“Do you guys want to play Foosball?”

“Sure, sounds cool.”

“All right, it’ll be LT and me versus you two.”

There I was, in a trendy New York City building in SoHo, lined up across from a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer ready to play Foosball. While I tried to remember the last time I played the table game, flashbulbs started to go off around me as the ball was dropped into play.

This is going to be an interesting night, I thought to myself.

After years of it only being available to college and pro athletes, the sports nutrition leader Gatorade is set to release “G Series Pro” to the public. The beverage line, which is designed to help elite athletes perform at their top level before, during and after practice or competition, will be available at GNC stores nationwide starting on May 1.

To help launch the new “G Series Pro” product line, Gatorade held a get together in Manhattan on April 13. Along with an exclusive group of media members, in attendance that night were Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, Jets’ running back LaDainian Tomlinson, as well LT’s new teammates, offensive lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson and receiver Jerrico Cotchery.

“What are you doing, man?” I barked at my Foosball teammate Kyle (another member from the media) after he allowed Tomlinson to score two quick goals to send us to an early 2-0 deficit. “You’re killing us with your play!”

One of the many things that attracted Tomlinson to Gatorade is that the company can help him prepare for what he faces on the field. Athletes’ bodies are their meal tickets and Tomlinson is well aware of what Gatorade’s “G Series Pro” brings to the table.

“I don’t want to mention any names, but I was working for a competitor and I felt it was time to take the next step,” Tomlinson said while leaning up against a blocking sled, which was one of the many props Gatorade set up around the New York City loft. “This is a great product, man – I’ve always believed in them.”

A player doesn’t rush for over 12,000 yards, score over 150 touchdowns and reach five Pro Bowls without being in-tune with his body. Now that he’s heading into his 10th season in the NFL, Tomlinson is fully aware of how important his workouts are.

“I’m big on electrolytes. After workouts, I drink the recovery drink every single day. So just adding to my pre and in-game workouts is huge. I think it’s an awesome product and Gatorade always seems to have a step on everyone else.”

Manning is no different. He sees the same benefits in “G Series Pro” as Tomlinson does and is a big believer in the company producing it.

“I’ve been involved with Gatorade for a long time being an athlete,” Manning told me. “Since an early age, I’ve been drinking Gatorade and when I was in college I was introduced to the “G Pro Series.” I just know that Gatorade, with all of their studies on how to help athletes improve their recovery, is the best in the business. I know that whatever they make will be great for the body, so I swear by it.”

As I snuck the ball past Tomlinson’s Foosball teammate Brad, one of Gatorade’s many cordial representatives, to cut our opponents’ lead to 2-1, I could see the competition fire building in LaDainian’s face.

“All right,” Brad said. “We better get going.”

“Next score – next score,” Tomlinson said excitedly.

Along with launching “G Series Pro,” Gatorade also wanted media members that were in attendance that night to experience a “day in the life of an athlete.” (Or at least, a window into what goes on at a media event through the eyes on an athlete.) Tomlinson was ushered from one media member to the next throughout the night, fielding questions about Gatorade, the Jets, his career, and whatever else reporters’ wanted to hurl at him. Manning, Ferguson and Cotchery received the same treatment and while watching them interact with everyone at the party, I definitely got the sense of what it would be like to be in their shoes. While there’s no question that an event like that is an ego-stroker, the hustle and bustle that goes on with it might drive the “regular” Joe insane. (Of course, many of us would put up with it in order to get compensated like these athletes do.)

In one corner of the loft, Manning was being engulfed by flashbulbs as he held up Gatorade products for one picture after another. In a separate corner, Tomlinson was being interviewed by MTV reporter Sway Calloway and by the bar, I had my recorder stuck in Cotchery’s face, probing him about what he thought about the Jets’ new additions, Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie.

“I think they’ll mesh very well,” Cotchery said. “When we talk about having a strong locker room, we’re talking about character guys that are very close to one another. Guys are ready to go out there and lay it on the line every game and we have that – we have that in our locker room. When they come in, they’ll feel that and that’s why they feel very welcomed. They’ll be just fine.”

While both Holmes and Cromartie will have to fight off bad reps, Tomlinson, who knows Cromartie well from their days together in San Diego, concurred with Cotchery.

