New Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said a sales pitch from coach Robert Saleh convinced him to come to New York.
Rankins agreed to a two-year contract worth up to $ 17 million with the Jets on Sunday. During an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday, Rankins said Saleh was a selling point to join the Jets.
“When he called me and expressed his interest and how much he really wanted me to be a part of this and the vision he had for me and Quinnen [Williams] inside and carl [Lawson] on the edge, it turned me on, ”Rankins said. “It made me want to be a part of something special.”
Rankins spent the past five seasons with the Saints. His best season was in 2018 when he had eight sacks and 12 tackles to lose. He has been dealing with Achilles tendon problems for the past two seasons that hurt his production. Rankins, who will turn 27 next month, said the problems have been resolved and he is healthy.
“The last few years haven’t exactly gone the way I wanted them to,” Rankin said. “One thing I can assure you is that I’m back, in terms of feeling like myself.”
The Jets added Lawson on the outside to give Saleh’s defense a boost. The defensive line already had Williams, who is coming off a strong second year. Rankins said he’s a fan of Williams, whom the Jets selected No. 3 overall in 2019 from Alabama.
“I’ve watched Quinnen since he was in Alabama,” Rankins said. “I saw the true impact defender that he really is. Seeing it bloom last year, but it’s really only scratching the surface. He’s still doing a lot of things just being better than a lot of people. I think once you fine-tune a few things … I’ve been in this game for six years. I’ve seen a lot, I’ve been through a lot. I can give you some nuggets here and there. “
Rankins said he spoke with guys who played for Saleh in San Francisco, where he was defensive coordinator from 2017-20, and feels he is a good fit in his defense.
“I think, you know, for me, going into this whole process, I had some things that were going to be important to me,” Rankins said. “The adjustment of the scheme was going to be great, opportunity and vision. I needed a team that saw me as the player who saw myself and I think I got it, you know, with the Jets. So, you know, when all those things lined up and obviously I talked to everyone in the building and I saw what we are capable of building and I saw what they are already building, I got on board. “
Rankins feels now that he is healthy, ready for a great season.
“I think I’ve gotten back to feeling like everything I felt in 2018, which is obviously my best year where I felt like I was reaching out as a top-tier D-tackle in this league,” he said. “The last few years have been frustrating, you know, because I, as a player, am going to fight everything I can to be out there, you know, fighting with my teammates. And sometimes, you know, obviously from the outside perspective, they don’t see all the things that I’m fighting for and they just see me as unproductive or not explosive or not being the guy I used to be. not knowing everything I’m dealing with. So, it’s tough, you know, it’s tough mentally, tough physically, but you know, weak and weak-minded people don’t play these games. So, you know, I’ve been able to fight through that and, and I continue to work and I continue to trust my own process, you know, I continue to trust my own abilities and, and I continue to trust that, you know, there will be a point in the that I’ll feel like myself again. And once I get to that point, you know, it’s time to turn off all the noise. “
New Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said a sales pitch from coach Robert Saleh convinced him to come to New York.
Rankins agreed to a two-year contract worth up to $ 17 million with the Jets on Sunday. During an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday, Rankins said Saleh was a selling point to join the Jets.
“When he called me and expressed his interest and how much he really wanted me to be a part of this and the vision he had for me and Quinnen [Williams] inside and carl [Lawson] on the edge, I was excited, “Rankins said. “It made me want to be a part of something special.”
Rankins spent the past five seasons with the Saints. His best season was in 2018 when he had eight sacks and 12 tackles to lose. He has been dealing with Achilles tendon problems for the past two seasons that hurt his production. Rankins, who will turn 27 next month, said the problems have been resolved and he is healthy.
“The last few years haven’t exactly gone the way I wanted them to,” Rankin said. “One thing I can assure you is that I’m back, in terms of feeling like myself.”
The Jets added Lawson on the outside to give Saleh’s defense a boost. The defensive line already had Williams, who is coming off a strong second year. Rankins said he’s a fan of Williams, whom the Jets selected No. 3 overall in 2019 from Alabama.
“I’ve watched Quinnen since he was in Alabama,” Rankins said. “I saw the true impact defender that he really is. Seeing it bloom last year, but it’s really only scratching the surface. He’s still doing a lot of things just being better than a lot of people. I think once you fine-tune a few things … I’ve been in this game for six years. I’ve seen a lot, I’ve been through a lot. I can give you some nuggets here and there. “
Rankins said he spoke with guys who played for Saleh in San Francisco, where he was defensive coordinator from 2017-20, and feels he is a good fit in his defense.
“I think, you know, for me, going into this whole process, I had some things that were going to be important to me,” Rankins said. “The adjustment of the scheme was going to be great, opportunity and vision. I needed a team that saw me as the player who saw myself and I think I got it, you know, with the Jets. So, you know, when all those things lined up and obviously I talked to everyone in the building and I saw what we are capable of building and I saw what they are already building, I got on board. “
Rankins feels now that he is healthy, ready for a great season.
“I think I’m getting back to feeling like everything I felt in 2018, which is obviously my best year where I felt like I was reaching out to be a top d-tackle in this league,” he said. “The last few years have been frustrating, you know, because I, as a player, am going to fight everything I can to be out there, you know, fighting with my teammates. And sometimes, you know, obviously from the outside perspective, they don’t see all the things that I’m fighting for and they just see me as unproductive or not explosive or not being the guy I used to be. not knowing everything I’m dealing with. So, it’s tough, you know, it’s tough mentally, tough physically, but you know, weak and weak-minded people don’t play these games. So, you know, I’ve been able to fight through that and, and I continue to work and I continue to trust my own process, you know, I continue to trust my own abilities and, and I continue to trust that, you know, there will be a point in the that I will feel like me again. And once I get to that point, you know, it’s time to turn off all the noise. “