Transcript of head coach Eric Mangini's news conference with the New York Jets media before Monday's practice:
In terms of our practice squad, we signed seven guys: Manny Collins, Chris Davis, Brett Ratliff, Jason Trusnik, Robert Turner, Raymond Ventrone and Danny Ware. They'll all be out there today. We have one spot left available to sign somebody else.
The team voted on captains yesterday. I'm happy to announce that offensively, captains for this season will be Chad Pennington and a first-time captain, Laveranues Coles. On defense we have our repeat captains, Jonathan Vilma and Shaun Ellis, on special teams, two new guys this year — one was also captain in college — Mike Nugent and Brad Kassell. I was very happy for them. It's a vote that the players take. It's a special vote, a legitimate vote. Always happy to see those guys take over that position. I think it's a really good group. I'm excited about that.
What we're doing today is continuing on with our preparation for New England. We'll be working a little bit different than what you would see in a standard week just because we do have the extra time. We'll be looking at some of the things we would do earlier in the week and a few other things we want to get put in, cleaned up or addressed here prior to tomorrow, which will be the players' day off, then a standard week after that.
On whether the energy changes heading into the first game compared to last season …
When you transition from OTAs to training camp, from training camp to the first preseason game, from the end of training camp into the regular season, it all changes. The same thing applies when you go from the regular season to the playoffs: Everything tempo-wise is notched up. It's just the natural progression.
On Thomas Jones …
He's continuing to work hard, he's making progress, just like all those guys are.
On whether Jones is doing what he needs to do to play Sunday …
All those guys are doing the things they need to do to be on the field Sunday. Each guy has a program catered to him specifically and we monitor the participation in practice, or the progression, so that we have a comfort level as you get to the end of the week that they will be able to participate. Some of those [decisions] come down right to the wire. We've done workouts on the day of the game, the morning of the game, the eve of the game to try to gauge it, because it does affect the 53-vs.-45-man decisions.
On if he's confident Jones will be on the field Sunday …
I'm confident that all the injured guys will do the best they can to be on the field Sunday.
On whether he would have kept another back if he wasn't comfortable with Jones …
We do have another running back, Stacy Tutt, running the football. He ran it effectively against Philadelphia.
On if there's more than one formula to decide how many running backs are needed …
Each year it's different. Last year we had more running backs, less tight ends. It just changes as you go. Brad [Smith]'s run the football, Stacy [Tutt]'s run the football, Darian Barnes ran the football — you saw him in the tackling drill. He was pretty hard to handle. So there are a lot of different candidates.
On his plans for Jones on Monday …
I'll talk to John [Mellody, head athletic trainer], see what he says, and just monitor progress on his normal rehab path.
On if Jones will be out at practice …
You know how we like to wait till just the last minute [smiles]. I think he and the full group will be working in some capacity today.
On whether Hartford is more of a Jets, Giants or Patriots town ...
I think it's transitioned heavily to New York, primarily the Jets. Especially being where I grew up, I think we've made some serious headway there and I'm going to continue to work hard on Connecticut, sway them over.
On which way he leaned in terms of sports teams as a kid …
I was kind of like Connecticut, right there in the middle. Big Hartford Whalers fan, Gordie Howe, that group [smiles].
On what Jones can bring after the offense struggled in the preseason …
You have to add that little addendum [about the offense struggling] — it's so hurtful [laughs]. When we traded for him, evaluated him, he's been a very effective runner. He has a lot of different things that he does well, not just on first and second down but on third down. He's able to make people miss. He's able to get tough yards. All those things are excellent. You have to account for them. That's a positive thing. I've [also] liked a lot of things that Leon [Washington] has done. He was effective for us, not just on third down, last year. When he did get the opportunities on first and second down, he actually had a very good average.
On solidifying the running back position with Washington backing up Jones …
It's always good to have a player like Leon, who is a year removed from training camp and the first set of games. That's always positive. That whole group of rookies last year, they know what to expect, they know what to anticipate. They've got a much better feeling for what's going to happen. You see the growth in that group. It's positive when you can add a player like Thomas to the offensive unit.
The thing I constantly stress is in the running game, it's so important that everybody take care of their assignments. You can be the backside receiver and maybe not go as hard on that play and your player is the player that ends up making the play. You see it all the time where there's a run that hits for 8 [yards]. You think, "Oh, that's a really good run." When you watch the tape, if one guy had just sustained his block for a beat longer, that 8-yard run turns into a 20-, 25-yard run.
The same thing during the preseason. [Minnesota] had that run on the perimeter where you have one missed tackle and the play goes for 43 yards, which really should have been stopped there for 2 or 3. So when you evaluate those things, you want to look at it in terms of whether it's the scheme or the execution of the scheme, make sure you don't make decisions based on a missed tackle that takes you out of what should be a really good set against what they're doing.
