Inside Mike Maccagnan's Process

[UnitedWhofans]

Posted this in another thread but was so impressed by it that it deserves a thread. The bolded part has been my belief since the beginning

http://www.todayspigskin.com/afc/new-york-jets/jets-post-rex-ryan-rebuild-was-never-a-two-year-fix/

 

 

 

Expectations were high for Todd Bowles and the Jets heading into their second season. Coming off of a debut where he led the team to ten wins (after a significant roster turnaround from general manager Mike Maccagnan), the team came into 2016 hungry for a postseason run.

Unfortunately for the veteran laden roster and their head coach, they’ve started the season 1-4, a far cry from a playoff bound team. There has been panic from fans and media only five games through the 2016 season, but were the Jets actually expected to turn things around that quickly since firing Rex Ryan?

Mike Maccagnan inherited a roster that had just won four games when taking over in the 2015 offseason. The starting quarterback was Geno Smith, there was very little promise in the secondary outside of undrafted free agent Marcus Williams, and many of the roster’s strong points (offensive line and linebacker) were well on the wrong side of 30.

Coming into the market with an advanced understanding of what he was up against (former GM John Idzik was fired after just two seasons), Maccagnan put a temporary band-aid over a long-term rebuild. The Jets roster needed a complete overhaul after essentially gaining less than a handful of starters from their previous five drafts.

He landed a top ten, number one wideout in the trade market without sacrificing a significant draft asset. Darrelle Revis was handed a big time contract to patch up a brutal secondary, while Marcus Gilchrist was brought in to finally give the Jets average safety play.

While many of these offseason acquisitions represented a new era for the Jets, it was overlooked that many of them were just an attempt to stay ‘competitive’ during a multi-year stretch of rebuilding from the ground up.

The Jets still do not have a their quarterback of the future. Christian Hackenberg is a big-time project and will not hinder them from selecting a signal caller in round one in 2017 if the right player is available. Outside of Buster Skrine and Calvin Pryor (who has struggled this year), the secondary will need a makeover again.

(Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)

Fortunately, Maccagnan has the proper assets to solve some of these issues this offseason. With a fewobvious cuts, they will be hovering around $30 million in cap space. Trading Sheldon Richardson would get them closer to $40 million to work with.

That money is often used to fill starting holes through free agency, but quietly this new regime has built depth through the draft (including undrafted free agents). They have depth across the board at wide receiver highlighted by a 7th round pick (Charone Peake) and two undrafted free agents (Jalin Marshall and Robby Anderson).

At corner, Juston Burris projects as a long-term third cornerback. Darron Lee and Jordan Jenkins are starting caliber players who have helped continue a youth movement in the front seven. Leonard Williams, who now has five sacks in five games this season, is a star in the making.

These are not ‘flashy’ additions, but they are a start in what is a long rebuilding process after acquiringa bottom three roster in the NFL. The concern by many, understandably, is that they have no definite answer at the quarterback position. Maccagnan himself has admitted to inquiring about the number one selection last year, showing an aggressive approach to solve an issue that has plagued the Jets for the past decade.

It’s not fair to get on the Jets regime for mistakes they are still cleaning up. No front office can turn over an entire roster in two offseasons, especially one with one of the worst recent draft histories across the league before they arrived.

This was always going to be a long-term rebuild. A 10-win season with a band-aid covered roster should not block that vision.

Maccagnan and company deserve time, now Woody Johnson needs to grant it to them

[tkiss24]

I completely agree with this article. Maccagnan deserves time but Bowles' coaching has been just dreadful


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Integrity28]

Reps are requisite to development. At any position. So, I'm puzzled that if the plan is to complete in the near-term, but also develop the roster, why is there such an aversion to trusting inexperienced players in the fold with the veterans?

At what point in the plan do you flip the switch from being veteran-reliant to being young-reliant in this "process"? You see teams around the league with a healthy blend of youth and veterans and they are competing. You see us, and if it weren't for injuries, it would be a starting lineup full of veterans and the young players are just taking up space on the roster.

Good article. I just question how in-sync Bowles is with Mac's vision. 

