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Chad Pennington Matthew Stockman/Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 81 Justin McCareins WR 69 Jason Fabini LT 65 Brandon Moore LG 68 Kevin Mawae C 74 Brent Smith RG 67 Kareem McKenzie RT 88 Anthony Becht TE 83 Santana Moss WR 10 Chad Pennington QB 33 Jerald Sowell FB 28 Curtis Martin RB 6 Doug Brien K Defense No. Player Pos. 92 Shaun Ellis LE 63 Dewayne Robertson DT 72 Jason Ferguson NT 94 John Abraham RE 54 Victor Hobson SLB 56 Sam Cowart MLB 50 Eric Barton WLB 36 David Barrett LCB 29 Donnie Abraham RCB 38 Jon McGraw FS 25 Reggie Tongue SS 4 Toby Gowin P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 Jonathan Vilma LB Miami 3 Derrick Strait CB Oklahoma 4 Jerricho Cotchery WR NC State 4 Adrian Jones T Kansas 5 Erik Coleman S Washington State 6 Marko Cavka T Sacramento State 7 Darrell McClover OLB Miami 7 Trevor Johnson DE Nebraska 7 Derrick Ward RB Ottawa Kansas 7 Rashad Washington S Kansas State Outside the Huddle Spending spree Gone was the conservative approach to free agency. In a 48-hour span that included the signings of David Barrett, Eric Barton and the trade for Justin McCareins, the Jets handed out $14.5 million in signing bonuses, more than the three previous offseasons combined. Friction? Head coach Herman Edwards got a two-year contract extension during the offseason, a vote of confidence after he and owner Woody Johnson engaged in a bizarre and very public difference of opinion over the Jets' talent level. But GM Terry Bradway, who has always had the same contract status as Edwards, has not received an extension yet. Gunslinger Edwards will be more involved in the offense. In the days after the season ended, he told offensive coordinator Paul Hackett that he wasn't happy with the 17.7 points per game the Jets averaged and that he wants a more aggressive downfield passing attack. That goes against Hackett's more controlled West Coast scheme. Fast start Edwards has vowed to do something -- anything -- to prevent another slow start. Since he's been head coach, the Jets are 4–11 in their first five games of the season. Last year's slow start could be chalked up to Chad Pennington's injury, but Edwards will stress teaching technique, and perhaps give his starters more playing time in the preseason. 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "The loss of Laveranues Coles to Washington has the potential to be damaging because he and [Chad] Pennington had an obvious comfort level." The Lie: " ... the Jets have enough talent to keep them in the race deep into winter." --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

The Jets have put plenty of distance between the personnel that made two consecutive playoff appearances in 2001 and 2002 but then finished 6–10 in 2003. Six of the starters from last season are gone, four on defense, replaced by younger players in an offseason in which general manager Terry Bradway admitted the front office had to rededicate itself. "When you go 6–10, it's a wake-up call," says Bradway. "When you're winning, maybe you don't have a sense of urgency."

Even the most blindly optimistic Jets fan knew the 2003 season went off the cliff when Chad Pennington landed on his left wrist during a preseason game. Pennington is healthy now, and the Jets hope he can pick up where he left off before the injury. They want more downfield passing and more points, and head coach Herm Edwards has given Pennington more opportunities to call his own plays in the huddle.

Brooks Bollinger, in his second year, will be Pennington's backup. But the Jets' season would end if Pennington is injured again.

As long as Curtis Martin is still standing, the Jets are fine here. After a terrible start to the season, in part because he was playing behind a struggling offensive line, Martin finished with his ninth consecutive 1,000-yard season and remained remarkably healthy at an age when most running backs are screeching to a halt. The Jets obviously still have plenty of confidence in him because LaMont Jordan has been the subject of trade talks throughout the offseason. The Jets say they want to offer him a long-term contract, but Jordan is adamant that he wants to play. This could reach a standoff during the season.

Curtis Conway, who was signed after the Laveranues Coles debacle, was a failure, losing his starting job to Santana Moss early in the season. Moss ended up having a breakout season, catching 74 passes for 1,105 yards and giving the Jets hope for a more explosive offense.

The Jets traded a second-round draft pick to Tennessee for Justin McCareins, who at 6-foot-2 has the height the Jets are desperate for. And he is remarkably efficient -- 40 of his 47 catches last year were for first downs. "He's big, fast, tough and a guy who is young and on the verge of breaking out," says Bradway.

