So far this offseason the Jets have released cornerback Antonio Cromartie and missed out on several cornerbacks in free agency. And perhaps most galling, one of coach Rex Ryan’s all-time favorite players, cornerback Darrelle Revis, signed with the rival Patriots. So how does Ryan feel about that?
Ryan says he feels great. Speaking to reporters today, Ryan downplayed any concerns about the Jets lacking talent at cornerback.
“I feel really good about our corners,” Ryan said. “Obviously Dee Milliner, he’s a young man that we had a lot of high expectations for, and he started to fulfill those expectations later in the year. We kind of predicted that he would go through some growing pains and then come out of it and that’s exactly what he did. . . . Obviously we have Kyle Wilson who has been in that nickel role for us for a while. We were willing to get Ellis Lankster back, who is an outstanding special teams presence for us, but will maybe have more of a chance in different roles. Darrin Walls is kind of like our relief pitcher, he filled in for us, so we’re comfortable there. [They are] guys that have been in our system a while. And there’s another guy, Ras-I Dowling, a guy that we really thought a lot of. . . . I’m happy with the guys that we have.”
But while Ryan might like the guys he has, none of those guys is nearly as good as Revis, or even as good as Cromartie. There’s been some talk that Ryan is unhappy with Jets General Manager John Idzik for getting rid of Revis and Cromartie, but Ryan says that’s not the case.
“As far as ever being upset with John, know that there can’t be anything further from the truth than that. We are in this together. We have a great plan,” Ryan said.
So far, that plan has not included acquiring a cornerback.