[Integrity28]

6 minutes ago, UnitedWhofans said:

Trading Sheldon Richardson would get them closer to $40 million to work with.

He couldn't trade Mo, what makes the author think he'll be able to trade Sheldon? 

[Integrity28]

7 minutes ago, UnitedWhofans said:

It’s not fair to get on the Jets regime for mistakes they are still cleaning up. No front office can turn over an entire roster in two offseasons, especially one with one of the worst recent draft histories across the league before they arrived.

This is a fair point, and the reality we all need to accept.

[DonCorleone]

7 minutes ago, UnitedWhofans said:

Posted this in another thread but was so impressed by it that it deserves a thread. The bolded part has been my belief since the beginning

http://www.todayspigskin.com/afc/new-york-jets/jets-post-rex-ryan-rebuild-was-never-a-two-year-fix/

 

 

 

Expectations were high for Todd Bowles and the Jets heading into their second season. Coming off of a debut where he led the team to ten wins (after a significant roster turnaround from general manager Mike Maccagnan), the team came into 2016 hungry for a postseason run.

Unfortunately for the veteran laden roster and their head coach, they’ve started the season 1-4, a far cry from a playoff bound team. There has been panic from fans and media only five games through the 2016 season, but were the Jets actually expected to turn things around that quickly since firing Rex Ryan?

Mike Maccagnan inherited a roster that had just won four games when taking over in the 2015 offseason. The starting quarterback was Geno Smith, there was very little promise in the secondary outside of undrafted free agent Marcus Williams, and many of the roster’s strong points (offensive line and linebacker) were well on the wrong side of 30.

Coming into the market with an advanced understanding of what he was up against (former GM John Idzik was fired after just two seasons), Maccagnan put a temporary band-aid over a long-term rebuild. The Jets roster needed a complete overhaul after essentially gaining less than a handful of starters from their previous five drafts.

He landed a top ten, number one wideout in the trade market without sacrificing a significant draft asset. Darrelle Revis was handed a big time contract to patch up a brutal secondary, while Marcus Gilchrist was brought in to finally give the Jets average safety play.

While many of these offseason acquisitions represented a new era for the Jets, it was overlooked that many of them were just an attempt to stay ‘competitive’ during a multi-year stretch of rebuilding from the ground up.

The Jets still do not have a their quarterback of the future. Christian Hackenberg is a big-time project and will not hinder them from selecting a signal caller in round one in 2017 if the right player is available. Outside of Buster Skrine and Calvin Pryor (who has struggled this year), the secondary will need a makeover again.

(Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)

Fortunately, Maccagnan has the proper assets to solve some of these issues this offseason. With a fewobvious cuts, they will be hovering around $30 million in cap space. Trading Sheldon Richardson would get them closer to $40 million to work with.

That money is often used to fill starting holes through free agency, but quietly this new regime has built depth through the draft (including undrafted free agents). They have depth across the board at wide receiver highlighted by a 7th round pick (Charone Peake) and two undrafted free agents (Jalin Marshall and Robby Anderson).

At corner, Juston Burris projects as a long-term third cornerback. Darron Lee and Jordan Jenkins are starting caliber players who have helped continue a youth movement in the front seven. Leonard Williams, who now has five sacks in five games this season, is a star in the making.

These are not ‘flashy’ additions, but they are a start in what is a long rebuilding process after acquiringa bottom three roster in the NFL. The concern by many, understandably, is that they have no definite answer at the quarterback position. Maccagnan himself has admitted to inquiring about the number one selection last year, showing an aggressive approach to solve an issue that has plagued the Jets for the past decade.

It’s not fair to get on the Jets regime for mistakes they are still cleaning up. No front office can turn over an entire roster in two offseasons, especially one with one of the worst recent draft histories across the league before they arrived.

This was always going to be a long-term rebuild. A 10-win season with a band-aid covered roster should not block that vision.

Maccagnan and company deserve time, now Woody Johnson needs to grant it to them

You don't pick the coach before the GM!