Wayne Chrebet will be the third receiver. Chrebet was plagued by post-concussion syndrome last season, and while he has returned to offseason workouts, his health will be an obvious concern. That's why the Jets drafted Jerricho Cotchery in the fourth round. He is not terribly fast, but he is a good route runner and possession receiver, and the Jets believe he could be ready to take over in the slot if Chrebet is limited.

Tight end Anthony Becht has been a disappointment -- he still struggles to catch the ball consistently -- but the Jets like backup Chris Baker.

The offensive line was stung last year when guard Tom Nutten, who was signed to replace Randy Thomas, retired abruptly during training camp. That forced Brent Smith, who had played tackle most of his career -- and who hadn't played in almost two full seasons because of knee injuries -- into the guard spot. He performed admirably, and he's back. Left guard Dave Szott has retired, leaving a hole that will likely be filled by Brandon Moore, another revelation from last season. Moore is a converted defensive lineman who stepped in when Szott got hurt last year and progressed so quickly that he will enter camp as the frontrunner for the job.

Depth at guard is a concern, though, because the Jets did not draft one, as expected. Dave Yovanovits will hope to fill the gap there. The rest of the line is solid. Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae and left tackle Jason Fabini are back and healthy. And right tackle Kareem McKenzie was the most solid and consistent performer on the line last year. He was re-signed in mid-May.

With four first-round picks playing on the line, the Jets feel this is the strength of the defense and perhaps the entire team. End Shaun Ellis was a monster last year, making his Pro Bowl debut after recording a career-high 12 1/2 sacks. Tackle Dewayne Robertson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2003 draft, was a disappointment. He contributed 69 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks in 16 starts, far short of the comparisons to Warren Sapp he garnered when he was drafted.

"I don't think Dewayne played up to his expectations or anybody else's last year," says Bradway.

Josh Evans will return to rotate with Robertson, and he is a solid force and an emotional leader. Jason Ferguson is a solid nosetackle. The open question is what the Jets will do with end John Abraham. He has practiced as a lineman and as a linebacker. Bryan Thomas, another former first-rounder, had no sacks in 10 starts in place of Abraham last season.

Mo Lewis and Marvin Jones are gone, and the Jets used their first-round draft pick on Jonathan Vilma, a fast middle linebacker from Miami who will compete with Sam Cowart immediately for the starting job.

"He is probably the most instinctive player I have graded in the past nine or 10 years I have been with the Jets," says Jets scout Joey Clinkscales.

Cowart moved to the middle, hoping to feel more comfortable after two disappointing years on the weak side. Free agent signee Eric Barton will now start there, although there is some speculation that Vilma, who is undersized for a middle linebacker, could move to the weak side.

Victor Hobson, who got plenty of playing time behind Lewis as a rookie last year, will start as the strong-side linebacker. Abraham could be used as a pass-rushing linebacker in the 3-4 defense, which the Jets hope would keep him healthy for the season. Abraham's presence, along with the youth movement, will give the linebackers a huge boost in speed, which they'll need in a defense that blitzes often.

The Jets released Aaron Beasley and strong safety Sam Garnes. They made an unsuccessful bid to trade for Champ Bailey, and were unable to sign Antoine Winfield or John Lynch to take Beasley's spot. Eventually, the Jets settled on cornerback David Barrett of the Cardinals and safety Reggie Tongue of the Seahawks. Tongue actually had better stats than Lynch last year, with 63 tackles, four interceptions and two sacks.

The Jets drafted corner Derrick Strait in the third round. The 2003 Thorpe Award winner at Oklahoma, Strait was considered the best defensive back in college last season. He does not possess the kind of speed needed to be a shutdown corner, but he is a good tackler and he has an uncanny ability to tip balls and get interceptions. He will probably play in the dime defense, with Ray Mickens as the nickelback. The Jets will need contributions from everybody, With cornerback Donnie Abraham and free safety Jon McGraw back from injuries, the Jets will play more man-to-man defense than in years past.

Corner Jamie Henderson won't play this season while recovering from serious head injuries suffered in an off-season motorcycle accident.

Toby Gowin is the Jets' fourth punter in as many seasons. He averaged 39 yards per kick, next to last in the NFC, but also handled kickoffs, a weakness of kicker Doug Brien. Brien's 84.4 field-goal percentage was third-highest in club history.

The Jets got younger and faster in the offseason, and the offense -- with Edwards' desire to move more aggressively downfield -- should benefit from giving Pennington the big weapon (McCareins) he needs.

The fate of the Jets will rest on how quickly the defense can progress with a new, more complicated system featuring multiple fronts and emphasizing pressure. If it all clicks, the Jets should be in the playoff picture.

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