Tebow has long been criticized for having a long, loopy throwing motion and atypical mechanics for an NFL quarterback. But all that has changed this offseason, Clarkson said in an interview with Newsday.

Clarkson has a long history of success with NFL quarterbacks, including Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart and potential first-round prospect Matt Barkley. Now, he’s seeing some positive results with Tebow, too, which he says all starts with his footwork.

“The footwork is essentially what caused a lot of his looping motion,” Clarkson said. “A lot of what was happening with his throwing motion and why it was elongated was because of the way he placed his feet at the end of his drop. Right before he’d make his throw, his hips would stop at mid-motion, and the ball would come off in funny places. So that was one thing that we really honed in on, was trying to tie his feet up.

“We worked a lot on slowing the game down for him in terms of on the field, but also speeding up the game for him in terms of mechanics,” he added. “Most of what people have talked about in his throwing motion were really based on his footwork.”

Clarkson did focus on some of the positives about Tebow’s game as well, and he believes that the improved mechanics will only serve to improve the quarterback’s ability.

“He sees the field extremely well. He anticipates where things are going to happen, but his relationship with his feet going to his arm didn’t mesh. He would look like he was throwing into coverage. He was throwing into the right spot, but he was just late because he couldn’t transfer his weight properly.”

Tebow, 25, struggled to find the field last season with the Jets, throwing just eight passes in 12 games. He led the Denver Broncos to the divisional playoffs just one season before, but teams — even the Jets — are still hesitant to give Tebow a shot at their starting job.

Clarkson suggested recently that Tebow’s trade to the Jets was made with malicious intent from the Broncos. He hypothesized that the Broncos planned to “kill two birds with one stone” with the deal, crushing incumbent starter Mark Sanchez‘s confidence while all but eliminating Tebow.

But the well-renowned instructor hopes that the adjustments he and Tebow have worked on this offseason will change that reality.

“I would hope wherever he ends up, they give him an opportunity to play, because if they do, they’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Clarkson said. “I think the guy can still play.”

There doesn’t seem to be much of a market for Tebow right now, and even the Jets don’t appear interested in keeping him around. But, if what Clarkson says is true, then most teams would be smart to at least give him a chance.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel took a guess as to the teams he might end up with during an interview on CBS Sports’ Eye on College Football podcast.

Manuel, who has been rumored to go anywhere between the first and fourth rounds, guessed that the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles were the three teams most likely to select him later this month. All three teams do make sense given their quarterback needs but the Eagles might even be the best fit because of Chip Kelly‘s need for a mobile quarterback in his offensive system.

There are still three weeks left until Manuel’s future is sown, and plenty could change in that short window of time. But he at least has a realistic expectation as to where he’ll be spending the first few years of his professional career.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

Photo via Facebook/EJ Manuel

Ryan is, in fact, so adamant about the Jets making changes in the offseason that he’s intimating to “anyone who will listen” that he’d be better off getting fired if owner Woody Johnson isn’t willing to make changes to player personnel and coaching issues on offense, according to the New York Daily News.

The Jets, who enter Sunday’s season finale against Buffalo at 6-9, are once again limping across the finish line, due in large part to their putrid offense. The team’s passing attack has been particularly porous, with Mark Sanchez losing his starting job, only to then regain it following an injury to Greg McElroy — all while Tebow sits ideally on the New York sideline.

Clearly, things need to change in the Meadowlands, but it’s unclear what those changes will be. Ryan reportedly hasn’t been given assurances about his job security beyond this season, but according to the New York Daily News, it’s unlikely that Johnson would fire the fourth-year head coach, especially since he’s owed more than $6 million over the next two seasons.

Ryan’s preference reportedly is to stay with the Jets while Johnson contributes resources to help the offense, and it’s unlikely Ryan would resign, even if Johnson didn’t make such changes.

“If Woody’s not willing to do what it takes to fix the team, then [Ryan] knows he’s better off being fired,” a team source reportedly told The Daily News. “If Woody is willing to eat some money and spend to get us out of this mess, then it’s worth staying.”

Among the changes Ryan might be seeking are a new offensive coordinator and a proven veteran quarterback. While the Jets’ quarterback situation has hardly been anything to write home about over the past four years, Sanchez regressed this year, and things are looking bleak for him as he enters his fifth season. Tony Sparano, meanwhile, has struggled to get a grasp on the Jets’ offense in his first season as New York’s O-coordinator.

So will Johnson give Ryan the resources he needs to succeed, or will things stay the same in the Meadowlands? Ryan better hope Johnson takes the latter path, or else 2013 could be another long year in Jets Country.