[UnitedWhofans]

Just now, Integrity28 said:

Reps are requisite to development. At any position. So, I'm puzzled that if the plan is to complete in the near-term, but also develop the roster, why is there such an aversion to trusting inexperienced players in the fold with the veterans?

At what point in the plan do you flip the switch from being veteran-reliant to being young-reliant in this "process"? You see teams around the league with a healthy blend of youth and veterans and they are competing. You see us, and if it weren't for injuries, it would be a starting lineup full of veterans and the young players are just taking up space on the roster.

Good article. I just question how in-sync Bowles is with Mac's vision. 

Believe it or not, the injuries help with that. And at some point, I think Macc is going to throw in the towel and order Bowles to play th eyounger players. A lot of people think it will be the Cleveland game, if they are 1-6

[UnitedWhofans]

2 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

He couldn't trade Mo, what makes the author think he'll be able to trade Sheldon? 

No contract baggage, I assume. 

[jett]

I one hundred percent believe in Maccagnan, he is not our problem. I love his approach and think he will be the gm for a very very long time. He knows how to put a team together. 

 

Todd Bowles I'm unsure of. He's too laid back, too complacent, and it is reflecting on our players. They play with the same energy as our coach, which is nothing. At least rex pumped up our players and made them want to play. I don't think Todd Bowles excites this team and they don't come out strong.  That's all coaching. 

 

I'm not jumping ship from the Bowles wagon, it's far too early for that, but another season of this and I'll be there. 

[Integrity28]

Just now, UnitedWhofans said:

Believe it or not, the injuries help with that. And at some point, I think Macc is going to throw in the towel and order Bowles to play th eyounger players. A lot of people think it will be the Cleveland game, if they are 1-6

But doing it because of injuries is reactionary. 

If this is the plan, then there should be a proactive aspect to it. 

[UnitedWhofans]

1 minute ago, DonCorleone said:

You don't pick the coach before the GM!

This is not a Rex-Idzik situation, I don't think. There has been no reports of ill will between them

[peebag]

So it's not a "win now" team but a team in rebuild mode...hhhmmmm.

 

So why did we bring back Fitzy?

[DonCorleone]

Just now, UnitedWhofans said:

This is not a Rex-Idzik situation, I don't think. There has been no reports of ill will between them

It isn't ill will I speak of. It may not have been his pick for coach and may not fit what he wants to do. We don't know.

[Mike135]

[UnitedWhofans]

Just now, peebag said:

So it's not a "win now" team but a team in rebuild mode...hhhmmmm.

 

So why did we bring back Fitzy?

Did you read the highlighted part? Add a fanbase and media ready to pounce if he didn't resign and you need to work it.

[Integrity28]

Just now, jett said:

I one hundred percent believe in Maccagnan, he is not our problem. I love his approach and think he will be the gm for a very very long time. He knows how to put a team together. 

 

Todd Bowles I'm unsure of. He's too laid back, too complacent, and it is reflecting on our players. They play with the same energy as our coach, which is nothing. At least rex pumped up our players and made them want to play. I don't think Todd Bowles excites this team and they don't come out strong.  That's all coaching. 

 

I'm not jumping ship from the Bowles wagon, it's far too early for that, but another season of this and I'll be there. 

I don't think Bowles is laid back at all. I respect that he doesn't flail around like an emo idiot after losses. He's intense. I think the issue is that he's a players coach, when it comes right down to it, and he hasn't figured out how to consistently strike that balance between fear and respect with his players. So, just like with Rex, you get guys who shrug him off a bit (which in football means not studying, not being accountable and not doing their job).

I think he's a sharp guy, but bull-headed. Perhaps a humbling season will help him refine his deficiencies. We have to hope so, because I doubt he gets fired given the circumstance of a rebuild, and what-not.

I've said it a bunch, but if the players were executing, would we really be nitpicking every wrong thing we can put on Bowles? I doubt it. He'd get criticism, but the "fire him" nonsense wouldn't be happening.

[Integrity28]

1 minute ago, peebag said:

So it's not a "win now" team but a team in rebuild mode...hhhmmmm.

 

So why did we bring back Fitzy?

It's not either.

