Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference before Thursday's training camp practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
So I've got my list here. Now, I already see the first one might be wrong. Mark Brunell, his left fifth finger. "Out. No snaps, limited throws." I think he's going to practice. He told me he's going to practice, so maybe not out. Plax, left ankle, we're monitoring his deal, but he looks great. No problems. No additional problems from yesterday, so everything's going. Trevor Canfield's got that left knee, he's out. Joe McKnight, head, to be determined. Doctor at 10:30. OK? I'm giving you it all. Brandon Moore had that hip deal, he's fine, but he's limited. I think he can play in a game, but coach's decision, he's not going to play. I don't feel great. Give him a little more time. Chris Stewart, right shoulder, we're going to make sure we're watching him and all that kind of stuff. Monitor.
Obviously, Rob Turner's out with the ankle, going to have surgery in North Carolina. Patrick Turner, we still got to keep an eye on him. He had a great practice yesterday. It's the left shoulder, but I'm giving you everything. In other words, "monitor," means he's fine. Marcus Dixon, left knee, out. He'll do individual work, though. No team stuff. It's the thing that actually, on the plane back, I think he felt like his knee was going. Kid came in my office, said don't hold it against him. I'm like, "Son, you keep playing the way you're playing, don't worry about it." Brandon Long, right quad, limited. Again, we'll see, I think he's fine. Sione [Pouha] is out, individual. He's got that knee.
And then Bart [Scott], it says out, individual only. So Bart — and that was the fourth practice he's missed in his 10-year career, was yesterday — but he goes "I've felt way worse than this before." So he's OK, but just being smart with that.
We mentioned Sione on this list. I made the selections of captains and I chose Sione. He's supposed to be out, he comes out there and he's in full pads. I think he made the right choice of captain. It's like, this is training camp, when they say you're out, you don't need to dress. He wants to lead, so I know I made the right choice, I feel proud about that.
Two other examples of choosing the right captains. As we know, we came in about 5:30 in the morning from Houston, and we have voluntary lifts throughout the day. We had three guys lift at 5:30 in the morning, Mark Sanchez, [Greg] McElroy and Santonio Holmes, so I feel good about my choice of captains. I went home, went to bed. I volunteered to go home. It just shows you. I feel great about our captains, the choice of captains, and I think they're taking on that leadership like we expect them to, so I was proud of that.
Also, another thing that I'm excited about is the possibility that Eric LeGrand will come here to practice today, so that would be special. I hope that happens.
On what Scott's injury is…
It just says left leg there, and when we saw it on TV, that was scary. Some of these guys, it's like how do you only miss four practices in your entire career and you're a linebacker? That's something. He said he got his foot stepped on, and of course he blames it on Bryan Thomas. He knew "Here comes a pile," he knew to let go. It looked terrible, but I don't really know specifically what it is, some of these guys are left knee or whatever, but it just says left leg, so maybe it's everything, I don't know.
On if he thinks Scott and Pouha will play Sunday or if he'll be cautious with them…
I'm going to be cautious with them, but I'm not sure if they will or not, but we're definitely going to be cautious. It's just like with Brandon Moore, he just got back here and I look over there, he's in the team reps, he's doing all of these things. To go against an opponent full speed and all that, I think this coach's decision's going to be, let's let him hold off for another week.
On the strides that WR Patrick Turner has made and potentially being the fifth WR…
He's definitely battling for it, for sure. When he first got here, he never knew the offense, so that's hard, and he was just going off of cards, but he was doing a great job. In fact, we all remember, he would go against Revis. Revis goes full speed all the time. Those two were almost getting into fights a couple of days, and that showed me something there, that he's got that competitiveness to where he's going to compete with the best in the game in Revis. He did some good things. Yesterday, we ran that two-minute drill, and he had a great day. He scores the touchdown on a great throw from Mark, back shoulder fade, but he made a lot of good catches there, so I'm excited about him.
On how Eric LeGrand's visit came about…
I just found out about it. That's why I just put it down there. I haven't heard specifically from the young man, but it was mentioned to me that he might be coming, that's why I wanted to share it with you guys.
On if Holmes would be lifting weights 5:30 a.m. after a road trip last year or if he's grown as a player…
I think he's grown. I don't think there's any doubt. I promise you Tone wouldn't have last year, but he's doing those things. He's doing all of the extra things, and he's leading guys, so that's impressive.
On another example of Sanchez's growth…
Well, just today I walked over, he's having his own little walk-through. He's got the big three receivers, he's got Dustin, LT and Shonn over there, and Brunell, Cavanaugh, and he's going through all of the calls. He's making his own calls up, making the formations, giving calls to them, and then "Here's audibles that we could see. It's Cover-2, we're going to audible to this. It's this coverage, we're checking to this. Now you understand, you got the corner route, you got the nine route, you got the three." He's going through everything. This is his offense and all that. These guys look at him. If there's any hesitation, "You have this, you have that." It's impressive to watch, it really is.
