Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's informal news conference outside the Jets' SUNY Cortland dorms on Thursday afternoon:
On if it's good to be back to football…
I was real excited just driving through town getting back to where I think there's some real magic up in Cortland. It's our job as a team to find it here. It happened our first two years. I was a little skeptical when Rex [Ryan] said that we're going up to camp my rookie year in 2009. You know it's a long drive, you have to take the bus, but this is where we need to be. This kind of place, they're so welcoming here at the University, in town here in Cortland. This is the best place to just shut the doors and focus on us, focus on football, and really start something special.
On the talent on offense…
No question. There's so much talent number one, but the new additions and the coaching staff with Coach Sanjay Lal, Coach [Tony] Sparano, Coach Guge [Dave Guglielmo], and then having some continuity with Anthony Lynn and the running backs. Coach [Matt] Cavanuagh for us as quarterbacks, Coach [Mike] Devlin in the tight end room, they're going to put us in the right position to be successful and really help us. This team is ready to play. I think that we're just excited for practice tomorrow. We can't wait. It's long overdue. I think that everyone was starting to get bored. It's time for football and I think the fans think so too and we'll be ready.
On if he's approaching camp differently this year…
No, I just feel like there's been a good vibe about the building and everybody's really in attack-mode. It's kind of hard to put your finger on it, but everybody has a look in their eye like they're ready. We expect nothing but the best from each other. We're going to hold each other accountable, act like professionals the entire season and play really well. That's the plan and we don't intend on deviating.
On how big of a factor Tim Tebow can be in the offense…
It is huge. He can help any team. We're lucky to have him. It's going to work out well. If anybody knows how to make it work, it's Coach Sparano. Whether Tim runs, throws, is on special teams, he's only going to be an asset for us, so we're thrilled about his potential here.
On how Tebow will be integrated into the offense…
In meetings with Coach Sparano, I have a pretty good idea of what's going on. It's my job to focus on me being in there, support Tim when he's in there, and play really well as well as make sure we're all on the same page and lead this team. I think that we're in the great hands with Coach Sparano.
On some of his camp essentials…
They have pretty much everything up here. Toothbrush, not much else, a couple of tank tops and we've got TV's, microwaves, fridge, whatever you need. It's not like it's the 1920's and we don't have anything up here and we have Coach Bear Bryant or something. We have everything we possibly need and they treat us really well.
On the most encouraging thing that he's seen this spring…
I think just our attitude and team morale. It's very high right now. It's not like they have something to prove, we're just excited to go play again and start our season. Guys really do love this game, we love being a part of the New York Jets. We're very fortunate here with an owner and a general manager who will do anything for us to win, give us the best personnel possible. I think the most encouraging thing is our attitude. Guys are very positive so it can only lead to good things.
On if he is coming to camp more focused this season…
Every year I think that you learn so much from the previous year. You learn what went well and what didn't. You try and improve upon things that went well and change some things that didn't quite work out in your favor. Each year, your awareness is heightened slightly. I know exactly what to expect up here. I have a good handle on the offense. I have a good feel for the schedule coming up. Now, it's about going out, completing passes, getting us in the right play and really being able to focus. There's no better place to do that than here.
On if he thought about how he'd handle it if the fans wanted Tebow to play…
I'm not going to get into hypotheticals. I just know that mentally you have to be strong in this position and in this town. I'll be ready for it and hopefully things will go well.
On how they operate offensively…
I'm confident that I'm going to be ready to play and lead this team. As far as how Tim is integrated, I have to defer to Coach [Tony] Sparano, but I'm also confident in his feel for handling two different systems and my rhythm as a quarterback. He knows how important that is.
On if the offseason seemed longer than usual…
I think it did until we got up here. Now that we're here, it went by in a blink and we're ready to go. I'm just glad we're back.