Click here to see the NFL season’s top 10 disappointments >>

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported Thursday that the team will look to trade Tebow. This comes after the polarizing quarterback reportedly said he would request a trade or his release at some point.

Tim Tebow's request to be traded/released after season is only half the equation. The Jets will, indeed, look to trade him, per source. #nyj

—
Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) December 20, 2012

That, of course, would make the divorce a mutual one, as Mehta also reports.

So, the Jets and Tim Tebow will have a mutual parting of the ways after this season in the form of a trade or release, per source. #nyj

—
Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) December 20, 2012

The decision to bring Tebow to New York has been nothing short of a disaster this season. Tebow has rarely been used, even despite starting quarterback Mark Sanchez‘s woeful struggles throughout the season. Reports of Tebow’s unhappiness surfaced earlier this week when the Jets decided that third-string quarterback Greg McElroy, not Tebow, would be the starting quarterback this week (and likely the rest of the season).

Tebow has appeared in 11 games for the Jets this season, but he’s only attempted eight passes. He completed six of those, but for only 39 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also attempted 32 rushes for 102 yards.

The Jets have no interest in signing Owens, according to Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.

Forget about T.O. to the Jets. Sources just told me they have no interest in Owens. No surprise. Better chance they bring back Don Maynard.

— Gary Myers (@garymyersNYDN) October 9, 2012

As Myers points out, this doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. Owens was already cut by the Seahawks during the preseason, and he would only add to the ongoing circus in the Meadowlands. Plus, while the team’s receiving corps is depleted to say the least, there are still other issues plaguing the team that could be even more problematic. For one, Mark Sanchez continues to struggle while Tim Tebow‘s impact on the offense remains minimal.

Owens last played in 2010 with the Bengals, catching 72 balls for 983 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s failed to catch on with anyone since, though, as many teams likely view him as more of a distraction than anything. That hasn’t stopped the wideout from looking for work, as he sent out a tweet to the Jets on Monday, stating, “let’s make it happen.”

Ryan did stress on Tuesday that you can “never say never” in regards to whether the Jets could pursue Owens, but if there is a time to mutter those words, perhaps now is as good a time as any.

Click here for an opinion on whether the Jets should consider Terrell Owens >>

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Terrell Owens

Mark Sanchez

After numerous connections to big time celebrities and supermodels, such as Kate Upton, over the past year, Sanchez is now rumored to be dating model and actress Eva Longoria, according to In Touch Magazine.

Longoria and Sanchez were recently spotted shopping together at a Kings Super Market in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Sanchez owns a home. The couple could also be seen eating dinner and sipping some drinks at New York's Hotel Griffou a few nights later, although Longoria apparently tried to hide her identity by wearing a blonde wig to the restaurant.

Longoria has been linked to other athletes in the past, after being married to Spurs guard Tony Parker for more than four years and reportedly dating Lakers guard Matt Barnes in the past few months as well.

Sanchez' relationship with Upton was never confirmed, but the 25-year-old quarterback was spotted spending some late nights at the supermodel's apartment on occasion at the end of the 2011 NFL season.

Click here to see some photos of Mark Sanchez's former fling, Kate Upton >>

Photo via Facebook/Eva Longoria

Kenrick Ellis

Ellis left Jets mincamp on Thursday afternoon and is slated to report to a Virginia prison to serve a 45-day jail term, starting Friday. The sentence was handed down after Ellis plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges, stemming from a 2010 incident while he was still a student at Hampton University in Virgina.

The second-year defender has been reluctant to discuss his jail sentence at all, but Ellis did answer a question regarding the effect on his conditioning during Thursday's practice.

"Conditioning is a major part of playing in the NFL. I'll just try to get in better shape," Ellis said of serving the term. "I'm just going to do my best to show up here and contribute to the team."

Jets head coach Rex Ryan left Ellis with a small nugget of advice before breaking from camp.

"There are people that have gone through similar things, and I basically said, 'Lean on each other.' That's pretty much it," Ryan said.

Ellis' sentence is set to end three days after the Jets are scheduled to report for training camp on July 26 in Cortland, N.Y.

Ellis was a third-round pick, 94th overall, out of Hampton in 2011. He recorded seven tackles for the Jets during his rookie season.

Tim Tebow

Both are world-class athletes who take their training very seriously. Also, both have expressed a desire to remain virgins until marriage.

So when Tebow’s teammate Nick Mangold suggested on Twitter that the two should get together as a “match made in heaven,” it seemed like an innocent joke.

Jones, however, raised the stakes by responding to Mangold with the insinuation that Tebow might already be spoken for.

