NFL

Can rookie fill Faneca’s shoes? Rex makes ’Casse for young lineman

The Jets — having trouble selling personal seat licenses, under the same conspiratorial pressure of all NFL teams not to overspend in this uncapped year, fearful of having to make draconian roster cuts once a new collective bargaining agreement likely is ratified for 2011 — decided to save $2 million this season by cutting Alan Faneca. Despite how much Woody Johnson is worth, and for whatever it is worth, Faneca’s cheaper replacement has bought into the program, proving economical in his words.

“I ain’t got no feeling about that to tell you the truth,” rookie offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse said.

All projections about Ducasse’s ability to make it in the pros start with his feet. And yesterday, the rookie showed quick ones, inching further away with each question from from reporters until finally looking over his shoulder in a plaintive plea to be excused.

“That definitely bothers me,” said Rex Ryan, playing along with the gag. “Ah, Brick [Ferguson] and Brandon [Moore] never say anything, he’ll fit right in there.”

Ducasse had better, or the Jets blew up arguably the best offensive line in the game in what might be their best chance to get to a Super Bowl since 1969. The chances of Leon Washington coming back good as new this season from a horrific broken leg seemed remote, but the dumping of Faneca was harder to fathom — unless the Jets were under pressure to cut costs, unless Ducasse can step in at a level close to Nick Mangold’s of his rookie year.

Since Mangold played in the Big Ten and Ducasse in the Colonial Athletic Association, that seems like quite the leap of faith, but not to Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum.

“[UMass] did play against some Division I competition, and the fact he also went to the Senior Bowl was good,” said Ryan yesterday at rookie minicamp. “I watched the game, thought he did an outstanding job.

“It’s going to be a hard [projection] at any position. Look at [Delaware’s] Joe Flacco. He was a quarterback and that made it even worse. My first thought was, ‘We are going to take who? From where? You gotta be kidding, can’t we take a defensive player?’

“You are making quite a leap. [Ducasse] is a lineman and [NFL] guys are bigger and stronger and that kind of stuff. But he can match up physically with any of these guys from any college.

“The size [6-foot-5, 330 pounds] obviously jumps out at you. He’s got the long arms, great body control and great feet. All of it’s kind of new to him because we are moving him inside but the kid is loaded in talent. Today we ran a blitz and I watched him takes this linebacker and throw him on the ground. I said, ‘Hmm. He did that. OK.’ He’s plenty strong, smart, has a chance to be a really good player.”

Ducasse may not have to be a really good player in 2010 to be as good as Faneca, who was the oldest and lowest-grading Jets offensive lineman, in addition to being the most expensive. Smart organizations risk these decisions a year too soon rather than a year too late. A few drills with Bill Callahan and Ducasse will be opening holes with the best of them, and a little time with Bart Scott and the kid will be opening his mouth with the best of them, too.

jay.greenberg@nypost.com