgh twice; see: Baltimore), usually by the narrowest of margins.

Acquiring big-game players was one of New York's offseason priorities. At least in Law's case, the Jets consider it mission accomplished.

"You need guys like him [Law], who aren't afraid of the spotlight, aren't afraid of the pressure games,'' said Jets middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who proved as a rookie last season there weren't many games too big for him. "We know now when the pressure's on, we're not worried about our defense crumbling or certain players crumbling. We've got guys who are going to step up and play.''

In some rough order, here are the Jets' leading causes for Super Bowl fever in terms of their offseason upgrades:

• Law gives them a proven star in the secondary, to go with the ones they have at both linebacker (Vilma) and the defensive line (holdout defensive end John Abraham, fellow end Shaun Ellis and the emerging Dewayne Robertson at tackle.) Don't look now, but Donnie Henderson's unit has become a defense to be reckoned with.