Transcript of Jets head coach Rex Ryan's late-morning news conference following Thursday's rain-shortened morning training camp practice:
First off, obviously, we hadn't really counted on this. But it's a great opportunity because you have to be able to throw a wet football. We had a goal line scrimmage today. You have to focus more down there. You have to hold on to that thing and get it out there. It was great to see LaDainian [Tomlinson] tell the offense, "Hey, listen. Don't worry about it. Just give it to me. I'll just put it right over the top." He was all excited going in there, and then we fumbled the snap. I wanted him to score so bad because he's so passionate about it. He really is a great goal-line/short-yardage runner if you look at the numbers in the past that he's had. That's critical. Remember, Thomas [Jones] last year did a tremendous job in that area. Now, we have Shonn [Greene] and LaDainian. It's going to be tough to see who will get how many carries down there.
It was a nice, physical practice. We saw Big Jenks [Kris Jenkins].Well you guys never saw him. You weren't out there, which I don't blame you. Big Jenks was wrecking things in there. I like seeing that big presence back in there. He's doing really well. We had to adjust on the fly. I think lightning is coming up here. Instead of going inside, we knew it was raining hard, we wanted to make sure we got some work in, so we cut out the individual periods and went right to the team thing. It was a day we install goal-line/short-yardage offense and defense so it worked out pretty good, actually.
On if he had planned to run a practice in full pads or if the rain inspired him…
Well, the only way you can practice goal line is to go full. You can't get an accurate look any other way. You only do it once or twice a year so this was one of those opportunities. Actually, it worked out great. If you're going to have this kind of weather, who cares? Let's put it down there and see what happens. There's no hiding in the goal line. You're either a hitter or you're not. Guys are going at it. Some guys are going to get knocked back or you're going to get knocked back. I love that part. You look forward to this day as a coach, really, for a long time. This really is where your team is found. Are you able to knock it in there? Are you able to prevent it? That's always fun to watch.
On Jenkins throwing his helmet down after a play…
Well, it was a penalty, but he knows that you're not going to get fined through the league. You're not even going to be able to accept it. That's what happens. He and [Damien] Woody were going back and forth with each other. That's what you need to do during training camp. This is what it's all about. Lay the ball down there. Let the ones go against the ones and see what happens. It was good to watch.
On the wide receivers…
When you have Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery just to start with and then you add your Brad Smiths, your [David] Clowneys, L.C. [Laveranues Coles], this is a deep, deep group. Clearly, we're going to be able to throw the ball effectively. Our mentality and our philosophy is ground-and-pound. If you want to put more guys out there to cover our wideouts because of the talent we have, then we're going to run the ball at you. If you want to come down and put nine guys in there, we'll beat you quick with the pass. We're as talented as anything I've ever been around.
On Brashton Satele's injury…
They seem to think that he's going to be just fine, so that's good.
On what Satele's injury was…
It was a lower-leg/ankle type thing. They weren't too concerned about it. They seem to think the young man is going to be fine.
On the progress of Vladimir Ducasse and Matt Slauson
It's too early to tell right now. Let us play a couple of preseason games and hopefully it'll sort out.
On how veterans like Jason Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson feel they have something to prove and how it can help the team…
I think you bring up some great points. These guys have had great success, and they bring that aspect of it, the fact that they believe in themselves and we believe in them. We think all of them have a lot of football left in them. You say that chip on your shoulder, it's kind of like last year, but almost the exact opposite. We brought in guys who were undrafted, free agents when they were coming out [of college]: Bart Scott, your Jim Leonhards, Marques Douglas. That's just the way they are. That's kind of their mentality.
Here, you've taken guys that have been to the top, as good as it gets: the Pro Bowls, the Defensive Player of the Year, the Offensive Player of the Year, all those types of things. We know they're still excellent football players and yet they still have that mentality and that drive and say, "Hey, I'm going to show you." We'll be the benefactors of that.
On if bringing in players with something to prove is a strategy…
It was just opportunities. We had those opportunities where we were able to get a couple of guys. With LT being out there, you knew what you were going to get. Soon as you met with him for five minutes, you knew what you were going to get. You can't be that great and not have a competitive fighting spirit and he has that. Somebody is going to be right and somebody is going to be wrong on every one of those decisions and I have a feeling about who is going to be right.
On how much Tomlinson wants to show that he can still play…
No doubt. You see him every day. The guy is in unbelievable shape. Our doctors never wanted him to take the conditioning test, but he actually refused and said, "No, I'm definitely doing it." He's ready. There's no doubt.
On if he's heard anything about Darrelle Revis…
I haven't heard anything.
On conflicting feelings about how to regard the Revis situation...
I'm just going to be myself. I've stated all along the kind of player I think Darrelle is. People want to throw that in our face that we should not say it, but the tape doesn't lie. This guy is a heck of a football player. He is under contract for three years, so we would like to see him out here. You hope that it works out in the end where everyone on both sides are happy. That's what needs to happen.
On if he has been in a similar situation…
Well, Tony Siragusa held out all the way until the last week, right before we played Pittsburgh and that worked out pretty good for us. I've also seen it where two individuals held out the whole season and missed an opportunity to win a Super Bowl in Todd Bell and Al Harris, two defensive starters in '84 for the Bears. They were replaced and missed out on a Super Bowl — that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I've seen that work out like that. I hope everything works out.
On if he going to alter the practice schedule due to this morning's rain…
No. We knew going in, just like last year, that you're going to lose some of the time. We lost some individual work, we'd like to have that. We still have great film on these team periods, so we'll just go ahead and move forward.
On what he thinks the players learned from Alan Faneca…
Alan was a tremendous pro. What, he made like 11 straight Pro Bowls or something like that? He's smart, he would come early, leave late, so that kind of professionalism. I know the guys have a great deal of respect for Alan and he taught them a lot. Now the torch is in Nick Mangold's hand, it's in D'Brickashaw Ferguson's hands, Brandon Moore's, Damien Woody's, so we'll be just fine.
On if he sees the players mentioned take that torch…
Well, you have to. Some of the things, we might have had Alan helping Nick make adjustments. It's now centered on Nick. The right side, there's no change over there. Left side, they're still working through some of that. You don't need to feel sorry for us, we'll be just fine.
On what role John Conner could play…
We'll see. That's the thing, it's competition. This guy is knocking people on their butts, that's hard to deny. Tony [Richardson] is a great pro, he can do everything. He can run the football and he can block his space. Guys play, it's not just one guy that's going to play every snap. We'll put the best guys in every game that gives us the best chance to win. If that means John Conner and Tony Richardson are out there, that's fine. Jason Davis, let's not forget about him either.
On what justifications he needs for two fullbacks…
Just play. Some teams don't carry any. Some teams maybe carry two. We don't care, we're going to keep the best football players. That's what we're going to do and if it happens to be two fullbacks or four tight ends, that's what it will be.
On special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff…
He's seen it all. He's one of the pioneers of it. He's a tremendous coach. I would say he's "old and crusty," but I don't know if that's really appropriate [laughter]. He's great for me, too. He's competitive. I don't know if everyone realizes that this is a competitive guy. He's a great communicator with his players. Really a special coach.
On the Hard Knocks helicopter…
Remember last year, we had that helicopter out here, I think it might've been a little larger than this one, I'm not sure. As it was flying around, I'm like "Give me a football." [laughter] That's the first thing you want to do is see if you can knock it down, but I'm not so sure about that.
On who's the favorite for Saturday's scrimmage…
We do our scrimmage a little different. I'm sure my side will win one way or the other [laughter]. I'll take the offense if they're doing well, I'll take the defense if they're doing well.
