Jets rookie safety Calvin Pryor showed how much he’s already fitting in by saying he doesn’t like Tom Brady and that he hates the Patriots.
On Wednesday, coach Rex Ryan stood behind his first-round pick.
“I like it,” Ryan said. “He knows who the enemy is.”
Ryan said the Jets have respect for the Patriots, but they don’t like anyone they have to play, especially their division rivals.
“They’re the ones we have to beat,” Ryan said. “We recognize it, as everybody should. They’ve won it 10 out of 11 years or something like that. The only year they don’t win it is the year Brady wasn’t there. I think that’s obviously your chief rival and your biggest enemy or whatever. You probably respect them more than anybody, but at the same time, no, you don’t like them.”
The Jets have not won the AFC East since Ryan took over the team in 2009, with the Patriots winning every year.
“They’ve earned what we’re looking to earn and that’s to win that division,” Ryan said.
CB Dexter McDougle practiced for the first time Wednesday. McDougle, the team’s third-round pick, has been recovering from September shoulder surgery and had been forced to wear a red jersey, signifying no contact, during the first eight organized team activities.
“I’ve been real patient up until this point,” McDougle said. “Then when I came in here and there was a green jersey hanging up, I was just real happy. All of the guys were like, ‘Oh, he’s out of the red, he’s out of the red.’ So it was just a really good time today. I’m happy and it will keep getting better from here.”
After the practice, Ryan singled McDougle out in front of the team for how impressive he was.
The following players did not practice: WR Jeremy Kerley (personal reasons), G Willie Colon (knee), LB Antwan Barnes (knee), RB Mike Goodson (undisclosed), RB Chris Johnson (knee), RB Daryl Richardson (toe), WR Jacoby Ford (undisclosed) and rookie WR Shaq Evans (completing school). … Ryan said he expects Goodson to be at mandatory minicamp next week. … Ryan expects Johnson to be limited in minicamp as he recovers from knee surgery.