What if Jets had Lewis instead of Scott?

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.

Just imagine for a minute if Rex Ryan had chosen a different Baltimore Ravens linebacker than the one he picked as his centerpiece free agent acquisition in 2009. Think about what might have happened if Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine camped out on the front lawn of Ray Lewis, and not Bart Scott.

Hmmm.

At the time, the 28-year-old Scott appeared to be the safer play, a much younger player than the soon-to-be 34-year-old Lewis, who was looking for a ton of money at the time but whose clear preference was to remain in Baltimore.

Would Lewis have left the place where he became a legend? Well, he said Wednesday that he didn't "know what could ever pull me away from here." But he did acknowledge having discussions with Ryan. "It's not like we didn't have real conversations with each other," Lewis said as he began preparations for Sunday night's game against the Jets in Baltimore. "[Ryan] used to always tell me that Baltimore will always be where I end up at, bottom line . . . I don't know what could ever pull me away from here. That would have to be so incredible to pull me away from here, to actually leave this city and everything that I've already built here."

Oh, I've got an idea about what would have pulled Lewis away: cold, hard cash. A lot of it. And Rex Ryan, too. If anyone could have convinced Lewis to leave Baltimore, it was Ryan, whom the linebacker had tremendous respect for during their time together in Baltimore.

The Ravens played it smart with Lewis, telling him up front they'd give him a three-year, $22-million deal, and wouldn't go a penny higher. But they also wanted him to go out on the open market and see if any teams would either match or exceed the offer. The Jets were certainly interested, but not at that price.

The bidding war was over Scott, and the Jets trumped the Ravens by giving him a six-year, $48-million deal, with $22 million in guarantees.

There's no question that Scott, who was not available Wednesday during the team's locker room period, has helped transform the Jets' defense. And he was a major contributor in helping Ryan build a top defense almost overnight. But if you're talking a head-to-head competition with Lewis, there's no debate: While Scott has been an above-average performer at his inside linebacker spot, Lewis continues to be one of the most dominant linebackers in the league, even at age 36. He's coming off yet another AFC Defensive Player of the Week award after recording 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a sack in Baltimore's 37-6 beat- down of the Rams in St. Louis.

The Jets? They're coming off an embarrassing 34-24 loss to the Raiders, in which they allowed running back Darren McFadden to rush for 171 yards and two touchdowns. The Jets currently have the league's 31st-ranked rush defense, allowing 136.7 yards per game; Baltimore ranks sixth, allowing just 84.0 yards per game.

Even so, Ryan insists he has no misgivings about his decision to pursue Scott and not Lewis. "I understand the question, but first off, you have to understand that Bart has been terrific since we've had him here," Ryan said. "We had the No. 1 defense in the league [in 2009], the third defense [in 2010]. Coming in here, we were 23rd in the league. Bart Scott has had a major impact on our defense, so I don't think it's a fair question. Plus, I don't think it's a realistic question."

And why not? "Ray Lewis was never going to go anywhere else," Ryan said ". . . I feel great about having Bart Scott here. We're fortunate to have him here. He's been a huge reason for our success defensively."

But if the Jets are to recapture their defensive swagger, then Scott needs to elevate his game and make the same kind of impact that Lewis has in Baltimore. If not, then maybe the question of whether the Jets prefer Scott over Lewis comes up again next year.

After all, Lewis is a free agent again in 2012.