Jets GM Mike Maccagnan: Success doesn't hinge on making playoffs

[Gas2No99]

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan: Success doesn't hinge on making playoffs

 

By Dick Semen-i

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- General manager Mike Maccagnan spoke to reporters Wednesday for the first time since training camp, a 20-minute fireside chat (sans fire) in which he was asked about several topics surrounding the New York Jets. My quick takeaways:

Ryan Fitzpatrick has a place in the team's future plans. Geno Smith, not so much. Sheldon Richardson still hasn't regained the full trust of the organization. Muhammad Wilkerson's contract talks are on hold until the offseason. Maccagnan doesn't view this as a playoffs-or-bust season.

That latter comment may strike some as a bit curious, considering the Jets (5-4) are in the wild-card chase. In my opinion this is a win-now team, considering the payroll and age of the roster. Maccagnan disagreed, saying short-term success (or failure) won't over-ride the organization's long-term goals.

Asked point blank if the season would be a failure if they fail to reach the postseason, Maccagnan said: "I don't view it as a benchmark, saying, 'We have to be here at some point in time.' We want to build a team that can compete for the playoffs and then, hopefully, at some point in time, beyond that. But I wouldn't necessarily say playoffs-or-not [is] a benchmark."

The fan base has suffered through four straight non-playoff seasons. It deserves a playoff team ... right now, especially in a watered-down AFC. Especially after a 4-1 start.

Interestingly, Todd Bowles offered the opposite take, saying 2015 would be a disappointment if they come up short.

"For me, yes," he said. "You want to get to the playoffs every year. You don’t accept not going."

That the coach and GM have different viewpoints isn't unusual. Actually, it's quite common in the NFL. The coach lives Sunday to Sunday, the GM thinks about the big picture. If the relationship is sound, it sets up a checks-and-balances system.

Ryan Fitzpatrick seems to have a future with the Jets beyond this season. Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

A few other notes from Maccagnan's midseason "state of the union," which lasted roughly as long as John Idzik's infamous preamble last November:

The future at quarterback: Maccagnan said he's "very happy" with Fitzpatrick, who will be a free agent after the season. He raved about Fitzpatrick's intangibles, adding, "I think he has a lot of good football left in him." Indeed, Fitzpatrick, 32, might be their best bet for 2016. Maccagnan said he likes rookie Bryce Petty's potential, but "we're taking our time with him."

What about Smith? Maccagnan noted that Smith is under contract for 2016, often a kiss-of-death comment. The GM declined to say whether he considers Smith a potential starter for the Jets, describing the third-year quarterback as an unknown because of the time he missed because of a broken jaw. For what it's worth, he commended Smith on the way he handled the IK Enemkpali incident.

"The jury is still out, but not in a bad way," Maccagnan said of Smith's future.

I'm not buying that. This administration has been around Smith every day for seven months, so they know what he's about. His non-answer was telling.

Sidestepping the Wilkerson impasse: Maccagnan always seems uncomfortable answering questions about this subject. He offered little, saying, "I'd say for the record, Mo has done a very good job and we're very happy with what he's done so far." He said getting to know Wilkerson in the last few months has been "very positive." Remember, he wasn't around much in the offseason, skipping voluntary workouts because of his unhappiness with his contract. Maccagnan indicated the two sides won't talk about a contact until after the season. Of course, we knew that already.

You can see where this is headed. Wilkerson, in the last year of his contract, will be slapped with the franchise tag.

Not forgiving and forgetting (yet): I like the way Maccagnan responded to a question about Richardson. Unlike Dallas Cowboysowner Jerry Jones, Maccagnan won't turn a blind eye to players who screw up off the field. Richardson, likely facing another suspension because of his July arrest, didn't get a hug and a pat on the back from his GM.

