As the Darrelle Revis trade drama reaches the two-month mark, Jets head coach Rex Ryan insists the team is not trying to get rid of its best player.
“I know for a fact that we’re not actively trying to trade Darrelle Revis,” Ryan said Tuesday at the NFL league meetings in Phoenix. “At the same time, if somebody calls, you’re going to listen no matter who the player is — Darrelle Revis, Joe Montana, whoever.”
The Jets have been talking to teams about trading Revis over the last month and it looks like they will probably move him before the 2013 season. Ryan, a defensive coach, sounded like any Revis deal would be out of his control.
“I want all our players on the team,” Ryan said. “Sometimes that happens, and sometimes that doesn’t — as I’ve learned. Every player I’ve ever had, I feel a loyalty to. But I’ll coach whoever’s on our football team, clearly, but I’ll always have a loyalty to all the guys I’ve coached.”
Ryan said he thought the reports were made up when it was first rumored the team was considering trading Revis.
“Everything we talk about is speculation,” Ryan said. “People are like, well, it’s a foregone conclusion. I don’t believe it. With that, I’m not naive enough … obviously, there are going to be several people that are interested in your good players, whether it’s Revis or anybody else. There’s always that.”
Revis is currently rehabbing his surgically repaired left knee. Ryan spoke with his cornerback recently.
“I had a good conversation with him,” Ryan said. “Mainly, it was about what I thought about the reports when they came out. We talked about his rehab and how he’s coming along. He’s about as competitive of a guy as I’ve ever been around, and I know he’s attacking his rehab like nobody’s business.”