Jets new regime will keep an eye on Chuma Edoga, Jachai Polite

[LIJetsFan]

By: Tyler Calvaruso

Throughout his tenure as Jets general manager, Mike Maccagnan had a tendency to overlook character in favor of raw talent.

Time and time again, Maccagnan brought in talented players with glaring character concerns. In 2016, he picked Darron Lee in the first round of the NFL draft. Two years later, Lee was benched by Todd Bowles for showing up late to team meetings. He was later hit with a four-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. ArDarius Stewart, Dylan Donahue and Chris Herndon have either had run-ins with the law, a suspension handed down by the NFL, or both in recent years. All three of them were Maccagnan draft picks.

New York’s new GM, Joe Douglas, has a team-building philosophy that is the polar opposite of Maccagnan’s. Douglas would rather bring in players who eat, sleep and breathe football as opposed to ones with all the talent in the world who can’t seem to put it together.

With Douglas leading the charge, things are changing at One Jets Drive. However, remnants of the Maccagnan era remain and could cause trouble for New York down the road.

Maccagnan’s last draft class with the Jets left Douglas with two players who have character concerns. Throughout the pre-draft interview process, edge rusher Jachai Polite’s work ethic was frequently questioned, as was his maturity. Offensive lineman Chuma Edoga failed a drug test at USC and was disciplined as a result. He also once shoved an official during a game and was ejected for it.

If Douglas was calling the shots in April, odds are he would’ve passed on both Polite and Edoga. Their talent is undeniable, but their character makeup does not fit with Douglas or even head coach Adam Gase.

With this, Polite and Edoga find themselves in a peculiar spot moving forward. Both are immensely talented and have the potential to help New York as soon as this upcoming season. However, neither of them has ties to Douglas. If they underperform or run into trouble off the field, they will almost certainly be shown the door sooner rather than later.

Douglas is trying to change the culture surrounding the Jets and he cannot do that with a couple of bad apples among the bunch. However, Polite and Edoga control their own fate moving forward. As long as they play well and endear themselves to Douglas and the rest of the organization, they shouldn’t have much of an issue sticking around.

What’s next for Polite and Edoga remains to be seen. Either way, Douglas will have to keep a close eye on the two Maccagnan holdovers moving forward.

[New York Mick]

I’m hoping they’ll keep an eye on all the players. 

[Greenseed4]

The last four paragraphs of this article are the same paragraph.

 

[dbatesman]

18 minutes ago, LIJetsFan said:

Throughout his tenure as Jets general manager, Mike Maccagnan had a tendency to overlook character in favor of raw talent.

Ah yes, that great accumulator of raw talent, Mike Maccagnan

[Jet Nut]

They're here.

if they perform they're staying.

That he might not have drafted them isn't the same as cutting or trading guys who the team spent assets on. 

[Jet Nut]

Just now, dbatesman said:

Ah yes, that great accumulator of raw talent, Mike Maccagnan

That's not quite what he wrote.  

But you're right

[dbatesman]

1 minute ago, Jet Nut said:

That's not quite what he wrote.  

But you're right

Thank you

[Sarge4Tide]

The character concerns for both of those guys seem extremely overblown.  Their transgressions seem rather minor compared to a lot of other players. Neither qualifies as the 2nd coming of John Dillinger 

[Jet Nut]

4 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

Thank you

Anytime

[Warmbrother]

5 minutes ago, Sarge4Tide said:

The character concerns for both of those guys seem extremely overblown.  Their transgressions seem rather minor compared to a lot of other players. Neither qualifies as the 2nd coming of John Dillinger 

Super overblown

[Warmbrother]

Oh wait.... So now the narrative has changed? Before, mac avoided character issues. Now hes a taker of talent regardless of character. So which is it

[More Cowbell]

This is so messed up. If you have someone who you feel has a lot of talent but had character issues, you get them the kind of help that will help them be a good teammate and a better football player. This whole double secret  probation thing makes no sense if you know there is a possible problem there, fix the problem, don't  wait for it to blow up and then punish them for it. 

[slats]

Gase distanced himself from this draft as it was ongoing, and it's obviously not Douglas' draft. This has to be one of the least secure draft classes the team has ever had. Third round picks are generally locks to make the team, and while I expect both these guys to make it I don't think either of them are locks. And they're certainly not locks as we get to 2020 and beyond. I don't see Edoga as anything more than a backup this year, and I'm hoping Polite puts maybe the worst combine performance ever behind him and is in his best football shape and surprises on the field in a part-time pass rushing role. But what I've read about Polite's combine interviews don't really fit well with getting yelled at by Gregg Williams to me. 

