Ferguson: Tebow addition will bring a 'circus atmosphere'

D'Brickashaw Ferguson said he was stunned when he found out the Jets traded for Tim Tebow.

"It's pretty crazy," the Jets tackle from Freeport said Thursday during an appearance at an NFL Shop in Manhattan that officially opens Monday and closes April 30. "Definitely, I didn't expect it. I think a lot of people were taken aback just because they didn't expect it, but I think it will be an interesting tandem."

Ferguson was referring to starting quarterback Mark Sanchez and Tebow, the high-profile backup.

Perhaps just as interesting will be what goes on in the Jets' locker room.

"There's definitely going to be a little bit of a circus atmosphere," said Ferguson, who said he introduced himself to Tebow when they crossed paths Monday in the weight room at the team's training facility in Florham Park, N.J.

"There are going to be a lot of influences. The Tebow situation, he brings a lot to the organization, even outside of on-the-field performance. I think that's something we'll have to deal with and contend with.

"I'm sure Jets training camp will be buzzing and there will be a lot of cameras around. It can be a distraction, but at the same rate, it can be positive for us as well. We've just got to figure out how best to navigate all those things."

Tebow's arrival creates an interesting dynamic between him and Sanchez, especially if the Jets use Tebow for 15 to 20 snaps per game, as Rex Ryan already has suggested. Ferguson admitted there are a lot of unknowns, particularly because many players haven't spoken with coaches yet.

Team conditioning and organized team activities don't begin until the middle of April.

"We don't know how it will affect Mark, what's going to go on," Ferguson said. "At this point, all we can be is optimistic because it's so new and we haven't even started the coaching aspect of it. So until we really start putting our hands to the grind, and start practicing and start playing some games, we won't know if it will work.

"But I think the hope and the intent is it will be a good complement. That's kind of all we can set our sights on at this point."

Notes & quotes: Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who coached Tebow at Florida, told ESPN that his advice for the Jets when it comes to Tebow is to "let him play. Just let him play."