INDIANAPOLIS — Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are on the radar of the New York Jets, who own the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft.

General manager Mike Maccagnan confirmed Wednesday the top two quarterbacks in the 2015 NFL Draft will have 15-minute private interviews with the Jets this week.

The Jets, under the direction of Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles for the first time, are not tipping their hand by any means, according to the former Houston Texans’ personnel boss. But with former second-round pick Geno Smith proving erratic through two seasons, there is no proven, established quarterback on the roster. Backup Michael Vick is an unrestricted free agent and not expected to be back.

“We will be very active in free agency,” Maccagnan said. “The big thing for us — we have a lot of cap space — is to maximize the opportunity cost on that return.”

To place particulars on Maccagnan’s generalization of “a lot,” the Jets are more than $50 million under the salary cap, which will be roughly $140 million in 2015. Skill-position talent is of interest, and 2014 marquee free agent Eric Decker said he is actively pushing for former Broncos teammates Julius Thomas (tight end) and Demaryius Thomas (wide receiver) to come to New York.

The Jets are unlikely to find their future quarterback in free agency. Though Maccagnan is familiar with multiple players — including Texans backup Ryan Mallett, who was injured in his second start in 2014 after being acquired from the New England Patriots.

“Not to put a probability on it,” Maccagnan said. “But we are actively looking — and obviously quarterback is one of the positions where we’d like to increase the competition. We’re looking at all options.”

Maccagnan is wearing a different hat at this year’s combine. With the Texans, while he was overseeing a department of college scouts, he was not working with the level of final approval he packed with him from his New Jersey office for the 2015 combine.

“Before I took this job, I realized I was always going to (president Jamey Rootes and executive vice president Rick Smith) for final approval of everything. I have much more appreciation for my former bosses,” Maccagnan said. “It’s a little different from a time management standpoint. That’s the biggest adjustment for me.”

Winston is undecided on whether he will join quarterbacks in workouts Saturday. Mariota, who followed Winston as the Heisman Trophy winner in 2014, could work out on the field.

Maccagnan believes the throwing sessions are important for players who are now being asked to show a mastery of pro-style throws. Mariota put up prolific production, all in a spread offense that emphasized first reads and didn’t require the quarterback to adjust the offensive line, audible or read a defense while dropping back from center.

“We’re seeing a lot more of that style of offense, not to really focus on Marcus,” Maccagnan said. “If you don’t see him actually do those things, it’s likely anything in life, you have more uncertainty about whether he will fulfill his potential. You have to speculate about it a little bit.”

If the quarterbacks skip combine workouts, Maccagnan said plenty is still learned from interviews, at pro day and private workouts.

“You try to put him in those environments. It’s not a perfect science, but at least it gives you a little more idea about it,” he said.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that he believes Maccagnan found the right fit in Bowles. Reid, who twice tried to hire Bowles and once was successful in Philadelphia, called Bowles brilliant. When he interviewed him in 2012, Reid said Bowles showed he was much more than a great coordinator. Bowles was named top assistant coach in 2014 with the Arizona Cardinals.

“Todd is a smart guy, on and off the field. He has a smart mind,” Reid said. “He’s good with people. That’s all you want.”