PITTSBURGH -- Here are five observations from Jets camp:

	Abraham's return is a concern for the Jets.

1. Defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell is one of the best in the NFL at his position, and should someday be a head coach in the league, but he has his work cut out for him in 2002. The Jets will have at least six new starters on defense, maybe even more depending on the competition at some spots and the recovery of end John Abraham from a knee injury, and it would be overly optimistic to expect the unit will immediately assimilate Cottrell's scheme. There is probably more overall speed now on defense, but that doesn't mean the players will all pick up the Cottrell design at the same pace, and a few figure to lag on the learning curve. "So far we haven't had a lot of (mental errors), but there will be some of that, just because of the turnover we've had," Cottrell said. "You're only as strong as the weakest link, the last guy to pick things up, but I don't think we've left anyone in the dust at this point." One area where New York should be markedly better is stopping the run, with a more solid tackle rotation the key to improvement. The return of Jason Ferguson from a shoulder surgery that cost him the entire 2001 season, and the acquisition of free agents Josh Evans and Larry Webster, gives the Jets a respectable trio. Evans, who won his appeal of charges he violated the NFL substance abuse policy, is especially active and made two big plays against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday night in the preseason opener. The man the Jets need to get onto the field is former Buffalo Bills linebacker Sam Cowart, slated to be the weakside starter, but still recovering from a 2001 Achilles injury. He could be the playmaker the Jets have lacked.

2. He will be 39 in November and is in his 16th season but, as long as Vinny Testaverde stays healthy (a fairly significant "if"), he might be unchallenged for the starting job for a few more years. Third-year veteran Chad Pennington, one of the team's four first-round choices in the 2000 draft, had an adequate outing against the Pittsburgh defense. But even with his improvement in camp this summer, and the additional snaps he got as Testaverde continued his recovery from surgery to remove a tumor from his foot, Pennington seems to have stagnated in some areas. He remains a true "gym rat," an athlete who works hard at his game and puts in the hours, but might lack the gambler's instincts necessary to be a true standout at the position. Coach Herm Edwards wants Pennington to be aggressive, even if it means the occasional turnover, and is seeing a few signs of that. Over the last 20 years, Pennington is the only quarterback selected in the first round who failed to start at least one game in his first two seasons. But the truth is, Testaverde continues to play at a high level, even in an offense that did not much enhance his abilities in 2001. The guess is that coordinator Paul Hackett will open things up more this season and the presence of senior offensive assistant Jimmy Raye, a longtime NFL coordinator himself, might help in that area. Raye has always favored a strong running game, but likes to throw the ball vertically, too.

3. Speaking of throwing the ball up the field more, the emphasis on outside speed in the New York offense could well mean the end to Wayne Chrebet's tenure as a starter, because the seven-year veteran will work almost exclusively out of the slot now. Chrebet is still listed as a starter, but that will change if Santana Moss flashes his explosive skills during preseason play. "He's a terrific third-down guy and his value to us hasn't diminished," wideouts coach Mose Rison said of Chrebet. That said, the staff definitely wants a pair of burners, third-year pro Laveranues Coles and second-year veteran Moss, to be the starters. Coles has developed, after a sputtering start to his career in 2000, into a legitimate deep threat. The former Florida State standout, who actually began his college career as a running back, always was a sprinter. But he catches the ball much more consistently now and his routes are run a lot crisper. The team's first-round choice in 2001, Moss played in just five games because of injuries, but is the kind of potentially breathtaking playmaker who can turn around a game very quickly as a receiver or punt returner. Both players had solid performances in the preseason game at Pittsburgh, although Moss just missed making two big grabs, both on balls that would have been difficult catches but are the kinds of plays he has to finish.

4. The health of Abraham is huge because, even though the Jets selected defensive end Bryan Thomas in the first round, the New York pass rush simply isn't the same without the Pro Bowl end in the lineup. When the lightning-quick Abraham went out following abdominal surgery in 2000, the Jets were hard-pressed to attack the pocket. It still isn't certain if Abraham, who had 13 sacks in 2001, will be rehabilitated in time for the first game of the regular season. The reports indicate he will be out 4-6 weeks from the time of the injury, but Abraham has insisted he will return before that, and a few Jets officials have allowed there is an outside chance he can beat the current timetable. Abraham is a natural pass rusher, a guy with tremendous "cornering" and closing abilities, a player who commands double-team blocking on third down. The Jets chose end Thomas of Alabama-Birmingham in the first round to give them a second upfield rusher and, if Abraham isn't ready for the opener, he'll be pushed into the lineup. Thomas had a blocked punt against Pittsburgh, a play where he demonstrated not only speed but also tenacity, because he was being held. But it would be patently unfair to expect Thomas to immediately perform at Abraham's level. There are some players in the NFL who are simply indispensable to their teams and Abraham is that player for the Jets defense.

5. It has become a summer ritual for the Jets and this year is no different. Edwards, who said the same thing last year, is again insisting he will lighten the workload for star tailback Curtis Martin and get some carries for backup LaMont Jordan. Our take: We'll believe it when we see it. Actually it would be a good idea to given Martin an occasional breather. He is 29 now, is entering his eighth season, has averaged 334.7 carries over the course of his career and 346.3 rushes since joining the Jets in 1998. The Jets would like to extend Martin's contract, and reduce the $9.5 million cap hit for this year and the $10 million impact on next year's spending limit, as well. But if they are going to continue to force more than 300 carries a year on the guy, all they're going to do is shorten his career and devalue any investment they make in him. The two elements, a new contract and less carries, need to occur in tandem. Plus second-year veteran Jordan is an intriguing player, a second-round choice in 2001 who logged just 39 carries as a rookie, but who runs with great power and could make an impact on the New York rushing attack.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.