Jets coach Rex Ryan is starting to change his tune about holdout cornerback Darrelle Revis.
A week ago Ryan was giving Revis ammunition in his holdout, talking about how much the Jets would miss “the best corner in the league.” But today Ryan said the Jets are just fine at cornerback even without Revis, thanks to the addition of veteran cornerback Antonio Cromartie and first-round draft pick Kyle Wilson.
“Don’t feel sorry for us,” Ryan said. “We have everything we need here on defense. The addition of Cromartie was enormous for this football team. And the fact that we drafted Kyle Wilson, who’s an outstanding player. That helps us a great deal.”
Ryan’s comments seem to be part of a concerted effort by the Jets’ brass to let Revis know they can live without him. Both sides appear to be digging in, and Ryan appears to be planning to coach a defense that is missing its best player.
“Right now, I’m just going to focus on the people that are here,” Ryan said. “My mindset has to be on these guys that are here right now. Those are the guys that are going to play.”