“Both of those guys are going to be fine,” Tomlinson said. “I always say, when you’re young, you’re going to do things sometimes to get in trouble and then you’re going to learn from it. It’s the same for those guys; they were young, rich, had fame, and it’s hard to handle that part of it and do everything right. But this is where they say you know what? That’s what I used to do. I’m on my second team and I know I have to fly straight. So they’ll be fine.”

While my partner and I feverishly attempted to tie the score against Tomlinson and Brad, the Gatorade rep eventually had to pull the plug on the game in order to get LaDainian to his next interview.

“How convenient,” I quipped. “We’re about to tie this death match up and you just happen to have something else to do.”

Apparently that something else was P. Diddy, who heard that Tomlinson was going to be there and decided to make an appearance at the event.

“We got hosed by P. Diddy, bro,” I said to Kyle.

When the Diddy, LT and Eli got together for a photo opp, you could have seen the flashbulbs pop from El Salvador. As if they were in a trance, most of the party goers followed the trio around the room until Diddy finally called it a night and left the loft as smoothly as he came in.

A short time later, Manning and LT lined up at that same Foosball table in order to take on Ferguson and Cotchery. I was fortunate enough to get front row seats to the game, but I was quickly brushed aside by several photographers who successfully boxed me out while getting into position to snap a shot of the night’s main attractions.

Everywhere the four athletes went, there was the media. I wasn’t around to listen to all of the personal interviews, but I’m sure Tomlinson and Manning repeatedly answered the same questions. But they never complained and they never seemed frustrated. After all, they’re use to this because it comes with the territory. Wherever they go, they’re gawked at because of their celebrity status, or in Ferguson’s case, because he’s 6-foot-6 and 310-pounds. (Seriously, the guy must look down on all of us like we’re tiny ants.)

When Manning was drafted in the first round in 2004, he was expected to one day become the franchise quarterback and lead the Giants to a Super Bowl. But even with a championship under his belt, Manning says the expectation levels have never changed.

“I think they’re the same,” he said. “Every year I set expectations for myself to be a better quarterback and a better player, so that’s what I’m doing this year and trying to see where I need to improve. I want to go out there this year and be a better quarterback and a better player for the Giants.”

After nine years in San Diego, Tomlinson finds himself starting over. He’s in a new city, playing for a new team and will now have to adopt a role that he has never had before: that of a mentor.

“You prove what you can do on the field, you earn your role on the team, and then in the mean time you mentor the young guys,” LT said. “That’s what a professional does and that’s what a guy, I feel, in my situation does. I’m going into my 10th year and it’s something I can give to a young guy like Shonn Greene. When I’m retired and they’re in my situation, they can say, LT taught me about this. You know, that’s something special.”

With guys like Ferguson leading the way, Tomlinson feels like he’s in a great place.

“I really like being here,” he said. “I think this is the perfect place coming from the West Coast. When you come to the East Coast, you come to New York, you know? So obviously I’m excited, but my main goal is to win a championship and bring it back here. So if I do that, my career is set – I’ve done everything I’ve needed to do.”

And what about his retirement plans?

“Well, it depends. It depends on the winning part of it, the having fun part of it, and the body.”

While interviewing Tomlinson, I could tell that there’s no place he’d rather be. He seemingly enjoys being in New York, enjoys being around his new teammates and he’s looking forward to a new beginning. He also knows that this is just the start.

“We know we have a lot of work to do and we can’t be satisfied with what the Jets did last year,” he said. “We want to take it to the next step.”

Before the night came to a close, I asked Tomlinson about a potential rematch after he clearly cheated to get out of our Foosball game with some dignity.

“I figured you might ask that,” he said while flashing a grin. “Competitive guys always want a rematch when they lose.”

But before I got my rematch, Tomlinson vanished back into the crowd of people in that trendy SoHo building in Manhattan. He was off to his next interview, his next photo opportunity, his next question about Gatorade’s “G Series Pro.”

Such as the life of an athlete.

Below are some addition quotes from my interviews with Tomlinson, Manning, Ferguson and Cotchery from the event.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson

On what direction he thinks the Jets will go in the draft:
That’s interesting. You know, because of some of the offseason moves we’ve made, it really puts us in a great position to choose what we need. We have some offseason moves that we still don’t know will come through like Jason Taylor, but like I said, I think we’re in a great position to pick and choose where we want to go.

