The Jets' interview process is in full swing here in Florham Park. After the press corps was introduced to head coach Rex Ryan Wednesday and then defensive coordinator Mike Pettine Thursday, Ryan is the one asking the questions Friday because his first mission is to complete his staff.
It appears offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will remain with the Green & White, but we haven't gotten final official word as of yet. If Schotty stays, the Jets will have a great deal of continuity because they'll have two of their three coordinators — special teams coach Mike Westhoff has been a mainstay for eight years now — staying on board for a fourth consecutive season.
About 10 very important members of the Jets organization were not here for the exciting festivities throughout the week. That faction was down in Mobile, Ala., scouting 104 college players who will take part in the Senior Bowl on Saturday evening.
In addition to watching daily practices, the Jets spoke with seven to eight prospects each night for a 20-minute chat. The scouts also stayed at the same hotel as the players, so there were informal exchanges as well.
Even though Ryan and the vast majority of his staff didn't make it to Mobile, they'll have video access to each practice snap. The Jets also have the luxury of having one of the top personnel departments in football and have drafted well over the past few years.
The Mobile gathering has become quite the social gathering. If coaches are looking for jobs, it's a central meeting place and many transactions have taken place there. But the Senior Bowl is still mainly about future prospects and they'll be showcased tomorrow night on NFL Network at 7 p.m. EST.
A number of top senior prospects declined invitations to participate in this week's activities, including Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis, Baylor T Jason Smith and Texas DE Brian Orakpo. But Southern Cal again has a nice stable of prospects led by the impressive LB trio of Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga and Clay Matthews.
And it's never too early for mock drafts, right? ESPN's Mel Kiper has his first one out and the draft guru has the Jets taking Florida offensive weapon Percy Harvin with their No. 17 overall selection. But SI's Don Banks has the Jets going defense and tabbing Illinois CB Vontae Davis.
"My sense is new Jets head coach Rex Ryan will think defense first, especially since there's no quarterback worthy of first-round selection at this point," writes Banks. "Davis would give New York another potential front-line cornerback to pair with Darrelle Revis, although his game might need a year of polishing at the NFL level."
We have months to monitor the mocks, but I think Banks might be on to something with his analysis. The Jets might be thinking defense first come April.
