Add Jets left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson to the list of players bracing for the Tim Tebow circus.
“That’s definitely going to be an aspect of it,” Ferguson said Thursday at the NFL Shop at Draft store in Manhattan. “There will be a little bit of a circus come training camp and our media periods. I think that’s one of the things that’s part of this process when you make a trade like that. Hopefully, we can stay focused and focus on the bigger picture, which is having success this season.”
Ferguson appeared with Giants guard Chris Snee to promote the store, which opens Monday.
He said he was surprised when he heard about the Tebow trade last week. He met Tebow on Monday before the quarterback held his press conference.
The Pro Bowl tackle is taking a wait-and-see approach to how this experiment will work.
“We’ll see how it all plays out,” Ferguson said. “I know he has certain talents that I think can complement our team. It’s really early on in the process. We haven’t really implemented anything as of yet.”
As for incumbent starter Mark Sanchez, Ferguson pointed to the three-year contract extension the Jets gave him earlier this month as proof the team believes in him.
“I think he can take a lot of pride in the fact that he was extended,” he said. “I feel like the Jets have made a statement that he’s their guy. I think obviously with this new addition, though, the question of how they will work together, what will that synergy look like is a valid one. I think it can only be answered when we start to have meetings, when we get into the building and start doing practices. Until that point, it doesn’t matter.”
The Jets begin their offseason program April 16. Ferguson said he is interested to see how the 2012 version of the Jets looks.
“I think mentally we’ve transitioned with all the trades, with all the additions to the coaching staff and so forth we are a different team already,” he said. “I think every year the team changes a little bit. This past year our team has changed a lot. I think we’re all excited about seeing how that will affect this season. We all hope every move that was made works out to the best possible extent.”
Ferguson said the Jets are ready to put the problems that plagued the locker room in 2011 behind them.
“It’s one of those things with such a poor season we had and the high expectations, there was a lot of frustration and disappointment that was in the locker room,” he said. “But now the team has begun to change. It will continue to change. I think now guys can continue to have more of an optimistic look on the season ahead.”
The Jets are not the only AFC East team to make changes. The Bills signed defensive end Mario Williams, which means Ferguson will get to face him twice a year.
“I’m excited about that opportunity,” Ferguson said. “He’s definitely a bigger guy and he likes to do some things. The challenge is great. I like going against big challenges. I think it will make our division even better. The Patriots are making moves. Everybody is making moves. We’re not going to be outdone. We’ve made a lot of moves as well.”