On whether or not Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie will mesh:
That’s definitely our hope. That’s why we have our OTAs, mini camps and eventually our training camps to make sure those things do happen. Hopefully it’s early enough that we can start to mesh and slowly but surely, we’ll get to the point of where we need to be.

On playing for Rex Ryan:
He’s got a lot of personality – a lot of humor. He’s a passionate guy and it’s great to play for a coach that let’s that show. That’s why we have such a swagger, because everyone kind of feeds off that and it makes it an exciting environment to play in.

Jerrico Cotchery

On Santonio Holmes:
It feels good. Every offseason we want to get better and it’s clear that we are focused on getting to the Super Bowl. This offseason we brought in some very talented players and even though they may have made some mistakes, everyone makes mistakes. They’ll be fine with us.

On his overall production, year in and year out:
Just don’t settle for the success you’ve had. Never settle. Whenever you get to the point where you feel as though there’s nothing else you can work on, that’s when you set yourself up for failure. Every year I just try to get better, try to be a leader on the team and work as hard as I can to maximize my talent.

On playing alongside Braylon Edwards:
That’s my guy – he’s a blast to be around. It’s one of those things were people talk about him and his character, but he’s been a blast since he’s been with us. He’s been fun to be around and really, the perfect teammate. I say that about the same guys coming in – it’s going to be a fun year.

On the development of Mark Sanchez:
I’m definitely excited for him. The way he finished out the AFC Championship Game, we have a lot to look forward to. But the key is to keep working hard and keep getting better. As a quarterback, he now has a lot of weapons so it should be pretty easy for him. (Laughs)

On playing for Rex Ryan:
It’s fun to come to work every day. That’s how you build that team chemistry, when it’s fun to come to work, when you love being around your teammates and that’s how you become a close nit group. That’s what we have in him and it’s meant everything to how we play out on the field.

On teammate Darrelle Revis:
He’s the best and he definitely makes me a better. As a player, he’s going to go hard every day in practice and he’s looking to beat you every play. That brings out that competitive nature in everyone on the team and you’ve got to have that.

LaDainian Tomlinson

On using Gatorade as part of his workouts:
Oh yeah, absolutely. When you get around three hour workouts, there’s a part when you need the energy. You need something to fuel you to keep going, so that’s where the pre-workout drink comes in. And then I said, at halftime, you need that part of it too. Then obviously the post workout, you need electrolytes to replenish what you lost during your workout.

On whether or not he’d recommend Gatorade to other athletes:
Oh, absolutely. See, that’s the thing – a lot of pro athletes are already using it. It’s the younger athletes that don’t really know about it. I guarantee you if they know the pro athletes are using it, then they’ll start using it as well. So we need to get the message out to them that this is just one thing that will aid their workouts and hopefully get them a scholarship to go to college.

On D’Brickashaw Ferguson:
I’m very excited to work with him. But look across the board, I mean you look at that offensive line and that’s why I walk around smiling. You can’t help but to.

Eli Manning

On scoring twice on himself during foosball while playing against Tomlinson:
I don’t know – I’m not very good. I pretty much scored all the goals in the game. In the first game, I only had the defensive side, so I only had to worry about putting on the goal line force.

On recommending “G Series Pro” to the public:
If you’re a younger athlete and you’re working out hard, the pre, during and post recovery workout drinks – all of it – is great. It’s going to fuel your body, it’s going to make sure you’re getting the most from your workouts and then you’re also recovering fast enough so the next day you’re ready to go at it again. They’re the best in the business.

On how the offseason is going with the Giants:
The offseason has been going well. We started our workouts about a month ago and we’ve had great energy, great enthusiasm, great commitment by the guys, everyone is itching to get back here and get started again. So, that’s the start we needed. We have great talent on the team and now it’s about putting it all together, getting the most out of the guys and I’m excited about this upcoming season.

On what direction he thinks the Giants will go in the draft:
I don’t know. I leave that up to our scouts, coaches and our experts who analyze film. We’ve done a great job in the draft and I know that whatever we do it’ll be the right move.

Special thanks to the fine representatives for Gatorade, most notably Tammy Quach, Brad Burke and Adam Tanielian for extending the invitation out to this great event.

