Bowles: Hope to add another QB

The New York Jets are in the market for another quarterback, and they're not opposed to trading up from the sixth overall pick in the NFL draft.

Connect the dots, and the result should intensify the Marcus Mariota speculation.

General manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles dropped the hints Thursday during a conference call with season-ticket holders.

The Jets already traded this offseason for veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will challenge incumbent Geno Smith for the starting job.

Bowles, however, said Thursday that he'd like to add another to the mix.

"We want competition at every position," Bowles said. "Ryan is going to compete, as well as Geno is going to compete, and we hope to add somebody else to compete with them, along with [Matt] Simms."

The Jets have been linked for months to Mariota, the Heisman Trophy winner from Oregon. On March 28, Bowles and Maccagnan led a six-man Jets contingent to Eugene, Oregon, where they conducted a private workout with him.

With so many quarterback-needy teams in the top half of the draft, it's hardly a guarantee that Mariota will last until the sixth pick. But Maccagnan hinted that he may be willing to move.

"Sitting at six is a very good spot to be in," Maccagnan said. "It does allow us the potential to move up in the draft because we're not far from the first pick."

But the cost of doing business is exorbitant at the top of the draft. In 2012, the Washington Redskins traded three first-round picks and a second-round choice to move up four spots, selecting Robert Griffin III at No. 2 overall.

"We do think there will be good players available at six," Maccagnan said. "The other thing at six, you might have someone slide through there to that pick to where other teams might want to trade up for that pick. So we're kind of in a nice spot."

Maccagnan reiterated that Fitzpatrick, who is recovering from a broken leg, likely won't be available until training camp.

Citing Fitzpatrick's injury, Bowles said at the recent league meetings that Smith would go into training camp as the No. 1 quarterback and would receive most of the practice reps to start.

The Jets' offseason program begins Monday.