Transcript of Jets head coach Eric Mangini's news conference before Friday's midday practice:
I know that there a lot of questions surrounding Shaun [Ellis]'s situation. When the incident took place, Mike [Tannenbaum] and I gathered as much information as we could. Then we sat down with Shaun and discussed the situation with him. We expressed our disappointment with what happened.
Shaun did exactly what I expected Shaun to do. He took full accountability for his actions, and expressed his disappointment to us, the fans, his teammates, his family and to himself. At that point, we disciplined him internally. Now it is a pending legal matter.
On if he knew about the incident before the Denver game…
Yes.
On still allowing Ellis to play against the Broncos…
We went through it. We discussed it. We discussed it organizationally and we took what we thought was the appropriate internal disciplinary action.
On the nature of Ellis' punishment…
All those things are internal. That's where they will remain and I hope that you can respect that.
On how disappointing it is to have a situation like this happen…
We take personal conduct very seriously. We spend a lot of time researching the type of people that we are going to bring into the organization, both in free agency and the draft.
I've known Shaun for three years. He's been voted a captain for three years. He's been outstanding as a professional and a person over the time that I've known him. He's made a mistake. He doesn't run from that mistake. He's fully accountable for it. He realizes the disappointment that he's caused. He's accountable for it. That's my expectation for that accountability.
On not suspending Ellis…
We have taken internal disciplinary action and I feel comfortable with the action that we've taken. It is something that Mike [Tannenbaum] and I discussed. We discussed it with Woody [Johnson]. Our approach to personal conduct has not changed and won't change.
On if Ellis will remain a captain…
Yes.
On specific consequences for Ellis' actions…
We've been very consistent with how we've acted over time. We've been very consistent with the type of people that we bring in. Our approach hasn't changed. There were disciplinary actions that were taken. Those are internal. I hope that you can respect that, but actions have been taken.
On if the NFL will discipline Ellis…
The league goes through a process of looking into any incident. They'll act accordingly at whatever point they decide to act.
On when the league would issue a decision…
There is no set timeline on these things. They'll research it and do their due diligence. Whatever timeline they decide is when it will happen.
On if he is concerned the potential disciplinary action from the league could be during the Jets' playoff run…
It's not a function of anything that's under our control. I respect the league and their stance on these issues.
On the players who would step in if Ellis were suspended by the league...
We'll address that when it comes up. We have multiple players that work in different spots. That would be something that we would address if and when it happens.
On if Ellis has already been disciplined by the team…
It's based on the information that we have and it has been implemented already.
On if he has spoken to the rest of the team…
I talk to the team about these types of matters all the time. It's never reactionary. It's always an attempt to be proactive in trying to make good decisions. The points that were made the other day are really what we believe in, trying to do the best job that we can to educate everybody, not just the players, but everybody in the organization, on different issues and give them the best opportunity to make those good decisions.
On RB Thomas Jones getting better with age…
Thomas is really outstanding in the way that he takes care of his body. It's such a long season that you have to take care of your body. That's your tool. That's what you need to have to execute your craft. He does it diligently. It's not just the weight room things that he does. It's his conditioning, it's what he puts into his body in terms of his diet. In terms of treatment, cold tubs, hot tubs, he's really a leader in that.
On LB David Harris…
He's had a couple of good days. He had some good days last week. We're going to go through today and make sure that he's as ready as possible. We've waited quite a bit of time to make sure he is full-go. We won't short change that process. We'll go through all the days.
On if it's difficult playing a team with a losing record…
It doesn't matter if they're 4-8. It doesn't matter. It has no significance on our approach. It has no significance on the things that we have to do. Each week we have to do very specific things for each opponent. Records really don't play a role in that.
You watch them on tape, you see the inherent toughness in all three groups, the motor with which they're playing, the improvements that they've made in terms of turnovers offensively, sacks offensively, the big plays that they make consistently. They are second in the league in that category. They are the highest-ranked team that we've played. If you look at the body of work of all the special teams, they're the best group that we've played in that area. Defensively, it's a veteran group with some really talented players that are tough.
You can look at numbers or you can look at what is there on the tape and what you see each day. I always stress that the tape is what is important, not any statistic.
On QB Kellen Clemens development…
He's made some good strides. It's hard to say definitively because he hasn't played in the games very much, but what you see in practice in terms of his reads, his control of the offense and decision-making, he's done a lot of things that are encouraging in those areas. I would expect that, going into his third year having the experience that he had last year. The same is true for Brett Ratliff. I like the progress he's made.