It's a team that wants to compete while rebuilding. He's said this so many times. It's not the GM's fault that fans seek out polarization so that they can understand what to yell about more easily.

This means that when drafting, they're not going to draft for immediate need. When in free agency, they are going to target players that helps them now. It's a middle ground that can succeed with the right blend. We don't have the right blend, because the whole ******* defense decided they don't like football, and the QB isn't good enough to compensate for it.

[RoadFan]

I am on board with what Mac is trying to do. Except for the Hackenberg pick, of course.  I don't see that working out at all.

As for Bowles, hit the road.  The not going for a 2 pt conversion up by 12 vs. Buffalo and "The Punt" tell me he is over his head.  One JN recently likened a coaching battle to chess.  The good coaches are thinking 2 to 3 moves ahead.  Belicheat is 4 to 5 moves ahead.  Those two Bowles blunders tell me he cannot think even one move ahead. 

[peekskill68]

16 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

Reps are requisite to development. At any position. So, I'm puzzled that if the plan is to complete in the near-term, but also develop the roster, why is there such an aversion to trusting inexperienced players in the fold with the veterans?

At what point in the plan do you flip the switch from being veteran-reliant to being young-reliant in this "process"? You see teams around the league with a healthy blend of youth and veterans and they are competing. You see us, and if it weren't for injuries, it would be a starting lineup full of veterans and the young players are just taking up space on the roster.

Good article. I just question how in-sync Bowles is with Mac's vision. 

Totally agree with this assessment.  Bowles has been overly reliant on his veterans to a fault.  The acid test is going to be at what point he and Maccags agree to bench Fitz if the season is essentially a goner.  It runs counter to Bowles comfort zone...

[joewilly12]

Process?  Justify where signing a journeyman gypsy bum QB is part of any positive process. 

Macc is the worse GM in the NFL 

[jason423]

I agree with most of this and even wrote something similar recently but the Jets expected to be further ahead in their development than where they are now. They still arent getting much out of their drafts. Williams is fine but the impact isnt great because they had two other players on the line who were productive. Lee seems like hell be fine. Outside of that there is nobody that looks like a starter and really not many that even look like they will be key reserves let alone a pro bowl quality player. While the team is trying to compete and rebuild the lack of impact from the draft more or less has the Jets in the same spot as when he took the job- keep your fingers crossed that you can sign 5 or 6 free agents and they somehow play cohesively from day 1 while draft picks develop. 

[Bleedin Green]

23 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

He couldn't trade Mo, what makes the author think he'll be able to trade Sheldon? 

I think there's actually a very good chance the Jets make a more serious push to trade Richardson next offseason for a variety of reasons.  First off, their own interest in him is probably greatly decreased by the combination of Wilkerson's contract and Williams already looking like the best of the bunch, and still locked up for another 3+ years after this.  This could cause the Jets to be more willing to accept less for Richardson than they were demanding in exchange for Wilk, especially when considering some of the trouble he's gotten into.  The interest could also be greater from other teams given that, unlike Wilk, Richardson at least still has another year on his rookie contract.

Of course none of this means it will definitely happen, but I expect there will be a much stronger effort.  That will only be further motivated if this D continues to play so poorly despite all they have invested in the DL.

[maury77]

8 minutes ago, jason423 said:

I agree with most of this and even wrote something similar recently but the Jets expected to be further ahead in their development than where they are now. They still arent getting much out of their drafts. Williams is fine but the impact isnt great because they had two other players on the line who were productive. Lee seems like hell be fine. Outside of that there is nobody that looks like a starter and really not many that even look like they will be key reserves let alone a pro bowl quality player. While the team is trying to compete and rebuild the lack of impact from the draft more or less has the Jets in the same spot as when he took the job- keep your fingers crossed that you can sign 5 or 6 free agents and they somehow play cohesively from day 1 while draft picks develop. 

IMO, this is exactly why Wilkerson should have been traded. Now, I have no idea what offers Maccagnan was getting (particularly since Mo's contract was going to be an issue) but the team really lost out on the ability to leverage its surplus of talent at the position.

This offseason, I'd be in favor of outright cutting Sheldon if we can't get a decent return in a trade. Paying Sheldon 8 million next year to be an edge player is money poorly spent.

