ORLANDO, Fla. — While Leon Washington covets starter-type money, Rex Ryan doesn’t see him in a starter-type role for the Jets this season.
One day after Washington was the lone veteran absentee from the start of the Jets’ voluntary offseason program, Ryan described the running back as little more than a supplement to Shonn Greene and newly signed LaDainian Tomlinson in the Jets’ backfield.
“What we should do … is put [Washington] back to his role, which he had initially, which is third-down back, a change-of-pace type back and a Pro Bowl returner,” the Jets coach said here today during the NFL’s annual meetings. “And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Ryan’s description of a third-down role is sure to ratchet up the questions about Washington’s future with Gang Green, one which is cloudy in general after last year’s gruesome compound leg fracture.
Washington’s absence Monday didn’t go over well with Ryan, who described it as “disappointing.”
“We had an idea that he wasn’t going to be there,” Ryan said. “It is a voluntary situation, but the rest of his teammates volunteered to be there, so it was disappointing that he wasn’t there.”
Still feeling underpaid and upset with changes in the NFL’s labor deal this year that kept him from becoming an unrestricted free agent, Washington refused to sign his $1.7 million tender and did not show up for the first day of voluntary workouts.
Washington’s agent, Alvin Keels, also is hoping to stir interest from other teams that might be willing to sign Washington to an offer sheet and give up a second-round pick as compensation. But the market for an undersized back coming off such a horrific injury so far has been limited.
The Jets fear Washington’s boycott of the offseason program could hurt his injury rehabilitation, too.
Ryan expressed confidence in the ability of the Jets’ medical staff to keep tabs on Washington away from the complex, yet it’s still a concern.
While the Jets and Keels continue to insist Washington will be healthy for the start of training camp, there are no guarantees. That uncertainty is another reason Ryan focused more on Greene and Tomlinson when talking today about the Jets’ rushing attack.
In his first significant comments about Tomlinson since the likely Hall of Fame back signed two weeks ago, Ryan said Tomlinson will have plenty left at age 31 this fall despite more than 3,400 career touches (rushes and receptions).
Ryan even described Greene and Tomlinson as a potential case of Nos. 1 and 1A on the Jets’ tailback depth chart.
“We’re just going to ground and pound away,” Ryan said. “I’m sure some games he’ll have more rushing attempts than Shonn, and I think Shonn will have more than LT in other ones. Hypothetically, we’d see him carry the ball 15 times a game.”
If that happens, Ryan sees another big year from the Jets’ running game.
“I hope we have that opportunity to have that three-headed monster that we talked about last year,” Ryan said. “When you can combine what Shonn Greene and LaDainian and Leon would do for you, I think we’d have the best backfield in the league.”