02/19 — It's been fairly quiet around the Jets' training complex recently, with coaches and scouts and a few players coming and going but most of the players still chillin' until the off-season strength and conditioning program begins next month.

But unrestricted free agency and the draft beckon, so the chatter will start to increase again, beginning this week. I'll be traveling to the NFL Combine workouts in Indianapolis on Wednesday and will begin reporting from Thursday through the weekend on what the top collegiate prospects are saying and how they're doing.

The Jets contingent to the combines for the third year will be led by general manager Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Eric Mangini, and Mangini is among the NFL coaches expected to address reporters later in the week. I can't comment on who the Jets like or don't like at the combines, but I'll pass on all the "notes, quotes and anecdotes" that I can from the bowels of the RCA Dome.

Eric Allen will also be contributing stories from Long Island, and EA and I will reprise our "radio show" from the Super Bowl venue in Phoenix with some shorter interviews that you'll be able to find on our Multimedia Home page beginning Thursday.

Some of you have asked about starting a Radar entry related to the draft so you can put up some comments related to whom you think the Jets should pursue and whom they should steer clear of. Of course, many of you are already expressing yourselves in that regard at the end of whatever blog topics are available.

It's all good, in my opinion, but this week will kick off a series of blogs and news stories devoted to the combines and the draft, including the first of this year's reports from the independent experts I've come to greatly respect at Real Football Services.

So wait for a topic that appeals to you, or don't wait and let everyone hear what you're thinking. For those scoring at home, we've recently posted our 8,000th comment from you the fans and we're pushing on toward 10 grand before we reach our first anniversary. Thanks again for your remarks and enthusiasm. Your response has been truly amazing since we opened for business last April.

As usual, help me out by avoiding in your comments obscenities and vulgarities (including abbreviated cusses), plus namecalling, slander, piling on, racism, sexism, etc. We don't want to rein in your passion too much, but keep in mind that this is a family Web site.

To stir the pot a little, we're starting to see the first of the serious mock drafts. Many sites and publications are putting them up, but here are three of recent vintage and wide circulation, all of which mention a certain linebacker from The Ohio State University in connection with the Green & White.

My good friend Don Banks of Sports Illustrated has begun cranking out his regular mocks and today's second Banks mock on SI.com mentions Vernon Gholston along with Darren McFadden.

"With Thomas Jones on hand, New York isn't really in need of a No. 1 rusher, but McFadden may be too tempting to pass up given that some believe he's the closest thing to Adrian Peterson in this year's draft," Banks writes in selecting Arkansas' "Run DMC" for the Jets with their sixth overall pick. "USC's Ellis and Ohio State defensive end-outside linebacker Vernon Gholston are two other sensible options for the Jets."

Matt Pitzer has also come out with a listing in USA Today that he advises is not a mock draft as much as it is an emphasis of teams' early needs at the combine workouts. Of the Jets, Pitzer says:

"Improving the defensive line is a priority here, too, and the Jets would love to see [Virginia's Chris] Long fall as he comes from a 3-4 defensive front similar to the Jets'. Otherwise, they might try to determine whether Southern California DT Ellis can play nose tackle or if Ohio State's Vernon Gholston is a fit as a 3-4 pass rusher."

And a few days ago, Pete Prisco of CBS Sportsline submitted his first mock of the year, and rather than dance around with McFadden, Ellis or Long for the Jets, Prisco cuts right to the Buckeye chase.

"Gholston is a defensive end in the 4-3 defense, but he would fit the Jets' 3-4 as an outside rusher. He had some pass-rush wins against [Michigan OT] Jake Long."