[dbatesman]

15 minutes ago, jason423 said:

the lack of impact from the draft more or less has the Jets in the same spot as when he took the job- keep your fingers crossed that you can sign 5 or 6 free agents and they somehow play cohesively from day 1 while draft picks develop. 

No more Personnel Guy

He sucks at the dra-a-a-aft

No more Personnel Guy

His moves are looking da-a-a-aft

[joewilly12]

Macc has done nothing productive in the NFL fans are impressed with what?  Lets like the new guy?  He's better than the last sh*t bag? 

The way he handled the Fitzpatrick hostage situation shows me nothing he caved into a bum look at our record we are 1-4 Fitzpatrick leads the league in everything sucky. 

What is Macc's plan B most GM's prepared for a disaster ours did not. A few teams are playing rookie QB's we are still grooming Macc's picks. 

Enough said. 

[Beerfish]

Whatever his plan is won't matter if his picks do not turn out really good.

We really have gotten little out of last years draft to help the team so far.

Lee, has speed but is still raw and has made his share of mistakes.  Hackenbourg, just an awful pick considering how much of a project he is,  I like the Jenkins pick but he gets hurt and now the team has decided they are a 4-3 team thus making jenkins and mauldin poor fits and affecting Lee as well.  Burris was a good pick, trading up for Shell doesnt look great right now but that is where you take developmental guys.  Our three WR covers us in that evenb if one turns out well long term it is a success (Peake, Anderson Marshall)  The punter was a great pick.

[peebag]

5 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Whatever his plan is won't matter if his picks do not turn out really good.

We really have gotten little out of last years draft to help the team so far.

Lee, has speed but is still raw and has made his share of mistakes.  Hackenbourg, just an awful pick considering how much of a project he is,  I like the Jenkins pick but he gets hurt and now the team has decided they are a 4-3 team thus making jenkins and mauldin poor fits and affecting Lee as well.  Burris was a good pick, trading up for Shell doesnt look great right now but that is where you take developmental guys.  Our three WR covers us in that evenb if one turns out well long term it is a success (Peake, Anderson Marshall)  The punter was a great pick.

great...we got a punter out of the 2016 draft...hoooo...rah.

[rex-n-effect]

47 minutes ago, jason423 said:

I agree with most of this and even wrote something similar recently but the Jets expected to be further ahead in their development than where they are now. They still arent getting much out of their drafts. Williams is fine but the impact isnt great because they had two other players on the line who were productive. Lee seems like hell be fine. Outside of that there is nobody that looks like a starter and really not many that even look like they will be key reserves let alone a pro bowl quality player. While the team is trying to compete and rebuild the lack of impact from the draft more or less has the Jets in the same spot as when he took the job- keep your fingers crossed that you can sign 5 or 6 free agents and they somehow play cohesively from day 1 while draft picks develop. 

Macc hasn't connected on every pick (no GM does) but this is underselling both drafts.

2015 has Williams as a starter and Petty is the presumptive heir to the throne at QB right now. Maudlin and Simon are both currently depth at their positions. Smith is injured and probably a miss. Harrison is out. Not a stellar draft, okay, but not the worst, either.

2016 is far better. We have Jenkins, Lee and Edwards as starters--that's half the draft class. Burris and Shell are both depth and Hackenburg is an admitted project. 

If your standard is that "really not many that even look like they will be key reserves let alone a pro bowl quality player" I'd be curious to know who you think drafted last year at that standard.

[whodeawhodat]

1 hour ago, peebag said:

So it's not a "win now" team but a team in rebuild mode...hhhmmmm.

 

So why did we bring back Fitzy?

band aide

[DonCorleone]

14 minutes ago, RoadFan said:

I am on board with what Mac is trying to do. Except for the Hackenberg pick, of course.  I don't see that working out at all.

As for Bowles, hit the road.  The not going for a 2 pt conversion up by 12 vs. Buffalo and "The Punt" tell me he is over his head.  One JN recently likened a coaching battle to chess.  The good coaches are thinking 2 to 3 moves ahead.  Belicheat is 4 to 5 moves ahead.  Those two Bowles blunders tell me he cannot think even one move ahead. 

