A Dozen Questions With Alan Faneca

1. When you signed with the New York Jets in 2008, it was believed the Jets were in a “win now” state. Going in to 2009, do you still feel that way? Does the team feel that way as well?

2. After all the attention on the quarterback position last season, from the Kellen Clemens—Chad Pennington race to the arrival of Brett Favre in August, how does this off season compare to last year with the Jets drafting Mark Sanchez?

3. In your time in Pittsburgh, you saw the Steelers draft a quarterback high in the first round and watched him come in, go unbeaten in his first regular season, and win a Super Bowl in his second season. Have you seen any similarities between Ben Roethlisberger and Mark Sanchez?

4. Lost in a lot of this is Clemens. He showed some ability during his eight starts in 2007, but has not gotten a chance since. Do you believe that Clemens can be a legit NFL quarterback? Does the rest of the team believe that Clemens can lead them to the playoffs?

5. Also in your time with Pittsburgh, you went up against Rex Ryan’s Baltimore defense several times, and they were always brutal battles in the trenches. Are you glad that you only have to go up against the defense in practice? Does that past experience help you in any way going into 2009?

6. It is believed that one of the reasons Eric Mangini was fired was because of his demeanor and approach during the games and throughout the week. Do you agree? Did the team take on Mangini’s personality late in the season? Have you seen a difference between Mangini and Ryan?

7. As the team faded down the stretch last season, do you feel like the Jets missed an opportunity to go far, especially with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady missing the season?

8. With the addition of Shonn Greene to the running back platoon of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, do you feel the running game will become a bigger part of the Jets' offensive attack?

9. What improvements did you see out of Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Brandon Moore over the course of last season? Where do they still need to improve?

10. You’ve played with Plaxico Burress in Pittsburgh. How would he fit in with the Jets, both on the field and in the locker room?

11. Looking at the AFC East, how tough do you expect the division to be?

12. Is there anything else you would like to add?