New York Jets Quotes: Todd Bowles speaks on Devin Smith

Head coach Todd Bowles of the New York Jets continues to shed light on all the latest regarding his new team. In this particular editorial, he gives full details on the injury to Devin Smith, Dee Milliner and how he plans to handle the running back situation heading into the upcoming season.

We here at The Jet Press would like to thank the Media Relations Department of the Jets as they have sent us a full transcript from Bowles breaking everything down. Here it is in its entirety:

More from Jets News

On WR Devin Smith’s injury…

He’s out a couple of weeks obviously. Anywhere from four to six weeks, hopefully he comes back sooner than that. It gives the other guys opportunities to play. These type of things happen. It was a freak accident. We’ll try to get him back as fast as we can, but we want him to be healthy. But the other guys, it gives us a good chance to look at them.

On how the first day of pads went…

Efficiency wise, I though the offense did a pretty good job especially blocking and not having any turnovers. Obviously there were penalties, but they were two downfield. We didn’t have any false starts and basically I thought they showed up to play. I thought the defense wore down. Some of the guys were probably running and working out indoors in the summer and they got worn down. Assignment wise, everyone knew what they were doing. Intensity wise, I thought they wore down. Hopefully we can be a little better tomorrow.

On impressions of Dee Milliner on his first day out there…

He showed up and made a play so I noticed him. That was the biggest thing, but the fact to see him out there healthy and not blowing any mental assignments was a good thing. Hopefully he continues that.

On if he looked ginger at all…

I didn’t see him look ginger at all.

On Darrelle Revis not being matched up on Brandon Marshall a lot…

They are playing left and right, right now. We’re not game planning or anything. Marshall is typically the X which lines up on the right side and Revis is the left corner. It’s not a matchup deal other than one-on-ones. They kind of line up on offense how they line up and they line up on defense how they line up.

On if they will, matchup Revis on the other team’s top receiver…

We’ll have games where we do that, but it all depends on the other matchups as well. It will be game-plan specific as we get into it and it’s how we match up with the tight end, how we match up with the backs, how we match up with the other receivers, so it will be relative as we go.

On Jace Amaro’s next step in his progression…

Well a second-year player hopefully he becomes a better pro. As a rookie, I don’t think you get to catch it all. Your second year, you kind of get an idea. Jace is working really hard on his blocking and he’s done some things in the passing game yesterday. You just want to see continued progress.

Aug 7, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets tight end Jace Amaro (88) makes a catch during warmups before the start of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

On how Willie Colon looked…

Physically he looked healthy. I didn’t take a good look at him. I wasn’t concentrating on him the whole time, but I saw him in individual drills and it looked like he was moving around. He sounded like he was having fun, so it will be good to see. I’ll take a look at the film.

On if there was anything he didn’t like in particular…

I mean, you’re never satisfied. You don’t do anything right the first day of pads. You’re just happy no one got hurt. I’ll look at the film and I’ll check it out. I thought we wore down. We have to get in better shape.

On if he will take all of camp to decide on the right guard position…

I think I’ll sit down and concentrate on it. Once I know enough guys got enough reps at it, I’ll sit down and take a look at it. Some of them get the zone blocks, some of them get the power blocks, some of them get the pass blocks and soon they each have enough reps and they have some quality competition out there, and they have enough reps to make a judgment call, you make it.

On if there is anything he can draw from the fact that his primary quarterbacks has not thrown a pick three-straight days or is that too early…

Don’t jinx me (laughter). Shhhh. Don’t say anything (laughter).

On Chris Owusu making a lot of plays…

He’s a steady player. He’s one of the guys that flies under the radar. He’s smart, he’s steady, he’s more deceptive (than you think), he’s quicker than you think, he’s always in the right place and he’s young. He just needs a chance to play and he made some plays today, he made some yesterday. He’s getting a chance to do that.

On drawing the line on players being aggressive in practice…

You draw it on the tackling and you draw it on hitting the receivers catching the ball downfield. But blocking wise and plugging up somebody in the hole if you have the chance, that’s pretty much all live.