"He's done some good things for us in terms of how he's handled his business, but he's done things, so it's going to take time," Maccagnan said. "As we said early on, it's up to Sheldon what he wants to do and how he wants to handle himself. We're not necessarily judging him on a day-to-day basis, but as we go forward, we'll see how he does. We're doing everything in our power to be supportive. We'll see how it unfolds over time. It's not a case of where he's doing good or he's doing bad. It's been positive and we'll go from there."

[Charlie Brown]

In other words Mac knows what he is doing!!

[joewilly12]

Making excuses already.............NEXT 

[bealeb319]

I mean if you take a team that was 4-12 and take it to 8-8 or better...I would say that is a pretty successful season from a first year Gms point of view.

[Larz]

Making excuses already.............NEXT 

are you getting the billboard ready ?

 

lol

[joewilly12]

are you getting the billboard ready ?

 

lol

Ive got my $20 donation ready to go how about you. 

[AFJF]

Interesting that Bowles says he'd be disappointed if they miss the playoffs but Mac seems cool with it.

[Larz]

Interesting that Bowles says he'd be disappointed if they miss the playoffs but Mac seems cool with it.

I think macc is just trying to keep the tabloid trolls at bay in case the jets miss the playoffs he won't have to give bowles the dreaded vote of confidence or whatever.  he was just being vague and evasive.  I'm sure he is super competitive

[joewilly12]

[Mike135]

Wow, long day and I must really be out of it. I actually just searched to see who Dick Semen was.  Not great search results.

[Gas2No99]

I mean if you take a team that was 4-12 and take it to 8-8 or better...I would say that is a pretty successful season from a first year Gms point of view.

while I agree WHOLE-HEARTEDLY, there is a caveat of already having that precedent set in this organization.  We KNOW FIRST HAND that it can be done. 

1996: Jets were 1-15 heading to their 2nd consecutive 1st overall pick in the draft.  They canned the HC and de facto GM Kotite.

1997: Jets were 9-7 AND ONE GOD-DAMN BARRY SANDERS RIDICULOUS RUN and NON INT by Detroit away from making the playoffs and having one of the greatest franchise turnarounds in history. First time GM Parcells righted the ship in 1 year and had them at 12-4 and the #2 AFC team in the AFCCG by '98.

it can be done - and certain Jets fans want that type of instant gratification- but I like MacCags methodical approach that will hopefully develop into A PROGRAM that drafts & develops its own players creating a team that will always be able to contend (pending QB issues  ) 

[Fibonacci]

 

it can be done - and certain Jets fans want that type of instant gratification- but I like MacCags methodical approach that will hopefully develop into A PROGRAM that drafts & develops its own players creating a team that will always be able to contend (pending QB issues  ) 

This is all good and well but you really need a QB first before everything. Packers are always praised for their homegrown talent. Take Favre and Rodgers away from Packers, see how their program does without them. 

 

[Pac]

I mean if you take a team that was 4-12 and take it to 8-8 or better...I would say that is a pretty successful season from a first year Gms point of view.

I'd view it as an abject failure.  Rex took a team to 8-8 a couple years ago that wasn't in the same stratosphere talent-wise.  This isn't Idziks Jets.  There is zero reason they shouldn't win 10 games.

[dbatesman]

REX would of won 14  gms with this roster minimum, if we dont make the playoffs I would be up for another housecleanign

[bealeb319]

I'd view it as an abject failure.  Rex took a team to 8-8 a couple years ago that wasn't in the same stratosphere talent-wise.  This isn't Idziks Jets.  There is zero reason they shouldn't win 10 games.

You could put together a team of all the best players in the NFL and it wont translate to wins. We have a new head coach who is learning how to be a head coach who is working under a new gm who is learning how to be a gm.. our defensive coordinator is new in that position and still learning how to play that role. It is hard to teach the players to play as you would want them to play while you yourself are still in the learning process. The simplest way I could put it is our team is better off than we were last season and I don't think there is a single person on this forum who will deny that and the fact that we are better off than we were last season (though not saying much) is a win in itself.

