Rex is Watching the Jets from Afar

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NFL lockout: Rex Ryan is watching the Jets from afar

Published: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 8:54 PM Updated: Thursday, June 16, 2011, 9:01 PM

Star-Ledger Staff By Star-Ledger Staff

By Mike Vorkunov and Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

NEW YORK — Rex Ryan spent tonight signing copies of his book in New York, but when it comes to keeping track of his players during the NFL lockout, the Jets coach insists he is as informed as the people receiving those autographed books.

After about 40 Jets players held workouts earlier this week at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Ryan says he has only been able to read about it and rely on those second-hand accounts.

The only thing he knows for sure is if that many of his players are getting together, at least they will be having a good time.

“Any time you get that many of our players together, I know one thing: They’re having fun,” Ryan said tonight at Jets Shop Manhattan. “I think that’s the important thing. What went on in those practices, who knows? I see what I read in the papers. I trust that they’re having fun.”

What he can take away is the development of quarterback Mark Sanchez. As part of his maturation process, Ryan believes Sanchez is growing into a leader, and organizing those workouts — along with an early set in California — is another point on that development curve.

“I think the big jump that you’re going to see that Mark makes this year will be in his leadership,” Ryan said. “This is his third year. Last year, he proved to all of his teammates how hard he’s willing to work. Not just getting himself back from injury but knowing the playbook, being in every single offensive staff meeting we had last year.

“And going on the field, he also showed how competitive he is. All those fourth-quarter comebacks, he seems to play best in the biggest moments. That’s a mark of a leader. I think he is that guy for us now.”

Who Sanchez will throw his passes to this season is uncertain. The Jets’ top two receivers — Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes — are free agents. Plaxico Burress, recently released from prison, has expressed an interest in playing for the Jets.

While Ryan was happy his organization is a desirable location for some across the league, he was more interested in keeping those who are already on the team.

“What (GM) Mike (Tannenbaum) and I have always talked about is that we want as many of our own players as we possibly can get,” Ryan said. “Once the rules are in place and we understand what those rules are, we’ll address those things and have a better idea of what the rules are.”

But Ryan knows bringing everyone back may not be realistic.

“To really speculate on this player, that player, whatever, it’s really what we said before — we would love to have all of our players back — that’s probably not a real possibility,” he said. “But we’re going to make a real effort. We’ll see what happens. Until we really know the rules of free agency, we have no idea.”

When those rules get put in place, and the NFL is back to a new normal, is something Ryan will not speculate on, instead guaranteeing that the Jets will be ready.

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Jets running back Shonn Greene attended the voluntary team workouts at Fairleigh Dickinson University last week and said that it was a good opportunity to finally get some team workouts in after a few weeks of independent work.

"It was good man, I think the most important thing was getting back around the guys, man, and it was good to see," he said at a Pampers 50th Anniversary event in New York City.

Greene said the players were all riding high based on the most recent picture painted of the lockout, that a resolution would come sooner than expected.

"I feel like we're even going to get all the preseason in," he said.

Greene still expects everyone to be up in Cortland for training camp, a possibility that seemed dim just a few weeks earlier.

His only qualms with "Camp Lockout" was the team Knockout competition that Drew Coleman and Joe McKnight won. Mark Sanchez got a menswear company to sponsor the event and provided the winners with custom suits.

"I think Joe was kind of cheating a little bit," Greene said. "He had a strategy that not everyone was approving of."