On Devin Smith has been released from the hospital…

Not at this time. He wasn’t before practice.

On if there was something that would warrant him staying in the hospital this long…

No, I don’t think so. I think that just with the medicine they are trying to give him a chance to heal and err on the side of precaution other than just letting him go.

On if an injury is worse when it is a rookie and they need the reps…

No it’s not any worse if it’s a rookie. You don’t want to see anyone get hurt, regardless whether it was Devin or if it was a guy that played five, six, seven years.

May 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Devin Smith (84) catches a pass during organized team activities at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

On if he can make a contribution this season given he is going to miss all this time…

It’s too early to tell. I wish I was more of a doctor, a rib specialist. Some people heal differently depending on the meds they give him and how he reacts. I think I’ll get a better feel in a couple weeks as it goes on. Maybe not the four-to-six weeks, but I’ll have a better feel in about two-to-three.

On how missing camp will limit his development…

It will slow it down some. I think it will catch up pretty quickly once he gets healthy. That’s the main thing. He was getting a good grasp of it the past couple days. Obviously he studied over the summer. Before he left, he was making a lot of mistakes, when he came back the last two days I thought he was pretty good. It will slow him down some, but he’ll have to catch up and he’ll get up to speed. It won’t be right away, but he’ll get up to speed.

On who stood out today…

I don’t think anybody stood out. Offensively, I thought the offensive line did a good job not busting any assignments and getting on their blocks.

On if he will be rotating Colon, Brian Winters and Brent Qvale…

Yeah, those guys will get a bunch reps.

What about Oday Aboushi…

Yes, he’s in the mix as well.

So it’s those four guys…

Yes. Ben Ijalana will even get some reps in there. There’s about four or five guys that will get some reps. We’ll see who’s moving the pile, who’s pass protecting, we’ll see who’s consistent enough to be put in that spot.

On if he will be rotating through preseason of if he can make that decision earlier…

I can make it earlier than the end of preseason.

On if he could make the decision as early as the second preseason game…

Possibly, if everybody is healthy. We’ll see how it goes. You’ll see a lot in practice. If all goes well, it will be two, probably three games in. The third game typically is when you game plan and you get a better look at guys. Some guys will play against top-notch guys. Some guys will play against back-ups. It may not be as evenly as possible, so you have to sit back and look at everything.

On if there any update on Stevan Ridley…

No, no new updates.

On if the unexpected happening as a head coach making it hard at the start of camp…

No, it’s not. I got a full flux of it in Arizona the past two years with Daryl Washington the first year, and the second year, losing a lot of guys on offense and defense as well as two quarterbacks, so these are things you adjust with. That’s why you have to make sure everyone on the roster is ready to play. So when you keep a guy, you don’t just keep him and expect him to sit on the sideline. He better know what he’s doing.

On if Bryce Petty having challenges is par for the course…

Yeah, he’s a rookie. He’s going to have some challenges. He’s anxious and his upper body is moving slower than his lower body. He’s a little anxious with his feet. He’ll calm down. I’m not worried about that. The first day, he is a little gun-happy and gung ho, but he’ll calm down and put the ball in the right place.

May 8, 2015; Florham Park, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (9) drops back to pass during rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

On managing the running back reps evenly…

It will be split. I don’t know if it will be even, but it will be close to even. We will take a look at all of them. I want to see them all.

On if he is a believer of having a three-down back…

You can have a three-down back. It’s just a matter of how much endurance he has. You want to give him a spell, you don’t want him to wear down. Sometimes backs go 10, 12, 15-play drives and they are in there every snap they may fumble in those 12 because you haven’t given them a break. Right now, you got backs that can do specialty things and give those guys a break you put them in there.

On if it is possible one of the running backs can emerge as a three-down back…

It’s possible, but I’m still going to spell them because I’m going to try to keep everyone fresh for the whole season.

Next: New York Jets Quotes: Darrelle Revis mentoring Milliner

More from The Jet Press

Home/Jets News