Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference before Saturday's afternoon training camp practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
As far as how much the guys will play, I think we'll play a quarter with the ones. I think that's what we'll do. As far as [Nick] Mangold playing, I have to ask, to be honest with you [laughter]. Bruce [Speight] will get you that information when we go out to practice. That is what it is.
You're going to see the captains, the guys that are going to wear the C on their jersey. We already know about [Mark] Sanchez. Then, we're going to have Eric Smith as the special teams captain. He will be representing that unit. Santonio Holmes will be our other representative on offense. Then, on defense, you're going to have Darrelle Revis and Sione Pouha. They're going to be our captains for the season. We'll still do what we do. We'll bring different guys in each week, but those guys will be our permanent captains. It was not voted on. This is something that I chose and I chose these guys based on what I see on the practice field, the game field, the classroom, their leadership, what they mean to their units, the pride and everything else. That's what I'm looking for in those individuals.
It's kind of an interesting mix when you look at it. We have guys that have been here, were drafted by the Jets. You have everybody with the exception of [Santonio] Holmes drafted by the Jets. Santonio was a guy we brought in, went from, as we look at him, from a rental to an owner, a guy that was here, we tested, we tried it out and now he's one of us. I expect the last jersey he'll ever wear to be a New York Jets jersey and we're extremely happy that he chose to come back. I see Tone as a guy that took the challenge that I gave him. I wanted him to lead from the front and I think that's what he's doing. I look at Sione [Pouha]. We've had a lot of veterans leave our football team from that D-line, yet he and Mike DeVito really stepped up and they're really being leaders for that defensive line. He's certainly earned it.
Of course, Revis, what he means to this football team and the way everybody looks at him, he's a natural leader. All these guys, Eric Smith, have been there and done that. We don't have the Smith brothers anymore. We just have one Smith, but he's tremendous. He's an extension of Mike Westhoff out there, so I think it was just a natural thing to give Eric and he's certainly deserving. That's what we're going with. Those are some of the reasons why I chose these guys.
Again, there are a lot of them. How come not David Harris? How come not Jim Leonhard? This is just what I chose. I just feel this is right and this is what I've noticed. You look at the offensive line, Brandon Moore, Mangold, D'Brickashaw [Ferguson] all these guys. But I just feel good about these captains.
On when he notified the players that they would be team captains…
[I let them know] probably about an hour ago. I don't even think the team knows right now, so you guys will be breaking news to them.
On if he told each captain individually…
Yes.
On if the leadership shown by Pouha and DeVito is evident behind close doors…
There is no question about it. We had to have those guys step up. We knew that there was going to be some big shoes to fill with [Kris] Jenkins heading out, Shaun Ellis heading out. I felt great about Sione and Mike being those guys now that can. They were almost the pupils at one time. Now, they are the mentors. I see it in them. This is their group and the pride that comes off of that group ... right now it's funny, because I think going into the season maybe that unit might have looked like the weakness of our team. It's actually the strength. That's going to be determined, but I have a feeling that's what we're going to see.
On how he has changed as a head coach since he made his regular season debut in Houston in 2009…
I'm still passionate, still the same deal. I think I've learned a lot. I really lean on my coaching staff to help me, especially the veterans on our staff, the Mike Westhoffs, the Bob Suttons and Bill Callahans. I lean on those guys a great deal, but I still think you get that same passion and fire I felt that first week, that's still with me. I think it will be with me the rest of my life. When I lose that and I'm not the same person, it's time for me to get out of it. But I don't see that happening for another 20 years.
On if there is an injury update on Plaxico Burress…
It's status quo. I think now, officially, it's a sprained ankle, not a tweak. I apologize for that, but I don't know what the difference is between a tweak or a sprain, or whatever it is. It is a classic, because I was thinking it wasn't [laughter]. It's a classic sprain.
On if Jim Leonhard will play at Houston on Monday night…
I think, let's go. Let's let it rip. You see Jimmy out there, he's doing great. Jim still wants to be a punt returner and Westy [Mike Westhoff], the other day, was telling me, "We could run the double returners. We could do that with Jim." It's never hard to say, "Westy, no." If we needed to catch one or whatever with the game on the line, maybe so, but I don't feel comfortable right now. Let Jimmy play defense and we'll see how that goes. He's moving around great. I don't think any of us would sense a difference in him.
On the opportunity to see younger players on Monday night…
This is when the cream rises to the top. Guys you think look great on the practice field, they're doing great, they're doing great and you don't see it on the game field. Some guys that maybe you're not sure about, all of a sudden, elevate their play. That's the exciting part about these games, when you see your young players, in particular, this first preseason game. It's kind of weird, you see it the first and the last preseason game. Those are the ones that go a long way to see who makes your football team or not.
On any particular rookies that may have a big impact…
I think all of them. I don't know if we want to single just those two guys [Muhammad Wilkerson and Jeremy Kerley] that you know are going to be on your team. Let's see how these young corners do. Let's see these wideouts that are kind of on the bubble. Let's see who's going to take that step forward. That's what I'm excited about.