On his offseason preperations…
We talked about in the offseason, really putting the emphasis on putting on a little more muscle mass. As you see, I'm sporting a tank top. I've been adding a couple pounds and making sure that I maintain the weight in my nutrition and workout regiments. I've been talking with Coach [Bill] Hughan a lot, our strength coach, who put us through a great offseason. That was huge for me physically.
Also, having the continuity with our quarterback coach, Matt Cavanaugh, has been great because he knows exactly how important my fundamentals are. The great fundamentals I had coming in in 2009, when you get to the NFL, it really comes to memorizing plays and defenses and you start to stray away from your fundamentals. He worked so hard in the offseason on my feet, my quickness and using my resets and hitches at the top of my drop to time up routes, how a five-step plant throw is different on a speed-out as opposed to a glance post.
Cav really stressed ball carriage, feet, and the fundamentals of a drop. He literally put us through drills that would go over every step of the drop, why it's important and how you should do it. He showed us clips of ourselves and clips from me my rookie year through the rest of my career. It's important to me to not let Cav down because he has spent so much time and energy, and now it's just part of my routine. I think those fundamentals and physically staying strong are important.
On his role with the team…
Just leading these guys. Doing my best to set a good example, being out on the practice field as long as we need to. Getting in bed early, getting the right sleep. Making sure we get good meals here. We're lucky enough to have great food. The most important thing is just setting a good example. We'll get a chance to interact with some fans we don't get to see much up here, who don't get the chance to go down to New Jersey and Manhattan to see the Jets play. We have our work cut out for us, but it's my job to lead these guys.
On how he feels sharing the accolades with Tebow…
We all get plenty of attention. It's our team. It's everybody's [team]. We all have ownership in it, so it's good.
On how the offense is adjusting to two systems…
They can handle it. A lot of that is what this team is good at. Running, throwing, they can do it all. That's the best part, it can keep defenses off balance and hopefully it works in our favor. Coach is ready to handle it. He'll know exactly the right timing. I'm confident in that. As an offense, those guys up front can block, the receivers can run and catch, our running backs can do a great job in protection and run the ball. We're confident in all of our abilities and we'll be fine.
On if Tebow motivates him to do better…
I think good athletes want to compete and show their best not against just anybody, they want to show their best against other good athletes. That's what we're trying to do here as a team. I want to show my best throws against [Darrelle] Revis and [Antonio] Cromartie. I want to practice things this camp against two of the best corners in the league. I want to really work our run checks. I want to really communicate with [Nick] Mangold about where Bart Scott and David Harris are lining up on every play. That stuff is important to us. We laugh and joke about it after practice but during practice its serious and we want to win, we want to beat the other guy and then at the end build up your teammates. I think it's just us being competitive and wanting to win and play well.
On who his roommate is at camp…
[Greg] McElroy. I'll make sure he doesn't pop off. [Laughter]
On preparing for Coach Sparano's scheme…
I think "Jets West" helped a lot. Just getting a chance to talk about it again, getting up in front of the guys and teaching it again, installing plays, it's not as easy as it looks when Coach Sparano knows the system so well. Tony [Sparano] Jr. throws up these slides and the reads look so simple on paper. Then when you have to get up in front of the team draw it, talk about it, talk about different conversions on routes, it's a whole other level of understanding. I think that really helps me selfishly at "Jets West", but I know that those guys got a lot out of it too.
On if he has a handle on the offense…
I feel good. I'm confident going into the year and confident in Coach Sparano.
On Santonio Holmes' comments about a two quarterback system…
I think Tone's [Santonio Holmes] been nothing but supportive of Tim being here, and of me as a quarterback, so I think that kind of got skewed a little differently than he might have liked. I don't want to speak for Tone, but you might want to ask him on that one. He's just excited to be back. He's just wants to rock.
On why McElroy is his roommate…
I think I'm the only one who could put a muzzle on McElroy [joking], so he had to stay with me.
On his weight…
I'm right around 230.
On his weight at the end of last season…
I was like 218, I was skinny.
