Well, sort of.

Unless Bill Parcells remains head coach, or linebackers assistant Al Groh is promoted as his replacement, all bets are off and Coleman will go into the free-agent pool, SportsLine has learned.

Sources close to Coleman told SportsLine on Monday night that the new contract would be for five years and total $20 million. It would include a $4 million signing bonus and $2 million in additional guaranteed money in the final two years of the deal. "It's all contingent, though, on one of those two guys being head coach," said the source. "If they hire somebody else, there's no deal, and Marcus is out of there."

A former safety and "nickel" defensive back who blossomed over the second half of the season, Coleman would have been one of the most attractive free agents available. He is only 25 years old and has the kind of size (6-feet-2, 210 pounds) teams now covet at the cornerback position.

With an injury to starter Otis Smith and the inability of "nickel" corner Ray Mickens to demonstrate to that he could be a full-time player, the Jets turned to Coleman almost out of desperation. Coleman started in the last 10 games of the season and totaled 69 tackles, one fumble recovery and six interceptions. He entered the '99 season with only two interceptions in his first three years in the league.

Said one personnel man from an NFC team that closely scrutinized Coleman the final weeks of the year: "We got onto him when we figured no one else was watching. But the way he played at the end, he's no secret anymore. The guy has made himself a ton of money lately. Some team is going to pay him."