@nickmangold thanks Nick but i actually heard tebow has a girlfriend he just isn’t saying it publicly. the search continues…

— Lolo Jones (@lolojones) May 29, 2012

That sound you hear is the New York tabloids scrambling to find the lucky lady — if she is out there — and tell the story of Tim Tebow’s secret girlfriend. For now, we’ll just have to wonder.

Click here to see some of the women Tebow is rumored to have dated >>

Click here to see more photos of Jones on and off the Olympic track >>

Rex Ryan

The Jets have apparently made contact with Alabama running back and top-five hopeful Trent Richardson, in what is looking like another draft-day deal for the Jets, according to ESPN.com.

Richardson told reporters about the Jets' interest during a pre-draft media session in New York on Wednesday.

"They wanted to know my information as far as whether that's the right number to reach me in case something does happen, with them trading up," Richardson explained.

With the Jets picking 16th currently, it seems extremely unlikely that they would even have a whiff at Richardson without a miracle or a trade. But trading is something Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum proved he's not afraid to do, as the Jets moved up the draftboard in three-straight seasons from 2007 to 2009.

Three years ago, Ryan led the charge as the Jets jumped way up into the top five to draft quarterback Mark Sanchez as their signal caller of the future. This season it appears the Jets may be intent on finding a tailback to replace the loss of reliable but aging halfback LaDanian Tomlinson.

The only question would be if the move indicated that the Jets have doubts about the team's current running back Shonn Greene. But with the short lifespan for tailbacks in the NFL, it wouldn't be a great shock to see a team look to solidify the position with another viable option.

Richardson seems to be the prized possession for the Jets, and he also seems excited by the possibility of playing for New York.

"I would love it," Richardson said. "I don't feel bad about playing for any team. Football is football, and it's the National Football League."

Tannenbaum seems to feel similarly about the halfback, praising Richardson for his versatile skill set.

"I do think Trent Richardson is a great player," Tannenbaum said last week. "I think he will help a team. He's a three-down back, he can pass protect and he can catch the ball. He played for coach [Nick] Saban and, obviously, had a lot of success. … There are a lot of things to like about Trent. So whoever gets Trent will have a really good back for a long, long time."

The reality, though, is that really good back may end up donning the threads of the "gang green" for many years to come.

Photo via Facebook/Trent Richardson

The recently signed backup expressed his displeasure with the franchise's move to bring in Tebow as the No. 2 QB, and consequently asked the team for a trade. Well, Stanton got his wish on Friday.

According to the Jets' website, the team traded Stanton and a 7th-round draft pick — the one acquired in the Tebow trade — for a 6th-round pick in the upcoming draft.

Stanton's agent, Deryk Gilmore, blasted the Jets via twitter on Friday saying, "Excited for the #Colts to get @drewstanton a leader, winner, and QB not a gimmick to sell tickets."

The tweet was soon after deleted from Gilmore's twitter account, and a new tweet appeared praising the Jets for the move.

"Jets are a class organization for doing the right thing," Gilmore's said in a different tweet. "I believe in my players and know what they can do."

Stanton signed a one-year deal worth about $1.25 million just last week and was promised the No. 2 quarterback job with the team. When the Jets traded for Tebow, Stanton's position on the depth chart took an obvious hit and the quarterback expressed his unhappiness.

Stanton's contract did include a $500,000 signing bonus which the Jets have paid, according to a league source.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to trade Tebow and a seventh-round pick to the Jets for fourth- and sixth-round picks, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter, who also said Tebow was being given a choice in where he would land.

The trade to the Jets was first reported Wednesday afternoon but was then called off, reportedly over New York not knowing that Tebow’s contract had $5 million worth of "recapture language," meaning the Jets would have to pay money back to the Broncos as part of the deal. That was also reportedly the sticking point for the Jaguars. The Jets are now willing to pay the $5 million, according to Schefter.

Tim Tebow

The Jaguars are back in the mix, seeing if they can pull off a trade with the Broncos to land Tebow, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. This comes after Denver's initial deal with the Jets hit a snag late Wednesday afternoon.

The Jets and Broncos agreed to a deal that would have sent the polarizing quarterback to New York, but the two teams have reportedly encountered a hangup because of some language in Tebow's contract, which has threatened to nullify the trade.

According to Schefter, Tebow has $5 million worth of "recapture language," meaning the Jets would have to pay money back to the Broncos as part of the deal, something they may not be willing to do.

Schefter reports that one league source has indicated that the Broncos' trade with the Jets will go through, but that the contractual issues are complicating matters. That has opened the door for other teams to get back on the map in the Tebow sweepstakes.

