CORTLAND — Chaz Schilens was clearly annoyed by Antonio Cromartie’s assertion that he was the team’s second best wide receiver when he met with the media after Wednesday’s practice.
But after getting an extra day to think about it, Schilens took a more conciliatory tone yesterday.
“I was probably a little agitated,” Schilens said after yesterday’s practice. “I probably said some stuff that I shouldn’t have. Everything’s taken care of … [there are] no problems with [Cromartie].”
Schilens stood up for the Jets’ wide receivers following Cromartie’s appearance on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday, when the cornerback declared he was the team’s second-best option at wide receiver. Cromartie refused to speak to reporters for a second straight day yesterday.
For his part, Schilens made it clear he was ready to move on.
“I think it was a teachable moment,” he said. “I understand what I could have done differently.”
But even as Schilens tried to move past the controversy, he received a strong show of public support from Mark Sanchez.
“We’re not even going down that road,” Sanchez said. “That’s stupid. Who cares? [Cromartie] is very athletic. Athletically, could he be one of our best receivers? Probably.
“Chaz is an awesome player … he’s playing his butt off, so we’re not even going there. It’s a non-issue.”
Coach Rex Ryan said he spoke to his team about the situation to clear the air, following through on a promise after last season’s internal strife to have a better handle on what’s happening inside the locker room.
“I just took the time to say we always need to be mindful of what’s in the best interest of our team,” he said.
Ryan said that he didn’t worry about the controversy becoming divisive inside the locker room.
“I think everybody laughed about it except Chaz,” Ryan said. “That’s the truth. Chaz should know [Cromartie’s] not a No. 2 receiver. How many balls has he caught? How many has he run?
“I was just shocked that he never said he’d be the best receiver.”
Schilens also admitted that things are a little different with the Jets than they were with the Raiders, where he spent the first four years of his career before he signed with the Jets during this offseason.
“I’ve never really seen anything like this,” he said. He then added, with a smile, “It was a little bit different in Oakland, to say the least.”