Leinart in Jets’ plans?

NEW YORK – For better or worse, the Jets are now in the post-John Abraham era.

And for their next act, they will attempt to turn their fourth overall pick in next month’s draft and the 29th pick they acquired for trading Abraham to Atlanta on Tuesday, into an impact player or two for new coach Eric Mangini.

Recent rumors have had the Jets intent on trading up with New Orleans at No. 2 and selecting Southern Cal quarterback Matt Leinart. Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum admitted he’s heard those whispers.

“I know there’s a lot of speculation out there. I can’t sit here and comment on any specific situation,” Tannenbaum said Wednesday. “We’ll see what opportunities are presented to us. I won’t rule anything in or anything out.”

Here are some of those opportunities the Jets will face when outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue presides over his final first round April 29.

Trade up: Gang Green followers are divided over whether trading up for Leinart is a good idea. Why give up the extra picks and extra millions when the Jets have so many other needs and could get their franchise QB next year?

But post-Abraham, the Jets have $8.33 million in additional salary cap space for a big-ticket item such as the Trojans’ lefty. What would it take to make the trade?

According to a popular draft value chart, it might require more than those two first-rounders. The Jets might have to kick in a third- or fourth-round pick to balance the trade to the Saints’ liking.

But let’s say the Jets and Saints can’t agree on a deal, or the Raiders offer a better package to move up from No. 7. The Jets still have a bounty of draft choices in the four-hole.

Sit tight: The scuttlebutt has been that the Jets want their QB of the future now. If it’s not Leinart, they also were clearly enamored of Jay Cutler at the Senior Bowl workouts and could take him — if Tennessee at No. 3 doesn’t go there first.

The Jets also are intrigued by Vince Young, who would be a two-year project but might be signed economically and used judiciously until he’s ready to roll as an NFL signal-caller. Young, a lifelong Texan, also wants to be a Jet – as his agent, Mason Adams, recently told The Record, “Hopefully our zip code will change to N.Y., N.Y.”

Non-QB options: Excellent players who don’t line up behind center also abound. Offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson makes sense on many levels: he’s the best blind-side protector in the draft, he would help the pieces of the Jets’ line puzzle fall into place and he’d be returning to his Long Island roots, at least until the Jets uproot from Long Island to New Jersey.

But two defensive players for the defensively oriented Mangini will be attractive here, too. A.J. Hawk could be the versatile weak-side outside LB Mangini needs. DE Mario Williams could be the new Richard Seymour in the Jets’ realignment to the 3-4 Mangini played with the Patriots.

29th and beyond: If the Jets hold onto this pick that Atlanta got from Denver and dished off to them for Abraham, they could have one very big-need player staring them in the face. Ohio State center Nick Mangold has the size and skills to help the Jets and their fans begin to forget that Kevin Mawae is now a Titan.

Others who may be available here: running backs such as Minnesota’s Laurence Maroney and LSU’s Joseph Addai, or linebackers such as Alabama’s DeMeco Ryans, if he slips, and Mangold’s Buckeyes teammate, Bobby Carpenter.