PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Six years ago, Rex Ryan's frustration grew as an ugly, 35-day contract holdout by top New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis played out in front of a national television audience on HBO's "Hard Knocks."

Ryan, then-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum and then-Jets defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman showed up at Revis' front door; nobody was home. Ryan flew to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with Jets owner Woody Johnson to negotiate directly with Revis; nothing immediately came of it. Ryan later walked out on a conference call with Revis' uncle and negotiator, Sean Gilbert, declaring that his focus would turn to football; eventually, the two sides agreed to a new deal.

Given that experience in 2010 with his top Jets cornerback, you can bet Ryan was ecstatic that a similar ordeal with the Buffalo Bills’ best cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, was avoided when the fifth-year veteran reported to training camp Thursday evening.

"I never even flinched," a sarcastic Ryan declared Friday when asked about his fears over a possible Gilmore holdout. "No, I'll tell you what: it's good to see him. But you do try to not overreact, try to hug him in public. But I'm happy to have him back."

Gilmore is entering the final year of his rookie contract and hinted during minincamp in June that he would consider not reporting to training camp on time. He confirmed Friday that he gave thought to that possibility.

"I looked at every situation, and it was the smart thing for me to come here and be with my teammates, work on my game, and do whatever I can to improve myself individually and for the team," he said. "I just didn't want to [hold out]. It wasn't really a long thinking process. I just sat down and said this is the smart thing to do."

Gilmore, the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft, has blossomed into one of the NFL's best cornerbacks and is set to earn $11.082 million this season. He didn't shy away Friday from including himself in the top of the heap at his position, naming Arizona's Patrick Peterson, Denver's Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, as well as Seattle's Richard Sherman as others who are the game's best.

So what about Josh Norman, whose five-year, $75 million deal with the Washington Redskins this spring has been considered a benchmark for Gilmore's ongoing negotiations with the Bills?

"I mean, he's a good football player," Gilmore said Friday. "He's a good football player. Can't take nothing from him. He makes plays, took his team to the Super Bowl. Shut down the top guys. He's a good player."

Asked if he believes he's worth a contract on par with Norman's, Gilmore smiled and said, "I mean, we'll see."

Gilmore said he doesn't want to talk about his contract during the regular season but did not specifically say whether he'll tell his agent, Jason Chayut, to break off negotiations with the team once September rolls around. Until then, Gilmore says talks will continue.

"If it gets done, it gets done," he said of a possible August agreement. "I don't know the possibility, but I just know what I'm worth. So if it's not that, then it's not gonna get done."

General manager Doug Whaley said Friday that "lines of communication have been open" between Chayut and the Bills, adding, "all contract situations are usually a long, drawn out process and we'll see how it goes."

If the two sides cannot reach a new deal by February, the franchise tag becomes a possibility with Gilmore, although the Bills might need to use that designation on quarterback Tyrod Taylor if he is not extended before that time.

"I mean, nobody wants to get tagged, but if it happens, it happens," Gilmore said Friday. "I wouldn't be the first for it to happen to, and I wouldn't be the last. So I'll deal with that when the time comes."