Kerry Rhodes swerved off the high road Tuesday and crashed into an embankment in comments to ESPN Radio 1050 Tuesday.
Rhodes said he started off with the Jets coaching staff on the wrong foot.
“It just didn’t feel like I was the focal point or one of the focal points of the defense. It was more like, ‘Oh, we brought in our guys ... and our guys know the system, so we’re going to let them run things and you guys just learn it and fill in with them,” Rhodes said.
“To me, it doesn’t work that way. Not to sound arrogant, but I’ve always been the guy that coaches would say, ‘Okay, you run the defense, you help them get lined up and make plays. It was kind of a slap in the face.”
Rhodes has already tweeted that he thinks the New York media is twisting his words. But his comments showed why Rex Ryan’s staff tired of him. It’s all about Kerry. He felt like he was owed something.
“Whenever you come in as a new coaching staff, and you already have guys set in stone that are known as playmakers, you should tailor things around them and make sure they fit in well and feel comfortable as well. I never felt that way.”
Rhodes alluded to old Ravens getting favored, but David Harris, Darrelle Revis, Kris Jenkins, and Calvin Pace never played for Ryan before. They performed great.
“In the beginning, they didn’t make me feel the way I think you should make people feel,” Rhodes said. “It just didn’t work.”
It wasn’t the media that gave up on Rhodes; it was one of the best defensive coaches in football. Rhodes should learn something from that or he’s bound to repeat the same mistakes.