We could easily have had Connor Cook. A far better prospect

[Hael]

If we don't make the playoffs this year, it's fair to say the approach sucks.  We just lost 2 maybe 3 years of what should have been a full and elaborate rebuild after the 2014 season.

i know impatient fans don't like it, but there's something to be said about trading all your aging stars for draft picks, building through the draft, and spending your cap on young players as opposed to high priced win now bandaids. 

I always thought it was presumptuous to go all in like he did last year, and it almost worked bc of the unexpected good play by the offense, but now we're likely going to have to deal with the process anyway.  Next year we'll suck with a rookie qb and aging stars or a team with a lot of dead money if we start making trades.  It's actually going to take years to develop young replacements for Mangold, Brick, Revis, Marshall, Harris etc

Had we gone full rebuild, we would be at least a year closer in the process.  As of now, unless by some miracle we win a lot of games very soon, I don't see us back in the playoff hunt until like 2019.

[RoadFan]

29 minutes ago, DonCorleone said:

We could easily have had Connor Cook. A far better prospect

Better prospect, I agree.  But I saw him a couple of times with Michigan State.  Maybe not enough to make an accurate eval but I was not impressed.

[Charlie Brown]

2 hours ago, Integrity28 said:

I don't think Bowles is laid back at all. I respect that he doesn't flail around like an emo idiot after losses. He's intense. I think the issue is that he's a players coach, when it comes right down to it, and he hasn't figured out how to consistently strike that balance between fear and respect with his players. So, just like with Rex, you get guys who shrug him off a bit (which in football means not studying, not being accountable and not doing their job).

I think he's a sharp guy, but bull-headed. Perhaps a humbling season will help him refine his deficiencies. We have to hope so, because I doubt he gets fired given the circumstance of a rebuild, and what-not.

I've said it a bunch, but if the players were executing, would we really be nitpicking every wrong thing we can put on Bowles? I doubt it. He'd get criticism, but the "fire him" nonsense wouldn't be happening.

This 100%

I really believe that our DC Rogers is the main problem.  Bowles is having to spend extra time on the defense because the secondary has been putrid when it shouldn't be.  Rogers is an empty suit out there and what I mean is, not that he is an awful coach, I'm sure that he is quite a good coach.  The problem is Rogers is not a good DC!

Bowles can't ask to change schemes when the guys are doing stupid stuff out of their base defense and it is embarrassing. 

At the end of the day HCs who end up coaching the coaches leads to HCs getting fired

 

[UnitedWhofans]

13 minutes ago, Hael said:

If we don't make the playoffs this year, it's fair to say the approach sucks.  We just lost 2 maybe 3 years of what should have been a full and elaborate rebuild after the 2014 season.

i know impatient fans don't like it, but there's something to be said about trading all your aging stars for draft picks, building through the draft, and spending your cap on young players as opposed to high priced win now bandaids. 

I always thought it was presumptuous to go all in like he did last year, and it almost worked bc of the unexpected good play by the offense, but now we're likely going to have to deal with the process anyway.  Next year we'll suck with a rookie qb and aging stars or a team with a lot of dead money if we start making trades.  It's actually going to take years to develop young replacements for Mangold, Brick, Revis, Marshall, Harris etc

Had we gone full rebuild, we would be at least a year closer in the process.  As of now, unless by some miracle we win a lot of games very soon, I don't see us back in the playoff hunt until like 2019.

And the fans and media would be calling for his head. Yankees have shown this too. Cant do a full rebuild in NYC. Mets did one out of necessity because of Madoff

[JustInFudge]

Nothing about this team or about Mac's approach was in the vein of a rebuild.  Stop making excuses for something that is really simply put; This team is underachieving, big time. This wasnt a band-aid to be competitive while they rebuild.  This was an all in season to make the playoffs and it failed.

That's ok.  They tried.  They tried poorly but they tried.  But acting like there was/is a bigger picture is just a farce.  

They went all in this season and they're 1-4.  That's reality.