Transcript of QB Mark Sanchez's news conference at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on Tuesday afternoon:
On what it's like to return to the facility after being away for months…
It's great. Just driving in was wonderful, seeing the guard at the gate, seeing Director of Security, Steve Yarnell, and all of the faces that we've missed these last few months. It was wonderful. Some new faces around in the cafeteria, so I'm learning some new names. But wonderful.
On if he ever felt that games would be missed…
I think that was in the back of everybody's mind, but I don't think anybody would've expected that. I feel like both sides did a great job, the player's union and the owners, of figuring it out. It took to the last minute, but that's okay. Now we're back and now we can start playing. So, it's good.
On if anything stands out about the new labor agreement…
I'm still hearing a lot of it and still learning what we can and can't do this week, what practice is going to be like, what we're not allowed to do anymore at practice. But I think overall, it hit a lot of the points that the players were concerned about. I think they moved forward in a professional way and now we're ready to start going, but I think a lot of that is going to be learned on the run here in these next couple of weeks.
On if he has a feel for how valuable his "Jets West" workouts will be, with the lack of offseason workouts…
It can't hurt, just those extra reps, throwing the ball around. Getting guys together just to see each other and hang out on-and off-the-field, is important. Whether it's from an X's and O's standpoint or a morale standpoint, and just a friendship/teammate standpoint, I think all of that stuff helps. I'm proud that those guys did a great job in helping me get those camps together, but I'm just glad to be back in the building. Now, we can get going. It's a lot easier with coaches around.
On if the team used past training camps in Cortland to bond, and if there is a drawback to missing that this year…
I don't know if it'll be a drawback. I think what we usually get out of camp, team camaraderie, things like that, being able to hang with guys late at night, before practice early in the morning—that's all still going to happen. And when you have a facility this nice, I love being in Cortland, I think they're great to us, but it's really too bad you have to leave a place like this and go practice somewhere else, because the facilities are so nice. I'm happy to be here. I know exactly where we're watching film. I know what everything looks like. I know all the buttons to press. So, it's easy being here. That's fine. We'll be just fine. I don't think anything will hold us back this year. We need to play well no matter what.
On how badly he wants to see WR Santonio Holmes, WR Braylon Edwards and WR Brad Smith return to the Jets…
Whatever it takes. Mr. Tannenbaum's, Mr. Johnson's and Rex [Ryan]'s, that's like their third-down conversion. That's them trying to throw a touchdown pass. That's them getting a sack. What we do on the field, well, this is what they do in the offseason. So, I know they'll position us, and acquire the best talent we possibly can, with the finances we have. But whatever it takes, whether it's adjusting contracts, delaying payment, whatever we have to do, our team will do it. I know that. We'll be unselfish with it. We'll get it figured out.
On if he has given thought to adjusting his contract to help the team…
Absolutely, and my agent's already talked to me about it. Whatever we need to do to win, it's on. I think our whole team feels that way. If it's [Darrelle] Revis, me, whoever, it doesn't matter. So, we'll do whatever we can.
On how important continuity at wide receiver is to his progress…
It's important. It was such a luxury to have both [Edwards and Holmes] last year. It's almost unrealistic to have that kind of a receiving corps again. But whichever guys we get back, it's going to be them playing really well and me getting even better, upping my completion percentage, being more accurate, things like that, throwing less interceptions, more touchdowns, that will help us out whether we have Braylon and Santonio and Brad [Smith], or one of the three, two of the three, whatever it is. It's a matter of both sides getting better.
On how much communication he has had with Holmes…
We've talked a little bit, but I don't know what he wants me to say yet. We'll talk later this week, and figure things out. But he's got a big decision to make and I respect that. Those conversations are private right now, but once everything gets settled, I'm sure we'll be able to talk about it.
On how this offseason has been different than others…
Physically, this offseason has been the best I've worked out and prepared for a season. I'm in great shape. I feel wonderful; I feel great. And then the mental side, I think that first year, having all that time with the coaches during my rehab really helped. This year, we're going to have to squeeze some of that stuff into these first few weeks of camp.
I went out of my way to sit down with different guys on the team, watch some film when we had them all together and then watching it on my own, learning from that first year's offseason has helped. So I think just being familiar with the offense again, having that same system is only going to help. I think it was a great offseason. I really wish I could have been here more, it only could have helped, but I do feel like I put in the right amount of work and it'll show during camp and during the season.
On his excitement level when he got back today compared to others on the team…
I didn't even know Brandon Moore gets excited on Christmas [laughter], I don't know if I've ever seen him smile, ever. That's good, and you can tell, he's one of those guys who really wants to play. Nick [Mangold] probably got here before physicals started so he's upset about that. But this is great. The whole team is excited, I'm sure these next couple days everybody will be in here, and as much as I can be here I will, as much as I can deal with the coaches I will. Now it's a matter of really getting focused, eliminating all of our distractions and starting our season.
On restructuring his contract as a selling point to free agents…
Absolutely, I've told the guys upstairs this too, whatever it takes to win. If it's throwing the ball left-handed and that's what'll make us win, fine I'll throw it left-handed. It doesn't matter, we need to win. We'll get the right players and we'll tell them everything we need to tell them that is true and we'll move on from there.