There’s a secret that most good fantasy football owners don’t want you to know: Knowing how good (or how bad) an offensive line is could be the difference between you making the playoffs in your league, and winning the whole damn thing.

The bottom line is that the offensive line is the key to whether or not an offense is going to be successful in any given season. They’re the reason why guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brews are able to rack up terrific passing yards year in and year out, and why Brandon Jacobs, Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson continue to be solid fantasy backs. So knowing which O-lines are quality and which act like revolving doors to their team’s backfield will give you an edge on draft day.

Below is a ranking of the top five best lines, the top five most improved lines and the top five worst lines in the NFL heading into the ’09 season. Use these rankings as a tool to help you make better decisions on draft day and to also aid you when you’re stuck between a couple of players in later rounds.

Granted, we’re not advocating bumping certain players to the top of your pre-draft rankings just based on these rankings. The Lions offensive line is the worst in football, but if Kevin Smith is there for the taking in the 5th round, by all means jump on him. This article is purely meant to be a helpful aid; obviously you still have to use solid judgment on draft day.

The Five Best:

1. New England Patriots
One of the biggest reasons that a highly inexperienced quarterback like Matt Cassel can step in for a multiple Pro Bowl and Super Bowl winner like Tom Brady and still win 11 games is because New England’s offensive line is the best in the business. No O-line works better together than the unit that comprises of Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins, Nick Kaczur, Stephen Neal and Matt Light. All five know their assignments and carry them out with near flawless execution.

2. New York Giants
One of the best-kept secrets in football is how good the Giants’ offensive line is at run blocking. Thanks to Pro Bowlers Chris Snee and Shaun O’Hara, running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw should have no problem finding running room once again this season. Simply put, this is one of the most cohesive offensive lines in football that rivals only the Patriots in terms of stability.

3. New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas and Jeremy Shockey get a lot of credit for how good the Saints’ offense is (and deservedly so), but the backbone of New Orleans’ offensive success lays with one of the most underrated lines in the NFL. Led by tackle Jammal Brown and outstanding young guard Jahri Evans, the Saints’ line gave up a league-low 13 sacks last season and might just be the best pass blocking unit in the league. Hopefully mauler Carl Nicks will continue to develop and help this unit improve even more in the run-blocking department.

4. Denver Broncos
If the Broncos take a step back in 2009 after going 8-8 and coming up one win short of a division title, it won’t be because of their offensive line. Denver has one of the best units in all of football, led by their pair of young tackles Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris, who were both outstanding in ’08. Throw in a pair of underrated guards in Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper – as well as the veteran presence of center Casey Wiegmann – and you have the makings of a solid all-around unit.

5. New York Jets
The addition of free agent guard Alan Faneca was pivotal to the Jets’ offensive line last year, not only in terms of strengthening the interior of their O-line but also lifting the production of youngsters D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. Veteran Damien Woody also played surprisingly well after getting out of football hell in Detroit, and meshed well with the rest of the unit. As long as guard Brandon Moore recovers from the sports hernia surgery he underwent this offseason, the Jets should once again have one of the better offensive lines in all of football.

Offensive lines that also deserve mention: Carolina, Tennessee, Indianapolis, San Diego, Tampa Bay (see below), Philadelphia (see below), Miami, Baltimore, Minnesota and Cleveland.

One could make the argument that either Carolina or Tennessee deserve to be in the top 5 and the rest of the lines mentioned above are definitely top 15 material. One thing to keep in mind about Minnesota, however, is that they lost center Matt Birk (who signed with Baltimore). The Vikings should still have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL, but it’ll be interesting to see what kind of an effect not having Birk will have on the success of Adrian Peterson.

The Five Most Improved:

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I struggled with whether or not I should list the Bucs in this category given how they’re already at a top level, but I wanted to talk about them because they have one of the best up-and-coming offensive lines in football. Right guard Davin Joseph is a Pro Bowler, tackles Jeremy Trueblood and Donald Penn continue to improve with each passing season, left guard Arron Sears is a force to be reckoned with and center Jeff Faine is a steady presence in the middle. This unit is already solid and there’s still room for improvement, which is why I feel I’m justified in listing them in his category.