The Rams reportedly could wind up getting back into the Tebow mix as well, although we'll see if contractual issues arise in any deal involving them. Schefter reports that the same money issues that have caused complications in Denver's deal with the Jets have also complicated matters for Jacksonville trying to complete a trade.

Got all that?

ESPN reports that the trade that would send Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow to the Jets has hit a snag because of contract issues.

According to the report, there is $5 million worth of "recapture language" in Tebow's contract which means that the Jets would have to pay back some of that money to make the deal go through. The ESPN.com report indicates that the Jets may be unwilling to do that, and the recapture language is the same reason that Jacksonville was unable to swing a deal for the quarterback.

While talks have hit a snag, there is no indication at this moment that the deal is dead. If the trade does fall apart, however, the St. Louis Rams would then slide into position to trade for Tebow, according to the report.

The Jaguars may also be ready to jump back in and try to swing a deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Nevertheless, the Jets have expressed interest in Patriots free-agent running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, according to the New York Post.

The interest is reportedly preliminary at the moment and nothing is imminent, as the Jets have yet to schedule a meeting with the 26-year-old back.

Green-Ellis, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in 2010 and has double-digit touchdown totals the past two seasons, met with the Bengals already. The Jets, however, stand to lose free-agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson, and could be interested in adding some more depth alongside starter Shonn Greene.

The Patriots could still look to retain Green-Ellis, who's never fumbled in his four-year career, but if he looks to receive starter money on the open market, New England could choose to let him walk.

Tim Tebow

Several teams have already discussed a trade — either internally or with the Broncos — for the polarizing quarterback, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Those teams reportedly include the Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars and Packers.

The discussions when it comes to the Jets, though, might not have much traction, as Schefter reports that they're categorized as "a long shot" to land Tebow.

The Dolphins might also be an unrealistic destination, as The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero reports that multiple team sources have indicated to him that Tebow is not an option.

The Broncos are determined to trade Tebow sooner rather than later after inking Peyton Manning to a five-year, $96 million deal, according to Schefter. A Tebow trade reportedly could happen by the end of the week — if not sooner.

Manning stressed during his news conference on Tuesday that he would welcome Tebow as a teammate if the Broncos elected to retain him, but it's looking less and less likely that that'll be the case.

The Jets are highly unlikely to seriously pursue Manning, according to a league source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Not only are the Jets unwilling to give up on quarterback Mark Sanchez, but they still believe he can be their long-term starter if his receivers step up their game. The Jets tried to surround Sanchez with talent in 2011 by extending Santonio Holmes' contract and adding Plaxico Burress, but neither player fulfilled expectations. Holmes was even benched in the regular-season finale for being such a malcontent.

The Jets have done their work on Manning, but they know a failed courtship of the future Hall of Famer would send a terrible message to Sanchez. Apparently, that's why a pursuit of Manning is a gamble the Jets are unwilling to take.

One wrinkle to the Jets' philosophy: If they believe Manning would be a shoe-in to play in New York by getting word through various backchannels, things could change.

Since this is shaping up to be one of the wildest storylines in the history of free agency, the situation could have a number of twists and turns throughout the process.

Have a question for Jeff Howe? Send it to him via Twitter at @jeffphowe or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

A tumultuous season led to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer walking away from his job on Tuesday night, and it also led several Jets players to anonymously speak out to The New York Daily News.

Their most startling message: We want Peyton Manning.

“Come on. That’s a no-brainer,” a Jets source told Manish Mehta. “If you have a chance to get a healthy 36-year-old Peyton Manning and you don’t do it, then you’re stupid. If I could get a healthy 36-year-old Peyton Manning, then, hell yeah, I would trade [Mark] Sanchez.”

It does seem like an obvious statement, but coming from a person inside the Jets organization, those are harsh words for the former No. 5 overall pick.

Mehta, you may remember, was the same reporter who broke the story of Jets receivers complaining to head coach Rex Ryan. Though the people involved adamantly denied that story, Derrick Mason was traded away just a couple of days later.

Part of the Jets’ problem with Sanchez is that the 25-year-old doesn’t work hard enough to improve.

“We have to bring in another quarterback that will make him work at practice,” an unidentified player told Mehta. “He’s lazy and content because he knows he’s not going to be benched.”

While Sanchez has yet to respond (and he may choose to never respond), teammate Nick Mangold rushed to the quarterback’s defense via Twitter.

“If ‘unnamed sources’ want to attack Mark, man up and put your name to it,” Mangold said.

While it’s certainly getting ugly down there in Florham Park, N.J., at least the Jets will always have their Pepsi Max commercial. No anonymous quotes can ever take that away from them.