On if his leadership allowed him to get away with doing the GQ Magazine photo shoot…
Let's face it. Everybody in that locker room would like to be on the cover of GQ and things like that. For some reason, they just chose him. It could've been any of our guys. They pulled out "Oh, Mark Sanchez."
On GQ Magazine overlooking him to appear on the magazine's cover
I'm still upset over that one. No question. I think I might drop three or four more pounds, then I'm sure they'll consider it.
On how far John Conner has come and if he is ready to be the full-time starter…
I think he is. I think Tony Richardson did a great job of mentoring him. I think Anthony Lynn, I rave about him all the time as running backs coach. It is. You can't have a better guy in front of you than Tony Richardson. John did a great job of studying under him, talking with him constantly, and I think he's ready. Obviously, he's got the physical tools it takes. We showed our Play Like A Jet thing to the team, and one of them was John Conner hitting DeMeco Ryans. He's a load when he comes through there as we know. It's more than the talent that he has. He's picked up the offense, he's doing a great job, and obviously, does a great job on teams as well.
On if Conner has learned to be more subtle when blocking…
Well, he still puts that thing in drive. Here he comes. He is a little more under control, but, still, when it's time to explode through somebody, he does.
On what his tale of the tape said…
I put my record at 1,000-and-oh. My key to victory was the ground-and-pound. That's my style. We had a lot of fun with it.
On what Sanchez's upside is this season in terms of statistics…
Numbers? We just want wins. I'm not looking for him to be, I know it's mentioned that you would love to have a quarterback at 60-percent completion rate or whatever the interception is. We just want to win, and that's it. I always say that, I don't care if he's got a 35 quarterback rating and we win, OK, but seriously, that's what it's about.
I think a quarterback more than any other position, we always focus on guys are going to the Pro Bowl and things, and their team's not in the playoffs or anything else. This guy has won four playoff games in two years, all on the road. That's when I think we have, when you talk about elite quarterbacks, I think he's an elite quarterback, because he wins the big games, and he's a winner. That's all I want him to do, just win. Don't worry about anything else, the stats will take care of themselves, let's just go out and win. Hopefully, he can't play in the Pro Bowl, anyway.
On if Sanchez is in the same class as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady since the Jets beat both of those quarterbacks last season…
No, not those two. Those two have won Super Bowls. Peyton Manning's won a Super Bowl and he's won a zillion games, and in my opinion, the best quarterback in football. And you have Tom Brady, who has only won three Super Bowls, been the MVP of the league probably three times. We're a ways from there, there's no doubt, but if we won a Super Bowl, like Eli's saying, he can be in the conversation. I certainly understand where Eli's coming from. He's been there and done it, he's won a Super Bowl. He's a great quarterback. Now, is he Tom Brady and Peyton? Probably not, but he's pretty darn good, and I think Mark Sanchez is pretty darn good.
On if he is still "wowed" by Darrelle Revis in practice…
Yeah, all the time. The other week, when he made that diving catch, when he laid out, that diving interception, it's like, what is he doing out there practicing? But that's why he's as good as he is, because every day he hits that field, "I'm going to compete every single day." That's why he is the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning of defensive backs in this league. He's the best I've ever been around.
On the punting competition…
Well, I don't think anybody's distanced themselves from each other. So I think the competition, it's still out there.
On if he is going to cut LaDainian Tomlinson's preseason carries because he is a year older…
No, he's still in great shape. Let's just give him a few carries each game, a couple of catches. That would be good for us. Get it to where he's comfortable, he feels good, he feels the timing's there. It's funny because when he was in San Diego, I don't think he even carried the ball in preseasons. So I didn't realize we gave him 22. Was I crazy What was I thinking?
On noticing any residual effects from the lockout in terms of players getting up to speed…
That's a good question. I think, with our team, we're real fortunate, our guys came in shape. I don't know if other teams are experienced in that or not. We had one guy who was really over his assigned body weight, and I think that was impressive. Our guys are in shape, there is no doubt.
On if he regrets throwing his headset in Houston…
I probably wish I wouldn't have done that, but the competitiveness, as a competitor, as a whatever, sometimes that happens. I'm an emotional guy, as we all know now. It sometimes gets the best of you. I'm not proud of the fact I did it, but sometimes it happens. It's a frustrating thing. You like to be able to control it, but that's not who I am. Sometimes that's going to happen. And you know what? It'll probably happen ten years from now. It's not something I try to do, but in the heat of the moment, sometimes those things happen.