One of the things that [QB coach] Brian Daboll does, which is good, is if a guy has an incompletion, the other guy goes in right away. If a player throws a pick on show team, that guy can't go in until the next period. It makes that much more competitive. It's great for the defense because they are working like crazy to keep the other guy out. It consistently makes them sharpen the saw.
On if Clemens needed another year learning behind a good quarterback…
It's hard to say because some guys develop quicker with game experience. Sometimes guys really benefit from absorbing what's happening in front of them to continue to get the coaching.
Matt Cassel is a good example of that. He was behind an outstanding quarterback [Tom Brady]. He got his opportunity, did some really good things early, but keeps getting better with experience. He also had the benefit of all that time absorbing the system, getting the No. 2 reps and he's doing an outstanding job for them.
On if there is a profile for a QB who sits and learns for years before playing as opposed to a QB who plays immediately…
I don't know what the best formula is. Peyton Manning played early. He wasn't very good early his first year. He got better as the season went on. Now he is who he is. Tom [Brady] didn't play at all his first year. He struggled early on, from my recollection of that. He turned out really well. Some of the young quarterbacks this year have played right away and they've done a really good job.
To say one guy needs to sit and one guy needs to play, I just don't know the answer. I don't think anybody has the exact formula. It's such a unique position. There is so much that goes into it in terms of knowing the whole offense, being able to operate the total offense. Sometimes it's switching from a total shotgun in college to being under center, or vice versa. I wish there was a textbook way to develop a young guy. Nobody seems to have found the right formula.
On if Jones reminds him of anyone in terms of leadership…
He's passionate. He definitely has that side to him. That's just a small facet of how he leads. Thomas' leadership comes during the week where he is in the weightroom and he's bringing a bunch of guys in there with him, or the way that he is working at practice. All those things that you can look at that are hard to do.
It's easy to give a speech at the game and get fired up there, in front of 70,000 people. That's the easy part. The hard part is when you're tired and you're still being the same guy, you're improving. You're a veteran guy who is having a great year, but you're doing all the little things that got you there. That is leadership.
On if having veteran FB Tony Richardson has helped Jones' leadership…
Tony is another great leader. Having both of those guys in the room is a good situation. It's good for Leon [Washington]. Leon, for a young a player, has shown those same traits. For him to be named the captain on special teams in his third year, it's hard to do. That's a solid room.
On the team's approach to the Ellis situation…
We were very proactive. We responded right way. We spoke to him right way. We disciplined as soon as we made a decision. The discipline act is internal. We didn't operate any differently than we would with any other player. We addressed it right when it happened.
On why he did not inform the media of the situation on Monday…
Our focus was on talking to Shaun [Ellis] and addressing it with him and making sure that element was understood. That's how we would treat any incident.
On the public not knowing what Ellis' punishment is…
This is something that philosophically we believe in. We have been very consistent with the type of people that we bring into this organization. We've been very proactive with the type of people that we bring into this organization. We've been proactive with educating our players, stressing the importance and trying to learn from mistakes that happen here or happen in other areas. It's something that we believe in.
That hasn't changed and won't change in terms of discipline. Any of the disciplinary matters that we have, we handle those internally. That's something we believe in as well.
On if the team knows how Ellis was punished…
The team knows how we feel. Shaun is completely accountable. He responded the way that I would expect him to respond. The important thing for us is to be able to learn from this and make sure that it doesn't happen again.
On if knowledge of how Ellis was punished helps the team...
The team knows how seriously we take these matters and how our discipline is handled. I've made that very clear over and over again. That's not reactionary measures. Those are things that are spelled out from day one.
On when he addresses consequences for off-the-field actions with the team…
This isn't something that's just addressed during training camp. It's something that's addressed consistently throughout the course of the season and throughout the course of the off-season. Every situation is different. There is not one cookie-cutter way to handle it. It's taken seriously. They understand that and realize that. It's been very consistent over time.
On how he found out about the Ellis incident…
I found out from our people in the building.
On if Ellis told him himself…
I addressed it with Shaun when I had an opportunity to address it with Shaun.
On if he found out through a third party…
Initially, yes.
On if the league contacted the Jets…
I'm not going to go through the whole mechanics of how we found out.
On how the public will be aware if the discipline is internal…
We handle it internally. It's something we believe in and focus on. We've been consistent with it. That hasn't changed. We have a very strong track record with the people that we've brought into the organization and the way that we approach these things. In terms of discipline, that's internal.
