BY JIM CORBETT
Gannett Suburban Newspapers
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- New York Jets right tackle Jason Fabini will receive every preseason chance to emerge as that Bill Parcells rarity, a rookie who can open the season as a starter Sept. 6 against the San Francisco 49ers.
At the moment, right tackle is Fabini's job to lose. The fourth-round draft selection who developed as a dominant run blocker at the University of Cincinnati appears to be the lone Jets rookie with a chance to start.
Parcells doesn't usually trust rookies right away, unless it is to play a special teams role or to get him a cup of Gatorade during practice breaks. There have been notable exceptions, of course. In New England, quarterback Drew Bledsoe, middle linebacker Ted Johnson and guard Todd Rucci, who started the Patriots' 1993 season opener, were thrown into the fire right away.
Following the offseason retirement of incumbent Jets right tackle David Williams due to chronic back problems, Parcells has chosen to give Fabini a four-game preseason audition for his line's critical vacancy. The 6-foot-7, 318-pounder impressed with his strong run surge in the team's preseason-opening, 29-15 victory over Philadelphia.
Fabini's stock has soared to the point that he began working with the first team Sunday ahead of seventh-year veteran Siupeli Malamala and continued as the starter during Monday's return to two-a-day workouts.
Fabini has already won the endorsement of perhaps his most influential lobbyist.
"I'm not a long-term veteran or anything, but I've never seen a rookie tackle come in and do what he's done," quarterback Glenn Foley said.
"He's been a solid surprise. It's really tough for a rookie lineman to come in and play in this league. There's a few rare examples, a Tony Boselli down in Jacksonville.
"Fabini's done a great job. He's really pushing hard for that spot. That's what Bill allows you to do, compete and make your practice time worth something."
So the future is now, though it remains to be seen how well Fabini will handle the all-out blitzes he will be tested with starting with Saturday's second preseason game against a Baltimore Ravens pass rush featuring defensive end Peter Boulware and linebacker Ray Lewis.
"Fabini's doing pretty well," Parcells said.
"For his first game, I was pretty happy. Technically, this kid is pretty well-advanced for a young player. He was taught pretty well in college.
"He's extremely bright. He made no mental errors in the game the other night. That's pretty good for a rookie. I can't recall him making a mental error in practice. That right there gives the guy a chance."
Still, Parcells is not about to award Fabini anything.
"I don't know whether we're talking about Ron Yary or Art Shell here or not yet," Parcells said, referring to the former Minnesota Vikings and Raiders greats.
Fabini does not wow anyone with his athletic skills, which is part of the reason he fell to the fourth round. Parcells compared Fabini favorably with left tackle Jumbo Elliott, who slipped into the second round when the Giants drafted him in 1988 out of Michigan. But what Fabini lacks in raw athleticism he makes up with technique, fluidity and a mean streak for finishing blocks that belies his soft-spoken nature.
"Coach Parcells wants to take a good look at the guys who play my position and right now, he's taking a good look at me," Fabini said. "I was just happy I got picked and have a chance to play in the NFL. That's really what I've wanted to do since I was a little kid. I've worked hard all my life to get to where I am now."
The revamped offensive line provided the surge for a 162-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance against Philadelphia.
"It's not easy to put five new guys together for two weeks and expect to run the football on anybody," Foley said. "We ran for 162 yards. The line is really run blocking well. I think it speaks well for the whole thing."
There is an undercurrent of support for Malamala among the line's veterans, who would like to see him at right tackle. He has been under fire before and knows how to react to different blitzes and stunts, gimmicks Fabini has yet to see. But the veterans will reserve judgment based on Fabini's impressive upside.
"They've given him a lot of reps to see what he can do," Elliott said. "It takes a long time to get that experience and knowledge that you need. I think Supe (Malamala) has been doing a real good job in camp. Sometimes the coaches just want to go with youth."
