Transcript of Jets head coach Rex Ryan's midday news conference following Wednesday's morning training camp practice:
Today was a good practice that the defense dominated. It stared in 9-on-7 drills and then carried out through the [special] teams until the last throw at the end. We had to improvise never seeing the sack and let them complete a ball down the field. It was a good practice. This afternoon we have special teams practice and the guys will have the evening off.
On Mangold sitting out of the end of practice…
We had a hard count and Sione [Pouha] jumped and hit him in the side of the head and knocked him over. Thank goodness it wasn't. We were all laughing about it until he stayed on the ground a little bit. He thinks he got hit in the temple. Very similar injury to what my son had except he only missed 10 minutes and Mangold missed the rest of practice [laughter]. I did tell Pouha that if you did this everyday then you won't have to go up against Mangold all day so this might be a new strategy that he takes. He got hit in the temple, was a little dinged.
On the negotiations with Darrelle Revis…
This is what I would like to have happen — everyone to put their cards on the table. Have Darrelle come here with anyone he wants and we will have Mr. Johnson here. This is how I would handle it. We'll call off practice, we'll have our whole team there and me. That way there is no "he said, she said" and we'll get the thing done. Let's work it that way. Let's bring him in. I'm inviting them to come in, Revis and everybody else he wants. As many or few as he wants. We'll have the whole team there. Including our owner and the whole organization. Steve Yarnell, we'll have Bruce [Speight], we will have everybody there. Maybe that's how we'll get a solution. Everybody wants a solution so let's figure out a solution. Maybe this is the way. I'm making [this suggestion] right now. I know it will get to him.
On how Darrelle Revis is a sore subject…
I guess this part is frustrating because when your [talking about] Mike Tannenbaum and calling out Woody Johnson, let's go. Put it out there. Put it in front of everybody. You can negotiate. That was a rough five hours. Tannenbaum had me come in and I spent five hours with Neil [Schwartz], Jon [Feinsod], Tannenbaum and Ari [Nissim]. You couldn't pay me enough to be a general manager for a team. There's no way. It was frustrating for me and I was just there for the one five-hour period. I almost quit. That was during the offseason.
On how both sides can't agree…
I think we got it right there. Everyone and Revis comes in. It's hard to get a deal done when Revis isn't there because ultimately this is his future. Get him there and [whoever else he wants] there. His teammates would love it because they get practice off. That's what I'm calling for.
On if not having Revis will make a Super Bowl run impossible…
Well, no. Everybody knows what I think of Revis. It'd be much easier to win it with him, but it's certainly not impossible to win it without him.
On a solution to the rumors surrounding the negotiations…
That's what I've been saying. Let's make it public. Let's make everybody, this whole organization come with me. I think that's the best way to do it. That way, you can't have somebody saying one thing and [someone else] saying another. It's right there. We can all see it. Maybe that's what it has to come down to, if we're really trying to be dealmakers. We have everybody's best interest at heart, let's do it this way. I bet it gets done.
On Jim Leonhard…
It starts with the aptitude he has for this game. He's smart, physical, talented and a great athlete. I know it sound crazy, but he's a short guy. That's why he doesn't jump out at you. When you look at his background, he won two slam-dunk contest at the University of Wisconsin, he led the nation in punt return average one year, led the nation in interceptions one year, don't forget he struck out 19 guys in a high school game, obviously I want him at the plate. This guy is a phenomenal athlete. He's smart. He's a Jet.
On Kellen Clemens's nice play in practice…
I guess my head was somewhere else. It never jumped out at me today. I think both of these kids [Clemens and O'Connell] had a couple of nice balls also, but the protection was what the problem was.
On the third-string quarterback competition…
I think we just have to let it go. Kellen Clemens has been here for a long time. He's smart. He knows the system. You get to play these preseason games and you let guys battle. Maybe Kellen battles for two. The best players are going to play. The best players are going to be here.
On finally getting to the preseason game versus the Giants…
I think it'll be great because these guys are tired of hitting each other. You get to go against an old school team that likes to really play football. I think that's going to be great. I'm definitely looking forward to it. The fact that it's in the new stadium will also be good. Obviously, it's not like it's going to be amped up like it will be for that first regular season game, especially a primetime, Monday night game. It's still going to be good to get out there. The fans will get to experience that stadium. I'm excited about it.
On if he expects a physical nature in the Giants preseason game…
I don't know. Maybe there is. I couldn't tell you who won the game or the score of the game last year. It's a preseason game. If it's a regular season game, it'd be big time. I like the fact of the Giants' offense. I mean we had a physical team in Baltimore once and they ran for 200 yards against us. I appreciate the way they play. I like the style that they play. They've got this back that's huge [Brandon Jacobs]. It'll be a good test.
On how much time Mark Sanchez and Mark Brunell will get against the Giants…
No. I'll be honest, we're going to play the whole game because we want to win the game so bad. It's the first game in that stadium so our guys are playing the entire game [joking]. But no, we really haven't decided that yet.
On Brunell locking up the back-up quarterback position…
It was predetermined. We brought him in to be our number two quarterback. A lot of things can happen, but that was pretty much predetermined when we signed him.
