HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Here are five observations from the Jets' training camp.

Camp Classic Moment

Once again, in this camp, the most recent memorable moment was a rather forgettable one. The loss of first-round draft choice Santana Moss, to what looked like a rather innocuous knee injury two weeks ago, is a stunning one. The first-round draft pick, and former University of Miami wide receiver and punt return specialist, was being counted upon to lend a vertical dimension to the New York passing game under new coordinator Paul Hackett. Instead, because of torn cartilage that required surgery, he'll probably miss the first half of the regular season. "He is an exciting player, no doubt about it, and he brought us some instant quickness," said quarterback Vinny Testaverde. "From everything we saw of him early, he's going to be a really good player. This is just a little setback, that's all." Actually, for a team that wanted to add speed opposite wideout Wayne Chrebet, the loss of Moss throws a monkey wrench in their plans. Thankfully, the progress of second-year veteran Laveranues Coles has compensated somewhat for Moss' injury, but the Jets will welcome the former Miami playmaker back when he is healthy again. — Len Pasquarelli

1. There are few players returning from serious 2000 injuries who are more important to their respective teams than second-year defensive end John Abraham. One of the Jets' four first-round selections in last year's draft -- the last of the Bill Parcells era -- Abraham is a classic "tweener," a hybrid-type pass rusher who could line up at either end or linebacker. He had 4½ sacks in just six games a year ago, a pace that would have given him a dozen for the season and more than any rookie in the league. But the former South Carolina star missed the final 10 games after undergoing abdominal surgery and, while the New York pass rush still managed to finish in the middle of the NFL pack, it definitely lacked some energy when Abraham went onto the injured reserve list. This year, the Jets will line a healthy Abraham up at left end, and that's somewhat surprising since one would assume that, at just 257 pounds, he would play the weakside spot and take full advantage of his explosiveness. But coordinator Ted Cottrell wants Abraham working against the slower offensive right tackles and occasionally on the tight end. So far in camp, the results have been promising. In last week's preseason game, he was in the Atlanta backfield much of the evening and the Falcons' blockers really couldn't handle him. Abraham has also demonstrated enough toughness to hang against the run.

2. The big-play passing game battery for the Jets in the future might be quarterback Chad Pennington and wide receiver Laveranues Coles, a couple of second-year veterans who were chosen in the first and third rounds, respectively, of the 2000 draft. But the Jets likely will have to wait at least one more year for the duo to begin regularly hooking up. Coles may start this season opposite Wayne Chrebet, particularly since his improved concentration and technique have made him more than just a raw, young wideout with terrific speed. The former Florida State star had just 22 catches as a rookie, but he averaged 17.8 yards and is swift enough to run past just about any cornerback in the league. He has enjoyed a better camp than free agent acquisition Matthew Hatchette, and remains ahead of the former Minnesota backup on the depth chart. Pennington, on the other hand, likely won't play much again in 2001. That's because Vinny Testaverde seems to have undergone yet another resurrection and because the Jets coaches don't believe that Pennington is ready yet. The organization still feels Pennington is a future star, but the staff wants him to become more aggressive and to challenge the secondary. If anything, it appears Pennington is a bit too cerebral -- that he still thinks way too much about where the ball should be going instead of just reacting to the coverage. First-year head coach Herm Edwards has chastised Pennington in practice for not just winging the ball. Pennington was inactive for 15 games his rookie season and played in only one contest, completing two passes in five attempts. The departure of Ray Lucas in free agency assures that Pennington will move up a notch on the depth chart. Whether it means that he'll play more remains to be seen.

3. Linebacker Mo Lewis has been to three Pro Bowl games, but he and safety Victor Green remain two of the best defenders in the league that no one really knows about. Lewis has lined up all over the place in his 10 seasons in New York and remains one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL. Last year, however, he again demonstrated his great versatility with a career-best 10 sacks. He got more pass-rush opportunities, and look for the new coaching staff to try to get him into the opposition backfield frequently. Lewis will be 32 years old halfway through the season, but he shows no signs of slowing down. He's usually in the 85-100 range in tackles and still shadows third-down receivers out of the backfield with the best of them. Even if the public continues to ignore Green, he is a solid presence in the interior of the Jets secondary and has been for years now. Not blessed with prototype range, Green nonetheless is involved in a ton of plays. The eight-year veteran had a team-high 135 tackles in 2000. His six interceptions were a career best and only three safeties had more thefts. It's in the run game, though, where Green really shines. He is a fierce competitor who can play close to the line of scrimmage and who hits like a mini-linebacker.

4. If defensive tackle Jason Ferguson is lost for the whole season to a torn rotator cuff, as some suspect he will be, Cottrell and Edwards may have to plot like crazy to keep the Jets' defense against the run even respectable. Ferguson, a nose tackle in the team's former 3-4 front, will have another MRI exam of his troublesome shoulder next Monday, but the vibes aren't too good. Neither, unfortunately, are the remaining defensive tackles. At least the ones here now. Second-year veteran Shaun Ellis, the first of the team's No. 1 picks in 2000, is more an end, but the Jets are trying to play him at tackle. So far, the results have been mixed and Ellis could get some time back at end in this weekend's preseason game. Third-year veteran Jason Wiltz is out of shape and in the doghouse. Rookie James Reed, a seventh-round pick, has plenty of resolve but isn't very big. Just an educated guess here, but look for the Jets to place a call to the semi-retired Ernie Logan, a nine-year veteran who played the past four seasons in New York, about returning to the team in the next week or so. Logan has kept himself in shape, has quietly been anticipating an SOS flare from New York officials and probably would come back to a team for which he really enjoys playing. The Jets, whose linebacker corps looks to be the defensive strength once again, finished No. 23 against the run last season. If the defensive tackles can't keep blockers off the linebackers in 2001, it could be "déjà vu all over again" when it comes to trying to stuff the run.

5. In 20-some years of covering the NFL, this reporter never saw a better coach than Bill Parcells. In terms of preparing a team to play -- attention to the tiniest detail -- "The Tuna" was superb. But he also ran his team, and the entire organization when he worked for the Jets, as a Gestapo. His hand-picked successor, Al Groh, manifested that same kind of "us against the world" mentality in his lone season as head coach, then went off to Virginia, where there is less pressure and more security. It is refreshing, not only for the media but also the players and coaches, to have the new football regime of general manager Terry Bradway and coach Herman Edwards throw open the doors (at least relatively speaking) on the Jets' inner sanctum now. Both men are candid and open and generous with their time, and that has a positive effect on the players, as well as the scribes covering the team. Since neither has held such a lofty position before, it remains to be seen just how successful the new approach will be, but Bradway and Edwards have strong backgrounds and should form an excellent management team. It would be negligent to overlook Mike Tannenbaum, who rates among the top two or three cap specialists in the league. He might be a general manager himself someday.

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