The NFL’s most quotable coach joked yesterday at the NFL meetings here that Bill Belichick should have benched the wise-cracking wideout “for the whole game —for next year.

Welker was being punished for lacing a press conference with references to feet, an allusion to a video that surfaced late last season that many believe revealed Ryan’s foot fetish.

Ryan viewed Belichick’s brief benching of Welker as a sign of respect and called it “kind of neat.’’

“You know what’s funny? It was just something that’s not the Patriot way of doing things,’’ Ryan said of Welker’s verbal jabs. “Obviously [Belichick] was upset about that. But at the time I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s pretty cool.’ You know? I thought it was kind of neat.’’

Ryan said he has a friendly relationship with Welker, but felt the receiver’s comments crossed the line.

“People don’t know this but Wes Welker and Mike Smith, who is on our staff [as a volunteer defensive assistant], were college roommates,’’ Ryan said. “Wes Welker, myself, [defensive coordinator] Mike Pettine and Mike Smith, we text back and forth and are ripping each other back and forth before we ever play. That’s what we do.’’

Ryan offered that the back-and-forth could be something like Welker asking who will be covering him and the coaches responding that it will be nose tackle Sione Pouha.

“Trust me, we have said a lot worse to each other than what was reported,’’ Ryan said. “I just think he went public with those comments and I think that’s what upset Belichick.’’

Welker has publicly apologized for his comments.

Breakfast in bed? Belichick was the only coach to skip the coaches’ breakfast with media yesterday. The 75-minute session is not a requirement, but rather an event that provides reporters the opportunity to chat with coaches.

While he was not in the ballroom, Belichick was in the building; he was spotted walking past the open doors of the room, peeking in, and then walking right on by.

Yesterday afternoon, Belichick cracked wise with reporters about his absence, saying, “Sorry I missed you this morning. Alarm clock just didn’t go off.’’

Praise for Seymour Next month, the Patriots may use the first-round draft pick they received from Oakland when they traded Richard Seymour more than 18 months ago.

Even though his team won’t be making a pick in the first 32 slots, new Raiders coach Hue Jackson said he’d take the 31-year old Pro Bowler over any player in the draft.

Seymour has had a major influence on the Raiders since his reluctant arrival in 2009. And he is still playing at a high level.

“He’s a pro,’’ Jackson said. “Obviously Richard’s been in the league a lot of years, had a lot of success, and he’s able to bring to us some of the qualities that he had at the Patriots. He has a burning desire to win, comes to work every day with the thought process to get better and help make his teammates better.

“And I know one thing he does for our team other than plays very well: He’s a very motivational player for us before games. He really calls the guys up and tells them what’s what. He also has that calmness about him. When things get a little unraveled, he can grab people and put them back together, which is really good.

“I’m going to look to him for a lot of leadership as we move forward, and I think he wants that responsibility.’’

Blustery conditions It wouldn’t be a Ryan media session without some of his trademark bluster, and that was on display when he took another swipe at Tom Brady’s film study — though he laughed as he did so — and explained why players should want to play for the Jets.

“I mean, he’s not Peyton Manning when it comes to that,’’ Ryan quipped. “I had to give him hell. You know he can’t stand me. One day, I expect him to roll out one time, launch a ball at me and take the incompletion. That’s what I worry about. I do like to play with him a little bit, but what a great quarterback.’’

On the Jets’ appeal for players: “Our goal is to win a Super Bowl, and I think we’re right there. And basically, I’m letting every player in the league know that: If you want to win a Super Bowl, you should probably come to the Jets.

“When I took the job, I remember saying I want every player in the league to want to come play for the Jets and I want every coach in the league to want to come coach with the Jets.

“I also think you’re in the best market in the world, and oh, by the way, we have a heck of a football team and have a good time playing, too.’’

Greg A. Bedard of the Globe staff contributed to this report.