On if he has decided how they will split game reps for the punters and kickers…
We'll have to have Westy do that. Westy has those teams. He'll choose the kicker and the punter. We'll leave that up to Mike.
On the punting competition so far…
It's interesting because, at first, it was our Aussie [Chris Bryan] that looked like he was in front. The last few days, it's looked like [T.J.] Conley has come back. I think it's important for T.J. because this is either make-or-break. You're either going to do it this year or you might not ever get another chance. This is it for you and let's see him. That one, I think, is a good battle to watch.
On if Burress and Brandon Moore are out and anybody else that will be out for Monday night's game…
They're out. The kid from Cincinnati, [Trevor] Canfield, is out. We haven't seen him out there. Brandon Long will be out.
On the nature of Long's injury…
I'm not clear on anything. If I say something, it will be wrong. We know we don't want to go with the tweak deal [smiling].
On if he knew what to expect from Leonhard coming back from his injury…
I think I did a little bit because Leon Washington had it and he was doing great on it. The fact that Leon went through that year in Seattle and had a big year, I was like, "Shoot, that's great news." I know Jimmy is working out like a mad man to get back. They had to slow him way down because he was ready to go five months ago. That's Jim Leonhard. I knew he'd give us everything he had rehabbing and the opportunity to get back, but it's like you can't notice it.
I notice he had the tattoo sleeve one day on there, so that was impressive [laughter]. That's the only thing you notice. He'll have a little thing on his leg. The other day, he had on one of those deals because he has a little protective sleeve on there. He's taking his helmet and hitting it and it's just like, "Stop it. Just stop right now. You don't need to do that." [laughter] He doesn't think there is any difference. He literally was smacking it. Just don't do that. He feels that good [laughing].
On if he worried about players having to rehab outside of the team during the lockout…
I think so. There was some concerns. I think it's legitimate to say that, but I also have a ton of faith in the players. This doesn't surprise me, we had one guy that was overweight. He missed it by like four pounds. Everybody else hit their target. Everybody was in shape and that does not surprise me.
You'll see so many teams, and that's why I have so much confidence in this team, but you'll see a lot of teams that will get close and then the wheels will fall off. It takes so much to get to where you are, that championship game and all that, teams will fall off. Only a few teams will stay there and try to come at you again. I think our team is like that. We're hungry. We haven't accomplished what we set out to do. We're as hungry and driven as we've been.
On the offense being out of sync Friday at practice…
Yes, we had a few words with them. The thing that was really disappointing, the first three team periods, we had seven false starts, three interceptions and dropped passes. Now look, you can attribute that to a lot of different things. You've got no Mangold, no Brandon Moore, no Plax. But at the end of the day, whoever steps in has got to fill those roles, and I'm not targeting just those three areas, because it was widespread. It was a poor day by our offense.
Look, you're going against a great defense, there's no question, but look at the weapons we have. Look at the talent we have on that side of the ball. You may argue that there's more talent on offense then there is on defense or on special teams, so we need to pick it up. It was a bad day, we all saw it. Ropati blocked, I think, six passes. You just can't have those kind of days, and that was the challenge I talked about to our offense.
On how the Jets will utilize the running backs this season…
We're going to use them, there's no question. All of those guys. I think [Bilal] Powell's shown some flashes, as well, and Joe McKnight, so we're deep. We're loaded there. We'll feed the hot hand, but our guy's going to be Shonn Greene. That's going to be our bell cow on early downs, and we'll have LT as primarily our third-down back, and we're going to sprinkle in Joe McKnight, because he's a matchup problem, kind of like [Danny] Woodhead is in New England, and then we have Powell as a developer, and I'm seeing a lot of good things out of him, as well.
On if he plans on passing more often or continuing to focus on ball control…
I don't think it's more ball control. The good thing is, having the talent that we have, what we call, let's go, we expect that we can run the ball. We expect to throw it. You know you have a good team when that team knows you're running, and you can still run the football, as in a four-minute drill, or you're in a two-minute situation and you're still able to throw it when that team knows you have to throw it. That would be great. Now, it's pick and choose. So, I think we're going to be a tough team to defend, when you look at the fact that we are one of the best running teams in football, and our passing game came on last year, I expect it to grow this year.
On if he will rule out Leonhard returning punts at some point this season…
No, I would not rule that out. There's a chance. I'm not comfortable right now. I'm not comfortable with that.
On if there was something specific that he saw with Pouha and DeVito working with the team's rookies…
I watch them every day. Everything. They're leading by example. It's the way they're building their teammates up. They're constantly talking to them. They're working with each other, and that's it. It's funny, because they came in, remember they were backups. Sione had to play, basically he's been our two-year starter at nose tackle, and then you've got Mike DeVito, earned a starting spot last year.
These guys do things right, whatever it is. Weightroom, they lead in the weightroom. They lead in the classroom, they lead on the field and game. There's a great deal of confidence that they have in each other, but they're also bringing these guys along. They're going out, the D-line, they're taking those guys out. I think that's about as good as it gets, that you have those kind of leaders that have been there and done that, but have come up initially, nothing was ever given to those two, they earned everything they got. And I think it's great to see guys like that have success.
