Transcripts of interviews with Jets players following Saturday's training camp practice:
WR JERRICHO COTCHERY
On how Chad Pennington looks …
He looks good right now. I'm not a scout, so I cannot evaluate him. The entire off-season we had one quarterback and to have that chemistry with that quarterback has been great.
On if it helps to have one quarterback through the entire off-season …
Yes. When you have one guy, you get used to him. Everyone becomes one with that one guy in the huddle. Everyone just feeds off the quarterback.
On whether it is harder to gain continuity when a lot of quarterbacks taking reps …
It is a different type of situation. Every day you are trying to gain chemistry with a different guy. Sometimes that helps, you are able to do different things with your routes. It has been great having just him the whole off-season. We have been able to make some strides together.
On how he took Chad being named the starter during the off-season …
I expected it. He had a great year last year and everyone was looking forward to him having a great off-season. I was very anxious to get back working with Chad.
On responding to expectations …
I really don't listen to the expectations and, as a team, we can't listen to expectations. We just have to take it one day at a time and build on what we do. Last year we had a good year, but it was not good enough. We cannot take everything we did last year and say it is going to lead to success this year. You take the good and bad out of last year, take the bits and pieces out of that, and hopefully you can build something special this year. That is the same approach I take as an individual.
On Chansi Stuckey …
He is doing pretty well coming out of college. As a receiver, he looks pretty polished. Like everyone, if he continues to work hard and take all the coaching, I think he can do a great job.
On working as a number one this year …
Every year I'm trying to prove myself. I am always going to feel like I have not reached the level that I want to reach. Hopefully, if you see me 15 years down the road, I'm going to give you the same answer. I'm going to continue to work hard and try to build those pieces and hopefully it can turn into something special.
QB CHAD PENNINGTON
On spending time with his family prior to training camp …
You feel guilty if you go golfing or fishing or whatever because then you are spending time away from your kids. If I was fishing or something, I made sure we took the family and did what we needed to do to spend some quality time because it is rough during this period especially for the little ones because they don't understand. They start calling the complex "daddy's house," so that's not a good thing.
On his off-season workouts ...
Everyone knows that we worked with Teddy [Atlas] and boxing. That was refreshing to get a different perspective and be able to step into the boxing world and see what that is about: to mentally condition yourself as well as physically condition yourself. This was the first time in a long time for me that I was able to concentrate on my total body and not have to just solely concentrate on my arm. I could really concentrate on my lower body strength and start to focus on the squats and all the different leg lifts to get stronger again and get back to what I'm used to. It is still a work in progress, but I made some good strides.
On building strength ...
Total body strength helps with durability, endurance and it helps with being able to make all the throws that you need to make. You look at all the great quarterbacks and they understand how to use their lower body to get the extra velocity out of the throws. They only throw it with their arm when they are off-balance or scrambling or something like that. When they are in the pocket, the great quarterbacks use their bodies very well.
On entering camp healthy …
I'm excited just to be out here with my teammates and be able to compete and play with these guys day in and day out. I'm excited when I step off the field to be able to step into the film room and watch my film to get better mentally and not have to immediately go to the training room to get treatment on my shoulder. It's more of a bigger perspective for me now and not such a focused perspective on one part. It's a much bigger perspective in trying to become a total quarterback.
On the team's focus in year two …
We are excited about the potential, but we have a lot of work to do. We really do. All of our veterans know what to do, we are trying to learn how to do it better. That is the key in this league. Everybody knows how to run a curl route, how to block and how to tackle. Within each specific play, what can we do to maximize the play and be able to handle every look that the defense throws at us. We have to be able to make adjustments on the run. That is where we have focused and where we have put our emphasis. That is where we have to get better. That comes from repetition, hard work and communication with each other and constantly talking about it.
On the addition of Thomas Jones …
We all know what type of player Thomas is and has been in the past. I have known Thomas since the year 2000, before the draft we trained together. He works extremely hard and he is an exciting player. With any offense, you want to be as versatile as you can, to be able to tap into all of the different resources and opportunities that you can have as an offense and not be one-dimensional and not be where defenses know exactly what you are doing. If we can be multiple and versatile, that will make us better.
On the play-action game …
As a quarterback, I do take great pride in the ball-handling. That's kind of a lost art, the ball-handling of a quarterback, understanding not only the play action game, but understanding how important your steps and your fakes are for the running game. It's not just the guys upfront, it's everybody involved that helps our running game; it's everybody involved that helps our play-action game. You're trying to make sure that you concentrate on all of those details to make it better.
On Justin McCareins …
Justin is a really great person. He works extremely hard. You never see Justin dog a route, not get down field and block and do all of the little things. He constantly does the little things. That is what Coach Mangini looks for and that's what he likes about Justin- you can always count on him, he is very dependable. I remember going back and watching the film study this offseason and watching Justin. He is very consistent on his routes, his steps and what he is supposed to do. That means he is a true professional and that is what true professionals do. Justin is the type of guy that you get excited about because he can run well and he is very physical. We are excited to have him here and to make sure he is involved here.
On McCareins volunteering to play special teams last season …
What that shows you is what the guy is made of. He is not a selfish guy, he wants to contribute. At the time he made the decision, he wasn't getting the reps on offense, but he wanted to be out there on the field. He wanted to somehow make a difference and that was the way he could make a difference and he certainly made it.
QB BRAD SMITH
On how much different it is this year being labeled as a quarterback …
It's pretty much the same. I just have to learn a little bit more. I'm learning a more detailed offense. To become a leader of the offense, you need to know what everybody's doing and know how to put guys in the right spots and make the right decisions. I'm getting my footwork back for playing quarterback.
On which position meetings he attends …
We have wide receiver meetings and quarterback meetings and we split them up. The coaches do a great job of putting me where I need to go.
On if he has enough time to go to all of the meetings …
There's so much information that they have to put in for the receivers and the quarterbacks that I try to focus on and study both.
On when Coach Mangini decided he would be designated as a quarterback …
I don't know if there was an exact point. There were times that he would let me know that this could be the way we were going and it helped me prepare during practice and lead the team and get better at that position. It was the same thing as a receiver, it was to help the team out.
On if he ever gave up on being a QB in his mind …
No, I never gave up on it at all. I felt I had the ability to do it, but I put that to the side. I did what I was asked to do and do whatever it is to try to get better. The quarterbacks are out here practicing and keeping it to the grind.
On if he feels more comfortable now having the opportunity to work at QB ...
I work hard. That's all I know how to do — work hard. I come out here everyday to get better and if I can see myself progress at the quarterback position to help the team out and hopefully win some games, then I would love to do that, of course.
On if he has a better prospective on the quarterback position after having played at receiver…
Absolutely. Just knowing how quick things happen and giving the quarterback clean reads. Seeing how receivers think helps, too.
On if he's found himself daydreaming about making plays at quarterback…
I always daydream about making plays. Even more of taking drops and making good decisions and making plays like that — thinking about the whole big picture. This has been exciting and I'm just ready to keep going and get better.