2. Philadelphia Eagles
With their addition of former Bills offensive tackle Jason Peters in the offseason, the Eagles have one of the most improved offensive lines in the NFL. As long as Peters’ play doesn’t drop off after cashing in on a new six-year, $60.7 million contract this offseason, the two-time Pro Bowler should dramatically improve Philly’s offensive line play. But this unit doesn’t come without some concern. Tackle Shawn Andrews continues to deal with back problems and brother Stacy (an offseason addition from the Bengals) is just eight months removed from ACL surgery. Still, if the Andrews brothers can bounce back, the Eagles have the makings of a great offensive line.

3. Atlanta Falcons
Entering last season, offensive line was supposed to be a massive weakness for the Falcons. But Atlanta’s O-line came together and formed a tight bond that should only aid in their success in 2009. Hopefully left tackle Sam Baker can stay healthy this year and improve on the success he had as a rookie last season, while guard Justin Blalock should continue to sharpen his game as he enters his third season. Believe it or not, the strength of the unit might be on the right side, where Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl form a nasty run-blocking duo (just ask Falcons’ opponents and running back Michael Turner) that should once again pave the way for Atlanta’s excellent running game. Veteran center Todd McClure also continues to be the glue that holds this underrated line together.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags were absolutely ransacked by injuries to the O-line last year, which unsurprisingly had a negative affect on a team that many thought would contend for the Super Bowl. But all indications are that this line is healthy again and the additions of free agent Tra Thomas, as well as rookies Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton should only help. Jax also re-signed center Brad Meester in the offseason so as long as this revamped O-line comes together, the Jags should be in better shape than they were a year ago.

5. St. Louis Rams
It’s hard not to like what the Rams did in the offseason by signing the best young center on the free agent market in Jason Brown (formally of the Ravens) and selecting the best offensive tackle prospect in April’s draft in Baylor product Jason Smith. While this line still has a ways to go in terms of resembling a unit that can keep quarterback Marc Bulger upright and open enough holes for running back Steven Jackson, there’s no question that St. Louis has vastly upgraded its O-line. (Assuming of course that Brown pans out and Smith isn’t a massive bust, that is.)

The Five Worst:

1. Detroit Lions
This is by far the worst unit in the NFL and even though new GM Martin Mayhew upgraded other positions this offseason, he failed to add talent on Detroit’s miserable offensive line. Outside of selecting solid blocking tight end in Brandon Pettigrew in April’s draft, what did Mayhew do to upgrade this unit? Gosder Cherilus should develop more in his second year and Daniel Loper is an upgrade over Damion Cook at left guard, but Jeff Backus often resembles a turntable at left tackle and chances are quarterbacks Daunte Culepper and/or Matthew Stafford will be on their backs a lot this season. With how bad Detroit’s O-line is, running back Kevin Smith doesn’t stand to have that big of a year either, though he performed pretty well in ’08 behind a similarly bad line.

2. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals certainly don’t have the worst collection of talent on their offensive line, but nobody really stands out and who knows how well they’ll play as a unit. Rookie first round pick Andre Smith has all of the talent in the world, but his work ethic and conditioning have been criticized in the past and therefore he remains a huge question mark. Cincinnati views him as a right tackle, so maybe that will take the pressure off of him in his first year. That said, is Andrew Whitworth the guy you want protecting Carson Palmer’s blindside? Can Kyle Cook overcome his lack of experience with good football IQ? There are a lot of question marks surrounding a unit that will have new starters at four different positions this year.

3. Buffalo Bills
There’s really not much to like about a unit that significantly under performed in 2008 and then lost its best player, tackle Jason Peters, in the offseason. Buffalo plans on starting two rookies (albeit, two promising rookies) in Eric Wood and Andy Levitre at guard and also has to shift Brad Butler to right tackle. That’s a ton of change for one unit and while there is some excitement surrounding Buffalo’s offense this year with the addition of Terrell Owens, I wouldn’t set expectations to high on quarterback Trent Edwards or even running back Marshawn Lynch. Granted, a case could be made that Wood and Levitre might blossom and the Bills’ line will be better than advertised, but it’s never wise to count on rookies excelling because don’t make a significant impact in their first years.

