Jet corner reverses field on criticism of new mate Tebow:

Denies ‘dissing’ new Jet on Twitter

AS TEBOWMANIA spreads across New york, Antonio Cromartie is ready to embrace his newest teammate. Despite making seemingly critical remarks about Tim Tebow on Twitter earlier this week, the Jets’ cornerback told the Daily News that he’s looking forward to playing with the multidimensional quarterback.

“He’s going to bring another element to the Jets,” Cromartie said Friday in his first comments since the trade. “He’s a winner. He’s a guy that never quits. If you give him a chance to win a game, he’s going to go out and win it. I think that’s what (generalmanager) Mike tan-nenbaum and rex (Ryan) saw in him.”

The trade became official on Friday after being held up on Thursday by a “contractual technicality.” Tebow is expected to be introduced by the Jets on Monday at the team’s facility.

Cromartie took to Twitter early in the week after whispers surfaced that the Jets had had talks about adding the unconventional Broncos quarterback.

“We don’t need Tebow,” Cromartie tweeted on Tuesday. “We sell out every home game let him go to Jacksonville Tampa or Miami. Our wildcat offense can b ran by J. Kerley or Joe mcknight we straight.”

On wednesday, Cromartie posted, “Y bring Tebow in when we need to bring in more weapons for @Mark_sanchez let’s build the team around him.”

Cromartie was adamant in his support of Sanchez, who has drawn criticism from teammates and members of the organization in the offseason. He maintained that his tweets were misconstrued.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Cromartie said. “I think a lot of people took what I said the wrong way. People took it as me dissing tebow. I never dissed tebow. I just said we don’t need him on our team because mark is our quarterback. I would never degrade an NFL player because he’s in the NFL for a reason. Tebow’s proven over the past couple years why he’s in then fl. Iwould never take a shot at any NFL player. He’s been a winner all his life. He’s pulled his teams out of predicaments. I’m not the kind of person that would degrade or belittle someone in then fl.”

Cromartie praised Tebow’s intangibles and ability to enhance the Jets’ offensive repertoire.

“He’s a guy that brings a different atmosphere to the locker room and the huddle,” Cromartie said. “we were missing that last year — a guy that can take control and do the things that we need to. (Tannenbaumand Ryan) feel like he can come in and bring us that spark on offense when he’s in certain packages.”

Cromartie said he wasn’t overly concerned that tebow’s presence could create an unnecessary distraction for Sanchez, who is at a career crossroads.

“It’s going to be up to the guys in the locker room,” Cromartie said. “If the veteran guys step up like we’re supposed to and take control of our team, there won’t be any distractions. Because Mark is going to be our quarterback. Tebow’s going to bring a fire to our offense and potentially push mark to be the best that he can be.”

Cromartie also said he isn’t worried about Sanchez losing confidence if fans clamor for Tebow.

“Fans are going to root for who they want to root for,” Cromartie said. “They’re going to be fans. For guys inthe locker room, our job is tomake sure that whatever goes on in that locker room or meeting rooms is kept in-house. We are going to back our quarterback no matter what goes on. Mark is our no. 1 quarterback. He’s our starting quarterback. He’s our guy. Tebow’s coming in as the no. 2 guy that can push mark to his full potential. And that’s what we’re looking for. He’s a guy that can bring a spark in different packages. It’s a winwin situation for us.

“It’s time forus to let mark grow and be that quarterback that he needs to be.”

DREW DEPARTS: The Jets traded quarter back drew stant onto the colts. The News first reported online Friday that as part of the deal, Gang Green also gave up a seventh-round pick (originally belonging to the Jaguars) in 2012 in return for a sixth-round pick (originally property of the Eagles). Stanton, who signed a one-year deal last week to back up Sanchez, became expendable after Tebow arrived. He received a $500,000 signing bonus that he gets to keep and which counts against the Jets’ salary cap.

Twitter.com/ Thejetsstream