On how many quarterbacks will be on the final roster…
I'm not sure about that either. We feel pretty good about our quarterbacks. We'll see how the roster is. It's funny, I go back to when I was with John Harbaugh in Baltimore and we decided then that we were going to keep the best football players. If that's four quarterbacks then so be it. We don't have a set number like we have to have three tight ends, a full back, three tailbacks or whatever it is. Maybe that might be the blueprint, but just keep the best football player and you know you'll be happy with that. I use that example of Baltimore when we kept Jim Leonhard. We had five safeties on the roster.
On Sanchez's performance in camp…
I think he's doing great right now. I see he's got such a better grasp of our system – what he's seeing and what the defense is giving to him. He's being accurate with the football. Those are the things that I see with Mark.
On Sanchez's timing at practice today…
I definitely think it was a protection issue today. That protection sometimes, if you get a breakdown and you can't touch your feet, you're definitely going to be off. I thought the coverage was tighter today. We have more of the defense in now. So you think you've been seeing one thing, now here are the counters off of things. You get one look, now we're giving you something else. It's not going to be fun playing against that defense.
On Shonn Greene's role as the No. 1 running back…
I've been really impressed with Shonn. Obviously everyone knows the kind of runner he is, the kind of ability he has when the balls under his arm. He's much better in the pass protection game. He's stepping up. He's facing people up in blitz pickups. That's something that's going to be important, obviously if you're the bell cow.
On keeping Greene healthy in preseason…
We've got LaDainian [Tomlinson]. We've really got two number one guys. Hopefully, he won't have to carry it 30 times a game.
On expectations for David Harris…
Because he's not under contract next year, I expect him to be average, just like he was last year [joking]. I've learned my lesson. He's a tremendous player. I expect him just to grow. This will be his second year in the defense. I think his understanding of it, the ability to switch Bart [Scott] and him, we talked about that last year, gives us great flexibility. We're going to do more of that. The more he becomes familiar with the defense and what it's like playing next to Bart, they'll really complement each other.
On if there's more room for Harris and Scott to grow together…
I do. I don't think there's any doubt, with the whole defense. Right now, we have three new starters in the secondary. That's kind of slowing progress down a little bit. But these guys are getting it. The guy that I've been most impressed with, I think of all those guys on defense though is Kyle Wilson. When you guys hear Kyle out there he's talking as much as Jim Leonhard is. It is amazing what this guy's doing. He's learning how to play nickel. He's learning how to play corner. His communication, the way he studies, it'd be great for you to see it. Maybe "Hard Knocks" will film him, how this guy prepares. That's a pro and here's a kid that's a rookie right now. It's really been impressive.
On deciding what defensive backs will be on the roster…
Like we say, in the thick of things, here's how you rank them. Where's your best players? Let's keep the best players.
On how difficult it is for a rookie cornerback to start…
Not as difficult as it would be for a lineman. It's easier to start outside in. It's probably easier to be a wideout, probably easier to be a corner then it would be to be a linebacker, a d-lineman, or an offensive lineman. The thinking of it or whatever is not as great as it would be the closer you get to the ball, in my opinion.
On if Larry Taylor has been playing well…
Yeah, he is. He's a special team guy, so he has a chance to be a special team presence. Never cut yourself. You just go out there and you play you're tail off and things will happen to you. Nobody thought Wallace Wright, when he was here for the years he was. If you just timed him in the 40, Wallace wouldn't have been on the team. He ended up having a huge role for us as a special team contributor, and we'll see. He's going to get his opportunity. We'll see how he does in those preseason games.
On if the team will run the ball 600 times again…
I don't see us running it 600 times. I still think we're built to be a ground and pound team. With those weapons and all that I think it's going to open up more passing, more passes for us. The fact that Mark is really comfortable in our system, I think we could probably take advantage of some of the defenses we are facing. There were eight, nine guys down there last year and we were still running it. I think this year we will be able to make you pay more than we did last year.
On Sanchez's relationship with his dad…
I think it's great. Nick is a retired firefighter, he just retired, 30 years as a fireman. So now he really gets to do what every dad would dream of doing. Chasing his kid around and watching him play. I think that's great. He loves to fish and all that kind of stuff. It's just a neat thing. I do see a lot of [similarities], my situation with my sons, and maybe my dad with me and all that, with a huge exception. His son is a hell of a football player. I think that might be a huge exception. It's neat, it's probably every man's dream.
On Mike Pettine's high ankle sprain…
It was really a turf toe. I appreciate you asking me about that. The facts are what they are. He's overcoming it right now. He seems to be doing much better. He's still got a bad disposition. The dad and the son I'm speaking of. That's what we're working to. Trying to fix that more than the turf toe.
On injury updates…
Hold up, I forgot to give this thing. No, it's not my Christmas list to Santa Claus. [Brian] Jackson went out with a knee. He's complaining of a knee, we're getting pictures of that today. Brashton Satele was out there with an ankle. Still very limited. Ran it out on a kick, and still was favoring it. [Marlon] Davis, he's got that quad, he's improving but he's still not to where I expect him to be out there the next couple days. Mangold never finished as we talked about, he should be fine. Jason Taylor did really well. It says he did well, so he did well [laughter]. Break it down in those codes that are good for me.
On Channing Crowder calling Jason Taylor womanly…
That's it [laughter]. Did he really? My gosh. That's it. It's him or I, I tell you what, we're going to have to lock that door. But good, man, that's good. That's what it's all about. I'm surprised nobody rips Bart [Scott] more than they do. Jason was your teammate and all that kind of jazz. Maybe it's a fact that his wife is probably prettier than anyone else's wife. Maybe that has something to do with it.