4. Seattle Seahawks
This was once one of the best offensive lines in football, but has since fallen off dramatically. Every starter in this unit missed time last season due to injuries, including Walter Jones, who is still a solid left tackle but is no spring chicken at 35. Rookie Max Unger is a good young talent, but he has to make the transition to guard after playing center at Oregon. Rob Sims showed flashes of potential in his rookie season two years ago, but last year was a disaster after he tore his pectorals muscle in September and was placed on IR. Chris Spencer is another player coming off season-ending surgery, so while Seattle has some budding youth on its O-line, there are still some major injury concerns surrounding this group.

5. San Francisco 49ers
I’ll make this quick: The Niners surrendered a league-high 55 sacks last year and then decided to concentrate on adding position players in free agency and the draft. Nobody is going to argue with San Fran taking dynamic wide receiver Michael Crabtree with the No. 10 pick in April’s draft, but this team shouldn’t have ignored its offensive line in later rounds.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who rejected a chance to become head coach of the Browns last weekend, is not going to interview for the head coaching position of the New York Jets, according to multiple sources.

Cowher, according to a source, has been contacted by the Jets. Although he is interested in the Jets job, he told the team he would not be a candidate because he would like to bring in his own personnel director. Jets owner Woody Johnson plans to keep Mike Tannenbaum as his general manager after firing Eric Mangini as head coach Monday.

With Tannenbaum as the general manager, Cowher is willing to pass on the Jets opportunity, stay in broadcasting for another year and wait to return to coaching in 2010.

Cowher has told friends the Jets job interested him for several reasons. First, Cowher would love to coach in the New York market. Second, two of his daughters are either going to school or working in the New York-New Jersey area.

Cowher does plan to coach in 2010. In 2009, though, he was only willing to return if every situation was right for him. He wanted to have a two-year break from coaching to be with family and recharge.

I think several hundred Jet fans just dove head first off the Hudson Bridge.

Maybe Johnson can convince Tannenbaum to take another position within the front office and then give Cowher complete control. Although to be fair, Tennenbaum has landed D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Leon Washington in recent drafts, so he’s not a complete dud as a general manager. (Of course his latest first round pick, Vernon Gholston, looks like a complete bust considering he was inactive for most of the season because he can’t learn the playbook.)

The Jets will probably wind up with one of the hot coordinators considering they already have a GM. Like Cowher, one would think that Marty Schottenheimer would want complete control as well, so I bet he passes on the Jets too if offered the position.

UPDATE: The Daily News is reporting that Cowher and the Jets will now sit down to discuss the team’s head coaching vacancy. There’s hope yet Jet fans.

Obviously Brett Favre is going to dominate the headlines in New York this fall, but the Jets’ playoff aspirations are going to rest more on their offensive line than Favre’s cannon right arm.

In the 2006 NFL Draft, much to the dismay of some of their fans, the Jets selected monster offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson instead of a potential franchise quarterback in Matt Leinart. With their second pick in the first round (acquired from Denver via Atlanta), New York took former Ohio State center Nick Mangold.

Head coach Eric Mangini was making a point. He knew that without a solid offensive line, it wouldn’t matter who he lined up under center.

Ferguson and Mangold went on to have productive rookie seasons, but the entire line under performed in 2007 and the Jets sunk to a 4-12 record. Quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens struggled, while running back Thomas Jones (acquired from Chicago during the offseason) was largely ineffective.

This offseason, the Jets doled out $40 million, with $21 million in guaranteed money to sign former Steelers’ guard Alan Faneca. New York hopes the former Pro Bowler Faneca will get the underachieving Ferguson and Mangold to play to their high expectations again in 2008.

Also this offseason, the Jets signed free agent right tackle Damien Woody, formerly of the Lions. While Woody was largely a bust in Detroit because of weight issues and is coming off shoulder surgery, he’s a small upgrade over 2007 starter Anthony Clement. Joining Woody on the right side is Brandon Moore, who returns as the Jets’ starting right guard.

If the Jets can get better production out of their offensive line in 2008, it’s hard to imagine a productive runner like Jones will struggle again like he did last season. And it’s no secret that if Favre has time, he’ll pick a defense apart with his incredible release and accuracy. Despite their poor 2007 season, the Jets have enough talent to win this year. But the play of the offensive line is going to be the key in whether or not this team can battle for a Wild Card spot in a tough AFC.