Mates Welcome Revis Back with Open Arms

[Kentucky Jet]

Mates Welcome Revis Back with Open Arms

Posted by Randy Lange on September 6, 2010 – 3:01 pm

The anticipation was thick at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center this morning. The “Hard Knocks” camera crew was situated near a goalpost outside the building, filming every player coming out of the doors by the locker room. First came newest Jets D-lineman Marcus Dixon, then nose Martin Tevaseu, then Mike DeVito. One after another, 25 or so defensive players in all … and no Darrelle Revis.

In fact, Revis was not going to be practicing today, and so the Jets returned to work today thinking about their own jobs, not about No. 24.

But the Revis contract extension signing was still on, and sometime during practice the corner with an island named after him arrived. As practice ended, he emerged from the double doors and walked with director of player development Dave Scott diagonally across the turf field toward the far grass field. As his teammates recognized him, they all turned to face him and started to applaud and smile.

“We had to wait as long as hell. He was walking from far away,” tight end Dustin Keller said of the 200-yard walk that turned into a jog about halfway through. “We said ‘Hurry your butt up, Revis.’ Finally, he got there and broke us down. And the Revis saga is over.”

And another Darrelle drama begins. How quickly can he get up to speed as one of the best if not the best defensive players in the NFL after staying away from all training camp practices and preseason games? Can it possibly be by the Monday night season opener against the Ravens?

LB Bart Scott was concerned about throwing DR right into the regular-season fire in seven days.

“It’s always tough” in these situations, Scott said. “It’ll be key for us to get off the field on third down, keep his [plays] down, and do it that way.”

“It will probably take one game,” suggested fellow starting CB Antonio Cromartie. “You have to think they’re going to throw the ball, he’ll have to run around a little bit more. He’s probably going to play more than 55 to 60 plays, so it’s a matter of getting the wind up under you. He probably did a great job of doing conditioning and doing the things that he’s supposed to do. He’s already in great shape.

“He is Revis,” Keller added. “He might still have it immediately.”

Revis had an immediate impact on the team today. With him, his agents and the Jets’ brain trust talking in one part of the building, his teammates in the locker room were happy to welcome him back.

“Everybody was excited,” fellow corner Dwight Lowery said. “The whole length of the time everybody wanted him here, coaches, players. There’s a business side to this. Thankfully, this got done at the right time. This is the perfect time for him to come in. I think it’ll give the team a morale boost. Not that we needed one so much, but it’s just good for one of the guys who plays such an important role to this team be here on a consistent basis.”

Jim Leonhard agreed about the timing.

“We have enough time to scheme to protect him like we did last year,” Leonhard joked. “We obviously had to help Revis out, so now we have enough time to help him out.”

“Everybody wanted him to be back,” linebacker Jamaal Westerman said. “I know he wanted to be back and the team wanted him to be back. I’m happy they made everything work for the first game. He’s a tremendous player. I’m excited, man.”

The schedule here at the training center is still somewhat fluid. We expect head coach Rex Ryan to speak as he always does on a practice day, but that availability and the streaming video on newyorkjets.com has been moved back to 4-4:15 p.m. today. Revis also is still expected to talk with reporters, but that time has not been set yet. We’ll attempt to bring that news conference to you via streaming video as well. Both news conferences will be archived on our site.

As is the Jets’ policy, no terms of the contract extension have been released.

In any event, the terms of engagement for Monday’s game have changed. While the plan will obviously to have Revis ready to play and to thus shift rookie Kyle Wilson from a starting role back into the starting nickel position, the Ravens have also changed the equation. According to NFL sources, they signed former Seahawks and Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh this morning, adding him to their receiving corps that includes Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin and TE Todd Heap, not to mention RB Ray Rice.

However Ryan and coordinator Mike Pettine line up No. 24, he’ll be a welcome addition said his teammates.

“It allows us to do a lot more, be a lot more creative in our game planning,” said Lowery. “It just adds another weapon to our defense.”

“That guy makes a lot of plays,” said Wilson, who worked with Revis during OTAs and the veteran minicamp. “We’re glad to have him back.”

“He’s definitely a big piece for us,” Keller said. “It eliminates any opposing receiver you put out there. So that’s always a plus. I’ll tell you, it definitely doesn’t hurt.”

T-Rich Return?

Reports are saying that fullback Tony Richardson, released Sunday when the Jets added three waiver acquisitions to their active roster, could be back in uniform this week before the opener against the Ravens. The team has had no comment on his possible return to start his 16th NFL season.

[JetsFanInDenver]

First they should have tied him to the goal post and given him the Bo Jackson treatment.