[Pac]

REX would of won 14  gms with this roster minimum, if we dont make the playoffs I would be up for another housecleanign

Funny but the level of hypocrisy is astounding.  How can someone destroy Rex for what he did with Idziks roster and give Maccagnan and Bowles a pat on the back for 8-8.  There isn't a unit on the field that isn't vastly improved from anything Rex had.

[Smashmouth]

Funny but the level of hypocrisy is astounding.  How can someone destroy Rex for what he did with Idziks roster and give Maccagnan and Bowles a pat on the back for 8-8.  There isn't a unit on the field that isn't vastly improved from anything Rex had.

We have made some real boneheaded plays that cost our team 2 games. those boneheaded plays were made by players not the coach and not the GM . While I have been some what critical of Bowles I can't blame him for every loss. This team could easily be 8-1 or 7-2 the only game we really got hammered was the Oakland game the other 3 losses were all winnable . Once these players get past that and get the confidence they need to make winning more consistent this team should be fine. In this coming off season you will see players shipped out of here and holes filled and while I still hope for the playoffs this year I'm not betting on it. Once we start building this roster with better depth you might also see a big turn around on ST which at this stage might very well lose us a few more games. Drops, untimely stupid fumbles, and horrid ST play needs to stop before this team can be taken seriously

[T0mShane]

Funny but the level of hypocrisy is astounding.  How can someone destroy Rex for what he did with Idziks roster and give Maccagnan and Bowles a pat on the back for 8-8.  There isn't a unit on the field that isn't vastly improved from anything Rex had.

Case in point: your 9-0 2015 Bills.

[hawk]

Funny but the level of hypocrisy is astounding.  How can someone destroy Rex for what he did with Idziks roster and give Maccagnan and Bowles a pat on the back for 8-8.  There isn't a unit on the field that isn't vastly improved from anything Rex had.

Grass is always greener on the other side....

 

 

 

However, 90% of fans care more about what the papers/media say than what they see on the field.  

[dbatesman]

Funny but the level of hypocrisy is astounding.  How can someone destroy Rex for what he did with Idziks roster and give Maccagnan and Bowles a pat on the back for 8-8. 

Pretty easily. The 2013 squad won an unsustainably large number of close games (the Pythagorean on that team was 5.4 wins, if I recall correctly). I'm sure you're currently furrowing your brow and composing a sick burn about the sexual orientation of math, so let me just save you the trouble: if Rex is a good enough coach to win 8 games in 2013, why did he only win 4 games a year later, with essentially the same roster?

[dbatesman]

if Rex is a good enough coach to win 8 games in 2013, why did he only win 4 games a year later, with essentially the same roster?

(this isn't a rhetorical question)

[BroadwayJets]

Pretty easily. We won an unsustainably large number of close games (the Pythagorean on that 2013 team was something like 5.4 wins). I'm sure you're currently furrowing your brow and composing a sick burn about the sexual orientation of math, so let me just save you the trouble: if Rex is a good enough coach to win 8 games in 2013, why did he only win 4 games a year later, with essentially the same roster?

Clearly it was Austin Howard's departure

[Jetsfan80]

18-30 record his final 3 years here, under 2 different GM's, and Rex still gets the reputation of being a guy who gets the most out of the talent he's given. He's 5-4 with a 9-7 roster.  Woopee.

[RutgersJetFan]

I dunno, I can't tell. I haven't seen much to dictate that he knows what he's doing either way. It's hard to look at this roster and see much to be excited about. This isn't a good enough team to compete for a Super Bowl for the next two years and aside from a very small core of good young defensive players it's hard to say that we're absolutely on the right track. End of the day, this front office has to come up with some sort of coherent plan to find us a quarterback. That's really all that matters, and if they don't start making some serious moves on that end next Spring we'll know what we're dealing with.

Same thing for Bowles really. Up until about the 4th quarter of the New England game it looked like we had finally found a coach, but that has since faded and it's been one cluster**** after another on the field. He really does some stuff that makes you scratch your head sometimes, and the team hasn't looked prepared the past few games. But the sample size is just too small to figure out if he's a dunce or not.