On the philosophy of working with Jones' blockers ...
I definitely think it's important to work with the group as much as you can, then work with the guys that could be part of that group as much as you can. The one thing that's different when you have a veteran player who's been exposed to multiple systems is their experience. The things they can draw on going into a game without that level of practice is much better than if you had a young guy who is in the same situation, a high-draft-pick running back that had been out of camp. That to me is a little bit different.
On how difficult it is to prepare for the Patriots without game video …
I think we have three very good games last year to draw from. We've got the whole season last year, some coaches on the staff who have familiarity with what they do, which helps. They have familiarity with what we do. The first game this season is so unique because you don't know what the team has done in the off-season. You don't know what studies they've looked at, what things they've put in. It was the same situation going into Tennessee [last year]. You're not quite sure what you're going to get. They're not quite sure what you're going to give them. That's what makes the first game so interesting. You have all that time to get ready for it before you settle back down into the normal cycle.
On whether the team captains serve as the coach's mouthpiece or the players' mouthpiece ...
It's really both of those things. We'll get together each week. We'll have a meeting. We'll go through what some of the player issues might be. I'll express things I feel strongly about or concerns I have. Those meetings were very good last year because you had the give-and-take. It was the type of environment where everybody was working toward the same thing and we tried to improve the overall situation, the overall team. I thought they provided some excellent insight last year. I appreciated those meetings. I thought they were very helpful.
On how they evaluate players waived by other teams …
We'll have the college grades and pro grades. That will be one element. Also, what positions we have a need at. Then with all the core characteristics, you identify those. If the guy has been in the league, maybe he would have met those characteristics prior to entering the league. As you do your research, as you talk to people they played with, either coaches or players, you really get a sense of who they are, where they are. Some of those things change over time. We don't limit it to a college report. It's really about the whole player.
On how he gets his information on players who have been in the league for a while …
There's so much crossover from team to team, odds are somebody's played with him. If not, you know somebody who knows somebody. There's just research done.
On if the Patriots are more explosive with WRs Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth …
Anytime you can add the players that you outlined, that's always going to make you or should be able to make you more productive. I've thought that they've been productive for quite some time. Not seeing Randy play throughout the preseason, that's a little bit different because you don't get a perspective of where he is and how he fits. But even if he had played in those games, it would be the same thing. It wouldn't be necessarily what you're going to get on that week.
On if he ever senses his players are afraid to come to him with their concerns …
No, I don't get that sense at all. I think I've had multiple meetings, individual meetings with players, whether it be personal issues, whether it be team-related issues. The one thing I feel very strongly about is always doing what's right and what's going to help the team. If somebody has information they think could help the team, I'm completely open to those ideas. I would typify most conversations as being very positive and a good exchange of ideas.
On Laveranues Coles being able to go to him with issues now that he is a captain …
I think it's great. We'll be able to spend even more time together. I've learned to appreciate how much he does and just how important it is to him, not just his performance but the group's performance. The one thing I respect so much about him is the caring that he has for his teammates. He's a very selfless guy. He's one of those guys that if you're stuck at the airport, nobody is picking up the phone at home, you could call him, he'd come and get you. He's the guy that would help you move. Those friends, the ones that don't have to go to their mother-in-law's house on Sunday when you have to move. He's that type of guy. I just respect where he's coming from and the things he says.
Another thing you've got to love about LC is he says what he thinks, he says what he feels. I like that. I like the way he's giving me feedback. That stuff is important. Sometimes you may have a plan, you may think that's a good plan. But without getting feedback from the group and getting input, it makes it harder to adjust effectively.
On if he adjusted to anything differently based on Coles' feedback …
He definitely gave me some really good feedback, not just last year but throughout the preseason. I'd say that would be true for a lot of guys. Jonathan Vilma, Shaun Ellis, Chad, Brandon Moore, Matt Chatham, Bobby [Hamilton] — there are a lot of people you want to get that from. I tell the guys the same thing all the time: "I may not agree with you, but I appreciate the fact that you're telling me this, and I'll definitely consider it." That's important. We may have to agree to disagree on issues, but you should raise the issues so you could at least understand where I'm coming from and I can take that information and try to put a better plan in place for the group.
On his confidence level concerning the offense heading into the first game …
You want to achieve at the highest level at all times — that's always the goal. But at each step along the way there are going to be some things you need to learn from and you need to adjust. It won't be perfect. In any game, the goal is always to be perfect and to execute flawlessly. My biggest goal and our biggest goal each time is, as you make a mistake, to not make the same mistake, to be able to be as honest about what went wrong and make sure those things are addressed.
On the flipside of that, when you win, whether it's by 10, 20, 30 or one, not gloss over those same mistakes, because there can be a tendency, when you lose you're too critical and when you win you're too lenient with the things you look at. It's got to be the same exact way each time in order to move forward.
