Hey Yardbarker, I was finally able to sit down with Coach Mangini. I've been hearing all the media attention that he was getting about being a hard-nosed disciplinarian... The meeting went well, we sat down for about half an hour. We pretty much spoke about last season, what my thoughts were. He wanted me to understand how he would come across as being a coach. One of the things that caught my attention was that he's not on a power trip. Our common goal is winning.
He seems to be a nice guy. I didn't know what to expect from him, but he seems to be a players' coach. One thing he told me, we have to have a great relationship and we have to be able to communicate with each other. We're in the business of winning games. I left that meeting feeling good about the situation.
I was also able to sit down with Rob Ryan, the defensive coordinator, and we talked briefly about his scheme as a DC. We spoke about me taking ownership of this defense and making guys accountable -- not just by saying it but by doing it. I'm going into this year with a different mindset. This is my defense, and I'm gonna hold guys accountable. This is my fourth year in the league and I know what it takes to win. I know what it takes as an individual and as a team, and I'm gonna hold guys accountable. I want guys to play to their ability and hold me accountable also.
Overall the meeting I had with Eric Mangini and Rob Ryan was a good one, I'm glad I was finally able to sit down with them. March 19th, that's when guys report to off season workouts. We're trying to get the right players in, draft the right guys, and look forward to the 09 season.

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