I'm just in meh mode right now. Hopefully it all works out, but there's been enough bad to match the good and with the history of this organization it's hard to be optimistic and trust that yet another administration is going to just figure it all out. Been scorned way too many times at this point. As far as I'm concerned my sports happiness until the Mets report to St. Lucie rests on the shoulders of a 7'3 Latvian giraffe.

[jetfan39]

Making excuses already.............NEXT 

does the sun ever shine in your world.  it must be tough stumbling around in the dark

[detectivekimble]

18-30 record his final 3 years here, under 2 different GM's, and Rex still gets the reputation of being a guy who gets the most out of the talent he's given. He's 5-4 with a 9-7 roster.  Woopee.

It's not the same roster.  The starting QB -- who happened to be a professional QB -- retired.  And as we all know, the starting QB is the most important part of the team.

And I would say that Maccagnan looks like a keeper.  Todd Bowles looks more Herman Edwards than Bill Parcells, though.

[BowlesMovement]

Pretty easily. The 2013 squad won an unsustainably large number of close games (the Pythagorean on that team was 5.4 wins, if I recall correctly). I'm sure you're currently furrowing your brow and composing a sick burn about the sexual orientation of math, so let me just save you the trouble: if Rex is a good enough coach to win 8 games in 2013, why did he only win 4 games a year later, with essentially the same roster?

I would LOVE for one of the Rex knob slobberers to answer this question, just once.

[southparkcpa]

Pretty easily. The 2013 squad won an unsustainably large number of close games (the Pythagorean on that team was 5.4 wins, if I recall correctly). I'm sure you're currently furrowing your brow and composing a sick burn about the sexual orientation of math, so let me just save you the trouble: if Rex is a good enough coach to win 8 games in 2013, why did he only win 4 games a year later, with essentially the same roster?

not to mention REX had a say in personnel in his 6 years.

[Jetman55]

I mean if you take a team that was 4-12 and take it to 8-8 or better...I would say that is a pretty successful season from a first year Gms point of view.

first year coaches and GM...already identified huge hole with special teams coach.  8-8 and 9-7 seems like a positive direction.  I think it shows some improved turnover in coaching and roster talent.

 

Revis, carpenter, Marshall, fitzpatrick, and Skrine have been huge upgrades...Cro may have been a swing and miss.  Williams and Mauldin showing flashes.  Overall, we've improved in a lot of areas, IMO...coaching, personnel, etc

[Patriot Killa]

Making excuses already.............NEXT 

wtf is wrong with you....? A honest question lol. Who says these stupid things and means them.

[Jetdawgg]

Coaching is better this season. Just look at Pryor. The running game was down for 3 weeks. They looked better in the loss last week despite no back up RB and an OL that has Winters. Even Winters is playing better.

ST is struggling. This FO sees that and has brought in mid season possible help. This team has had injuries everywhere with the exception of the DL. There was a major starter suspended there. 

No TE. Again the injury hurt this team. However, the coaching staff improvised. I keep reading about Cro this and Cro that. This team could not have started the season with Williams, McD or Delicate Dee at CB. Cro was a very logical choice. He has yet to make the plays we'd like to see and at this point probably won't. Clearly Cro has been an upgrade from last season.

the QB play has been adequate at best. 14 is at least playing at a professional level. I do see the FO looking hard next season for an answer there though. Practice squad players have stepped in and produced. I thought 45 played well last week for a player that is considered marginal NFL talent. That is called coaching.

inadequate starting players are being removed from their positions. Clearly, all of the horses are not yet in place. Damario may have already played himself off of the team. Right now though there is no competent replacement. I like what I am seeing here. Both sides of the team have improved and they are looking to upgrade the ST in mid season. That is an aggressive move. 

Time to stop watching all that NFL crap that is online, in the papers and on tv. Too many opinions and hardly enough fact. The thing about facts though is they are pretty stubborn I was told. The NY Jets are a franchise heading in the right direction.

