Here is a recap of some top news stories surrounding the Jets from this past week:<\/p>\n
Daily News reporter Manish Mehta <\/a>interviewed quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh who was very outspoken about where Mark Sanchez needs to improve:<\/p>\n \u201cThere were turnovers that were not his fault that were credited to him,\u201d Cavanaugh told the Daily News in his first public comments since the Jets missed the playoffs at 8-8 last season. \u201cBut there were enough that playing that position he needs to cut some of those down. Most of them came from just poor decision-making.<\/p>\n “So I spent a lot of time with him talking about \u2018Let\u2019s get focused on managing the game,'” Cavanaugh added. \u201cTaking the big plays when they\u2019re there (and) understanding that … even though it\u2019s drawn up to be a touchdown, not every play has to be a touchdown. Not every play has to be a completion. Sometimes throwing it away is a good thing. Sometimes taking a sack is better than throwing an interception.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Cavanaugh also discussed with Mehta <\/a>his impressions of Tim Tebow\u2019s potential:<\/p>\n \u201cQuarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh made it clear that he believes the young signal-caller has plenty of upside. Tebow, who admitted that he has only taken reps at quarterback this offseason, has worked closely with Cavanaugh.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he can be very good,\u201d Cavanaugh told the Daily News. \u201cI was pleasantly surprised when I saw him over an extended period of time . . . not just watching him play on film. I think he\u2019s certainly got the arm strength. He has good mechanics. They\u2019re getting better every day.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Coach Rex Ryan had repeatedly insisted he will become more involved in the entire team\u2019s activities since the end of last season.\u00a0 According to ESPN\u2019s Rich Cimini <\/a>Ryan is keeping his word:<\/p>\n At the end of the season, Rex Ryan said he would take a more active role in day-to-day coaching … It’s still early, but he apparently is doing just that, perhaps to regain the pulse of the team, which he admittedly lost last season.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It appears the Jets coaching staff has confidence in embattled right tackle Wayne Hunter.\u00a0 Offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo praised Hunter strongly asserting he\u2019ll be the Jets starting right tackle saying, \u201cUntil they ship him (Hunter) out of here or shoot me dead,\u201d to Manish Mehta of The Daily News:<\/a><\/p>\n DeGuglielmo showered embattled right tackle Wayne Hunter with praise.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that excited me most about this job was Wayne Hunter,\u201d he said. \u201cThe last thing that I would ever want to see happen is not have Wayne Hunter as the right tackle. He\u2019s big. He\u2019s athletic. He\u2019s aggressive. He\u2019s a smart guy. He practices at top speed. He practices physical. He pays attention to detail. Everything you give him to do on the field. He does it. He does it naturally. Wayne had some good plays last year and some bad plays. You show me a lineman in the league that didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow he reacted to some of those bad plays maybe that\u2019s something that he needs to work on,\u201d DeGuglielmo added. \u201cBut I\u2019ll be honest with you: This guy is the starting right tackle. Until they tell me otherwise, until they ship him out of this building or until they shoot me dead in my office, that son of a gun is going to be the starting right tackle and he\u2019s going to play well.\u201d<\/p>\n DeGuglielmo was adamant that Hunter \u201chas skills.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Hunter has echoed these assertions as reported by Conor Orr of The Star Ledger<\/a>:<\/p>\n “As far as my role, I’m the starting right tackle, that’s as simple as it is,” Hunter said. “Whatever happens come opening day, during the season, so be it, but I am the starting right tackle now and that’s all that matters to me.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Hunter will face some competition from third year lineman Vladimir Ducasse, who is facing a \u201cmake or break\u201d year according to Jenny Vrentas <\/a>of The Star Ledger. Apparently Ducasse is preparing to play right tackle \u201cexclusively\u201d:<\/p>\n This could be a make-or-break offseason for Vlad Ducasse, the 2010 second-round pick who has yet to take on a significant role. Ducasse said he is exclusively working at right tackle, which is where he prefers to be.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It seems that running back Joe McKnight\u2019s weight gain has come courtesy of \u201cRonald\u201d and the \u201cHamburglar,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Rich Cimini <\/a>reported on McKnight\u2019s new diet:<\/p>\n To improve his ability as a power runner, backup RB Joe McKnight added some weight in the offseason. In fact, he put on 15 pounds, bringing him to 216. How’d he do it?<\/p>\n “A lot of McDonald’s,” he said Wednesday.<\/p>\n He wasn’t kidding.<\/p>\n McKnight wasn’t on a McDonald’s-only diet, but he admitted he ate a lot of fast-food burgers on his way to his current weight. The way he figures it, he ate, worked out and “it changed to muscle.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mehta Tweeted about McKnight\u2019s offseason workouts at \u201cMickey D\u2019s\u201d:<\/p>\n [tweet_embed id=202799169214230529]<\/p>\n Nose tackle Kenrick Ellis has faced potential deportation, since he is not a United States citizen, for some legal problems since before being drafted in 2011.\u00a0 ESPN\u2019s Rich Cimini <\/a>says Ellis\u2019 trial is pending:<\/p>\n Ellis, facing a felony charge for malicious wounding \u2026 The criminal trial, already postponed twice, is set to begin May 22.<\/p>\n The Jets were aware of the pending charges when they selected Ellis in the third round of the 2011 draft. A potential complication is that Ellis is not a U.S. citizen. Ellis, a native of Jamaica who moved to Florida at the age of 11, has “permanent resident” status. A permanent resident convicted of an aggravated felony is deportable, according to immigration law.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n