Read More: Randy Moss (WR – TEN), New York Jets

Randy Moss remains little more than a league-wide rumor so long as the NFL Lockout is in place, but after plenty of comments from the league’s players and coaches we can add one from the other side of the lockout picket line—New York Jets owner Woody Johnson says Moss “has the God-Given talent to be a superstar”, among other mostly laudatory things, although he stops short of saying anything that could get the NFLPA on his case.

The Jets have long been a suspected target for the mercurial wide receiver, but this is the first time someone with the pursestrings in hand has made a comment about him. 

Moss caught 28 balls in 2010 for 393 yards between three teams in the worst season of his 13-year career. It might be meaningful that none of the teams he played for that year have any desire to see him return, but given his 153 career receiving touchdowns it’s likely that someone will be taking a flyer on him once the lockout is finally resolved. 

As New York Jets coach Rex Ryan endures a lockout that’s infringing on his ability to work toward backing up his “guarantee” of a Super Bowl title next season, he’s turning to the master of work-stoppage success.

“I called Joe Gibbs,” Ryan told a small group of prospective Jets business partners Wednesday night at The Core Club in Manhattan, according to the team’s official website. “When they went through some work stoppages, the last two times the Washington Redskins won two Super Bowls. So I figured that would be a good guy to call.”

Gibbs led the Redskins to the Super Bowl title following a strike-shortened 1982 season, beating the Miami Dolphins 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII. Five years later, the Redskins won Super Bowl XXII, routing the Denver Broncos 42-10 after a 24-day players’ strike trimmed the regular season to 15 games, three of them with replacement players.

Gibbs’ Redskins went 3-0 with the replacements en route to an 11-4 finish.

Ryan says he plans to meet in the next few days with Gibbs, who guided the Redskins to three Super Bowl titles and four NFC championships in 16 seasons as the team’s head coach, and that he’s already absorbing some of the Hall of Famer’s advice.

“He said take this time to get better,” Ryan said. “Take time to gain an advantage on your opponents and whatever you think that is. He gave me some ideas, and I followed them to a T.”

Ryan says that to improve his and his staff’s knowledge base he’s been “bringing in all kinds of guys to come in here and speak to us and pick their brains,” including former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore, legendary running backs coach Bobby Jackson, and Dan Reeves, the former head coach of the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons.

Moore, whose Colts offense had great success inside the 20, is working with the Jets on red-zone efficiency, which Ryan called “the biggest area we have to improve.”

“Over the last six-year period, the Indianapolis Colts have been by far and away the most efficient offense in the red zone,” Ryan said. “And this man has been the coach. It was interesting picking his brain. He’s really helping us.”

Ryan’s boast in February that the Jets will win the Super Bowl next season has the support of his players. And of his owner, too.

“It’s hard to lead people if you don’t tell them where you’re going,” said Woody Johnson, who also appeared at the event. “If you tell people, ‘I’m coming in 15th. Are you with me?’ No, I’m not with you. I’m not going to sign on.”

The owners of the New York Giants and New York Jets each issued statements today trying to strike an optimistic tone toward the now-endangered 2011 NFL season.

Giants’ owners John Mara and Steve Tisch sent the following letter to their season ticket holders:

We are as disappointed as you are in the developments of the past week and the current state of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

For there to be no CBA in place today is extremely disappointing, given the amount of time and hard work and the numerous conversations devoted to achieving an agreement, not just in the last two weeks but over the last two years. We are not happy about that and we certainly understand and appreciate your unhappiness and frustration.

Where we are today serves no positive purpose for you, for our players and for the National Football League. Although we had hoped and expected to have an agreement by now and are disappointed that we do not, we remain as committed as ever to returning this process where it belongs, which is the negotiating table. We are convinced that what we have stated many times remains true, that there will be a new agreement and there will be a 2011 NFL season. It is just a matter of when we are able to reach an accord on the current issues.

The impatience and the displeasure we know you are feeling is completely understandable. We can only assure you that the point of the entire process is to make our game as strong as it can possibly be and to enable it to continue to grow for the good of everybody – the league, the players and the fans.

The last thing we wanted is for the business end of our sport to play out this way. We know people frankly don’t care how owners and players manage their business. These negotiations distract and detract from what is most important to all of us: the game.

Jets’ owner Woody Johnson issued a much shorter, but equally optimistic statement, to Jets’ fans:

“It may take longer than we all had hoped, but New York Jets fans should know that a deal will get done and I remain confident that there will be NFL football in 2011. Although I was very disappointed that the union chose legal maneuvering over negotiating, I am convinced that our differences can be resolved at the bargaining table. We care deeply about our players and will continue to work towards an agreement that is fair and reasonable for everyone – the fans, the players and the teams. The goal for the Jets will not change – we are committed to bringing you a championship.”

Is anybody buying what these guys are selling? I’m not. Forget the statements, fellas. Everybody involved with the NFL is getting rich. Just get a deal done, somehow.

While NFL owners and players battle over billions at the bargaining table, football’s rank and file will be the first to feel the fallout from the labor dispute.

The New York Jets said yesterday they will start forcing employees to take unpaid leave if the NFL and the players’ union fail to reach a new collective bargaining agreement by the March 3 deadline.

The weekly furloughs would only hit the business side of the operations, which employs roughly 96 of 158 total workers.

The employees on the football side would see a 25 percent cut to their budget, but the employees won’t be furloughed as they’re needed ahead of the April draft.

Paul J. Bereswill

The hard-luck Jets got close this year, but they are No. 1 in one category: Green Gang is the first team to announce it will furlough business-side employees next week if an NFL labor deal isn’t reached.

The NFL and the NFL Player’s Association met for a fourth consecutive day yesterday without reaching a deal.

Failure to hammer out an agreement by the deadline could threaten the 2011 season, resulting in major revenue losses for the teams.

“Although we fully expect an agreement to be reached, it just makes sense to plan for the worst, and this plan is about shared sacrifice across the organization to get through a period of uncertainty,” said Matt Higgins, Jets’ executive vice president of business operations.

“Rather than a straight reduction in salary, furloughs enable us to cut back expenses but also give employees some time off,” he said in an e-mailed statement.

Other teams could also furlough although most have remained mum about their plans in case the season is shot. The New York Giants currently have no such plans, a source close to the team told The Post.

“We’re prepared for any eventuality,” said a Giants spokesman. “Mostly, we are preparing for the 2011 season.”

The Jets have had the furlough plan in place for months, but Higgins, former press secretary to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, spilled the beans in an interview yesterday with Sports Business Journal.

Higgins told the trade publication that Jets owner Woody Johnson plans to reimburse furloughed employees for the lost income in the event there is no lockout and the NFL has a regular season.

kwhitehouse@nypost.com

NEW YORK (WABC) – There will be a rally in Times Square for the New York Jets Thursday afternoon.

The rally will take place on Broadway between 42nd and 43rd Streets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jets owner Woody Johnson, General Manager Mike Tannenbaum, Safety Jim Leonhard, Nose Tackle Kris Jenkins and the Flight Crew Cheerleaders will all be on hand to help get fans pumped up for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There will also be giveaways for fans that include Jets Playoff Rally Towels courtesy of JetBlue and Toyota, Foam Fingers courtesy of Pepsi Max and commemorative.

One lucky fan and a guest will win a trip to this weekend’s game courtesy of JetBlue and PrimeSport.

The Jets AFC Championship Rally is presented by Hess, JetBlue, Papa John’s and Pepsi Max.

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FOR MORE NEW YORK SPORTS CLICK HERE TO VISIT ESPN NEW YORK

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