Go Jets.

 

[sourceworx]

Coaching is better this season. Just look at Pryor. The running game was down for 3 weeks. They looked better in the loss last week despite no back up RB and an OL that has Winters. Even Winters is playing better.

ST is struggling. This FO sees that and has brought in mid season possible help. This team has had injuries everywhere with the exception of the DL. There was a major starter suspended there. 

No TE. Again the injury hurt this team. However, the coaching staff improvised. I keep reading about Cro this and Cro that. This team could not have started the season with Williams, McD or Delicate Dee at CB. Cro was a very logical choice. He has yet to make the plays we'd like to see and at this point probably won't. Clearly Cro has been an upgrade from last season.

the QB play has been adequate at best. 14 is at least playing at a professional level. I do see the FO looking hard next season for an answer there though. Practice squad players have stepped in and produced. I thought 45 played well last week for a player that is considered marginal NFL talent. That is called coaching.

inadequate starting players are being removed from their positions. Clearly, all of the horses are not yet in place. Damario may have already played himself off of the team. Right now though there is no competent replacement. I like what I am seeing here. Both sides of the team have improved and they are looking to upgrade the ST in mid season. That is an aggressive move. 

Time to stop watching all that NFL crap that is online, in the papers and on tv. Too many opinions and hardly enough fact. The thing about facts though is they are pretty stubborn I was told. The NY Jets are a franchise heading in the right direction.

Go Jets.

 

Good post. I agree with you. 

The complaints about some of Bowles' decisions (ex: going on 4th down instead of kicking a field goal) during games are coming from people who didn't follow Bowles during his time as a defensive coordinator. He has always been a risk taker. Sometimes they pay off, and he looks brilliant. Other times they don't, and he looks bad. Lately they haven't worked, so it obviously looks bad. 

The other thing to note is some of his moves can also be attributed to him being inexperienced as a head coach. Fans get annoyed because our coaches always seem to make rookie mistakes. But that's what happens when you're always hiring the hot coordinator du jour, instead of a guy who has been a head coach before.

What we should be hoping to see is Bowles learning from his mistakes. That was something Rex seemed to be unable to do. 

[jack48]

Interesting that Bowles says he'd be disappointed if they miss the playoffs but Mac seems cool with it.

No coach could ever say he was not trying to make the playoffs.  Guys would bring their golf bags to practice if he did.  Coaches are short term. GMs are long range

[rillo]

Of course they won 4 games last year.  Anyone expecting playoffs were fooling themselves.

[slats]

Pretty easily. The 2013 squad won an unsustainably large number of close games (the Pythagorean on that team was 5.4 wins, if I recall correctly). I'm sure you're currently furrowing your brow and composing a sick burn about the sexual orientation of math, so let me just save you the trouble: if Rex is a good enough coach to win 8 games in 2013, why did he only win 4 games a year later, with essentially the same roster?

In 2013, the team overachieved or lucked into (depending on your pov) those 8 wins with a weak roster. 

Hard to call the 2014's roster essentially the same, though, when he lost his entire starting secondary that year. That was obviously the focus of Maccagnan's roster overhaul with big money handed out to Revis, Cro, Skrine, and Gilchrist. Throw in improvements on the OL, and at WR and QB, and the team is a game over .500 today. Don't want to rehash Rex bullshit as he's not impressing me in Buffalo and I really don't care. The roster was terrible and he had a hand in it, although he probably didn't rubber stamp the decimation of the secondary he tends to build his defense's around. 

Maccagnan did a solid job in his first year to try to fix the team, but there's just too much that needs to be fixed to've gotten everything done in one offseason. I think he's right that it's not playoffs or bust this year. We'd like that as fans, and we've gotten used to it from our first year head coaches of late, but it's not essential at all. They've obviously done some good, but this is really a year for the rookie GM and head coach to get a feel for their jobs, for their team, and make better improvements next year based on having better information.