On if he's talked to Edwards…
A little bit as well, but same thing, they're in a tough position and I want to respect their privacy, I'll talk about it when their deals get settled.
On if it is comforting to speak with Edwards and Holmes about their situations…
Oh absolutely, there's no doubt. They're not the only ones who want to play here. There are plenty of free agents who would love to play here and are probably calling Rex right now wanting to play here. But we know what this team needs, and we hope they're a part of it. So we'll go from there.
On if he saw Rex Ryan…
Absolutely, right away. It was good, it was good to see him. I gave him a big hug.
On Rex Ryan telling the fans that the offense is going to air it out more…
It could mean a million things, I have no idea, but I'm excited to keep playing, I'm excited to improve. I think for us to win and take that next step, it's going to require me improving. That's a part of this whole thing and a part of this learning process. Rex understands that, and that's Rex's deal, put just a little more pressure on the quarterback [smiling].
On how it feels now to have some time before the first practice of training camp…
I feel like we're just holding our breath. It's a weird feeling. We're happy to be back and now we're just kind of waiting. One eye on the door, one eye on the coaches and one eye on the training room. That'd be three eyes [laughing]. You take your eye off one and refocus it. It's good. We're all just excited, anticipating, when is so and so getting back? Are we signing Braylon? Tone? What's going on? Cro[martie]? I mean we have a ton of names out there that we could really use.
On how weird the first week of practice will be with new free agents...
I was just talking about the on field stuff, it feels like we're easing into this thing and it sounds like every team is doing that. And that's important, staying healthy. As far as free agents go, they have to make up for that time we didn't have. There are always guys right on the chopping block right when they get in here, and now it seems even more stressful for those guys. So we'll help every guy we can, treat them all the same and hopefully they can help us.
On how Edwards improved and how Holmes' second year could be similar…
It's one thing getting a guy in here for that first season like Braylon had my rookie year, midway through the year, three games in. But that second year and that whole offseason together and just being around each other so much you just get so much more comfortable.
You could pull out 100 plays on film where one of us wasn't perfect but the other guy kind of bails you out and that's just from practicing, that's just from being comfortable and working together for more than just one season or a few games in one season. That's playing in those tough moments- the Wild Card, Divisional, Championship games and really starting to trust each other, so I feel like I'm so close to getting that from those guys that I'd love to have them back. I know that's an important part of this free agency process.
On if he has thought about the prospect of having Holmes with a year under his belt…
Absolutely, just knowing the terminology even better than he did last year and he learned it fast. That's a credit to him. The kind of study habits he has, the kind of veteran leadership he can provide a lot of our young receivers, that's important. He's been in all of those crunch-time situations and he's been through a couple of them with me now. That's nice to know you have that guy with you, just like I know I have J-Co [Jerricho Cotchery]. Some of those younger guys are going to have to step up. Dustin Keller, I'm already comfortable with Dustin. That's the kind of rapport we're building, and I'd love to have that again.
On if he has thought about what he can do better to help the team reach the Super Bowl…
I think the overall goal is we want to win that game, just play a complete game. Don't play a great first half against Indianapolis and then take a dive in the second half. Don't play awful, as bad as you can, a sack and caused fumble right before halftime and then come out on fire in the second half. You have to do it all. Then again, you try to break that down even further and simplify it. Get a couple of more completions early in the game. Convert a couple of more third downs in the red zone. We were awful in the red zone on third down.
Then who knows? We win one, two, three more games. Don't win them all in the last second of the game. Let's save a little bit so we can prolong the season. Who knows? Maybe we're playing at our place for a Championship game. Then, we win that thing going away and rolling into a Super Bowl. Who knows? Flip a coin, we might win the game. Who knows? That's what I took from last year.
Individually, we talked about getting more completions. There are specific plays where I just missed a couple of guys that were wide open and that can't happen. It's my third year coming up, that's where I need to get better. Nick, whether it's a holding penalty here or a snap cadence there, whatever it is, he'll find that. Brandon Moore will find that in his game. Darrelle Revis will find that. If all of us do that, this camp, these next few weeks, we will be a tough team to play with and to try and beat.
On how he can improve off-the-field…
Just develop that routine. Something I did this past year was stay close to the facility, especially during the playoffs, those last [weeks]. Especially on a Tuesday night, you're off on Tuesday and we come in and have a meeting at night and then stay right here either at Mangold's house or [Mark] Brunell's house, so I'm up early in the morning and I don't have that long drive in the morning. That helped a lot. It really focused me for that week.
It started off Wednesday right, which starts your week off right. We inevitably had our best games in the playoffs. That was one of those things that we found in my routine last year, and it could be something that easy. For some guys, it might just be eating breakfast in the morning or do this stretch one more time during the day and that stuff really can make a difference, so we're looking for everything we can possibly do.
On Tom Moore being hired as an offensive consultant…
I haven't even had the honor to meet him yet, but I'm excited about the possibility of that and hearing his input. Anything he did for Peyton [Manning] was obviously great, so I'd love to have some of that rub off and help me. I'm honored to work with him and I can't wait to meet him.
On what he did in the building on his first day back…
They said we can't do much. We just had some physical stuff, said hello to the coaches and that's it. I've just kind of been walking around waiting for something to do, but we can do stuff on our own, so I'll be working out if I can.