Oh, and Sanchez reportedly has Kate Upton, so he’s probably not spending any time reading newspapers. He just might be OK.

Photo of the day

Aren’t you glad you’re not a Jets fan today? If you are a Jets fan … are you sad?

Quote of the day

“Manny Pacquiao I’m calling you out. Let’s fight May 5 and give the world what they want to see.”
–Floyd Mayweather Jr., via Twitter, trying to engage Pacquiao for a fight for which the world’s waited years

Tweet of the day

We’re happy to put your dog on TV, but we don’t see you in this photo. Are you a hat, sir? Also, you should charge your battery.

Video of the day

Shawn Thornton has 627 career penalty minutes. He has 29 career goals. But on Tuesday night, he did this. The lesson learned is that NHL players know how to play hockey, no matter what their role on a team is.

The two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver told Scout.com that he's going to retire after 15 seasons.

"I'm done," Mason reportedly said. "I won't be playing football. I only knew one play to play football, going all-out and having fun out there."

Mason played eight seasons with the Titans and six seasons with the Ravens before joining Rex Ryan's Jets last offseason. The 37-year-old wideout was eventually traded to the Houston Texans, who then cut him toward the end of the regular season.

Mason, who earned Pro Bowl selections in 2000 and 2003, ranks 11th on the NFL's career receptions list (943), 19th on the career receiving yards list (12,061) and 14th on the career all-purpose yards list (17,150). The one glaring omission from his resume is a Super Bowl ring.

The Michigan State product could find a way to still be around the game of football in the near future, though, as he told Scout.com that he'd like to pursue a broadcasting career.

Members of Braylon Edwards‘ entourage were allegedly involved in a fight with employees of a bar in Michigan, with Edwards’ pals stabbing one employee with a knife and another with a fork, according to a report by Fox 2 in Detroit. The man stabbed with a knife required 14 stitches.

The report clearly states that Edwards was not directly involved in the fight, though his Twitter feed offered up a pair of interesting comments during the night:

“Damn. Get ya knuckles ready”

“Don’t fight if. You don’t know how.”

Edwards, in true celebrity fashion, later claimed that his account was — you guessed it — hacked.

“Yo…Lost my phone last night someone sent tweets,” he claimed. “Deleted them and changed my password. Sorry for the mishap hopefully never happens again!”

It’s not the first time Edwards, currently a free agent after the Jets opted to sign Plaxico Burress, has found himself in the news for the wrong reasons. When he was still on the Cleveland Browns in 2009, Edwards punched a friend of LeBron James at a Cleveland nightclub. He also was arrested last fall on DWI charges, and he pleaded guilty last month.

Now, on the other side of that, he did come through on a promise to pay $10,000 of college tuition for 100 Cleveland-area high school students if they maintained a 2.5 GPA. So he’s not all bad, he’s just prone to the occasional suspect decision — like hanging out with a guy who attacks a bar employee with a fork.

Photo of the day

Think Braylon needs some new friends?

Quote of the day

“Yes you [Julian Edelman] are Peter, Deion [Branch] is Moses and [Wes] Welker is John the Baptist.”
–Chad Ochocinco, via Twitter, giving his new teammates biblical names. The receiver has been referring to Foxboro as “Heaven” since joining the Patriots via trade last week.

Tweet of the day

You never know when Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo are going to break medical news (about themselves, not the players).

Video of the day

Nyjer Morgan is one strange dude. What’s weirder here: “Mr. Professional” or the random grunt at the end?

The New York Post reported Friday morning that the Jets are waiting on making any other moves until Asomugha makes up his mind.

The Jets won't be able to offer Asomugha the most money due to salary cap restraints, but the opportunity to win and play opposite Darrelle Revis could be a deal too sweet to turn down.

"Not sure if the $$$ works in the end," tweeted NFL Network's Albert Breer. "But I'll say this — Nnamdi wants the Jets, and the Jets want Nnamdi."

ESPN.com's Rich Cimini also felt a deal with Asomugha was imminent.

"Got a feeling that Rex Ryan and [Jets GM] Mike Tannenbaum are going to be high-fiving each other real soon. #Nnamdi #Jets," he tweeted.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News also chimed in, adding, "I've been told that money will not be the sole determining factor in Nnamdi Asomugha's decision. He wants to win a Super Bowl."

NFL Network's Michael Lombardi also reported that the 49ers, believed to be other top candidate to land Asomugha, are out of the running.

"Right now, Dallas and Jets, Ryan brothers are battling. Stay tuned," he wrote.

None of these comments exactly mean anything, but it's rare for there to be so much smoke without any fire.