[T0mShane]

50% chance Polite doesn’t make it to September

[Augustiniak]

5 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

50% chance Polite doesn’t make it to September

this is absurd.

i actually met him at the rookie event.  he had the best personality and attitude of the rookies including Q.  very, very outgoing and personable.  

[dbatesman]

34 minutes ago, Augustiniak said:

this is absurd.

i actually met him at the rookie event.  he had the best personality and attitude of the rookies including Q.  very, very outgoing and personable.  

Well, that settles that.

[jack48]

37 minutes ago, Augustiniak said:

this is absurd.

i actually met him at the rookie event.  he had the best personality and attitude of the rookies including Q.  very, very outgoing and personable.  

I am sure he got his ass peeled at Florida

[Jet_Engine1]

Author is confusing "character issues" with intelligence and work ethic. 

 

Because "character" is a Football cliche buzzword. 

[#27TheDominator]

2 hours ago, Sarge4Tide said:

The character concerns for both of those guys seem extremely overblown.  Their transgressions seem rather minor compared to a lot of other players. Neither qualifies as the 2nd coming of John Dillinger 

Don't know about these guys, but Maccagnan did pick up a bunch of guys with mental health, substance and alcohol issues.

[CanadaSteve]

So...between the years of 2000 - 2014 when Douglas was a scout for the Ravens, or the year he worked with the Bears, or the three years he worked with the Eagles, not once was a player drafted with 'character concerns?'

[CanadaSteve]

2 hours ago, More Cowbell said:

This is so messed up. If you have someone who you feel has a lot of talent but had character issues, you get them the kind of help that will help them be a good teammate and a better football player. This whole double secret  probation thing makes no sense if you know there is a possible problem there, fix the problem, don't  wait for it to blow up and then punish them for it. 

Not only that, you have wasted a year of draft assets.  You may not have picked this draft class, but you got them.  If you see some issues moving forward, but know there is undeniable talent, go out of your way to help them so they will become assets for the team, rather than two wasted third round picks, which makes your job even harder.

[#27TheDominator]

I will go on record as saying that I am much more concerned that Polite is actually a slug, then that he doesn't "eat, sleep, and breathe football." 

[Augustiniak]

5 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

I will go on record as saying that I am much more concerned that Polite is actually a slug, then that he doesn't "eat, sleep, and breathe football." 

i'm actually more concerned about chuma, i met him too and he definitely needs to bulk up.  thin legs and torso.  good feet and long arms but i can see him getting overwhelmed this year.  

[JustInFudge]

2 hours ago, slats said:

Gase distanced himself from this draft as it was ongoing, and it's obviously not Douglas' draft. This has to be one of the least secure draft classes the team has ever had. Third round picks are generally locks to make the team, and while I expect both these guys to make it I don't think either of them are locks. And they're certainly not locks as we get to 2020 and beyond. I don't see Edoga as anything more than a backup this year, and I'm hoping Polite puts maybe the worst combine performance ever behind him and is in his best football shape and surprises on the field in a part-time pass rushing role. But what I've read about Polite's combine interviews don't really fit well with getting yelled at by Gregg Williams to me. 

Why cant Polite cant handle a coach yelling at him?  Where did you get that from?  He just played for a psychopath in Todd Grantham and Dan Mullen isnt exactly mild mannered and he was by far the best player on the team.  Nick Savage, the Florida Gators strength and conditioning coach is every bit as loud as Gregg Williams.  He was also recruited by a fiery yeller in Geoff Collins. 

And I do love this little piece too coming from a coach who apparently hated him;

“He’s a first-round talent guy,” Grantham said.

The 52-year-old should know. He coached in the NFL for 11 seasons and in February turned down the Cincinnati Bengals for their defensive coordinator opening.

“I had DeMarcus Ware and I had Justin Houston and then really Jachai was next as far as twitch, as far as initial burst off the ball,” Grantham said. “But there’s other factors that go into playing that position, and you get a guy that’s a first-round talent that everybody’s gonna evaluate, and they’ve just got to make a decision on where they feel comfortable taking him relevant to everything that’s happened before.”

Polite could have returned to school, shored up his weaknesses, raised his draft stock and been better prepared for what was to come. Instead, the Daytona Beach product will learn his fate in two weeks.

Grantham said Polite showed enough on game tape to make a strong case for teams needing a pass rusher.

“From a play standpoint all you gotta do is watch the tape and you know he’s faster than his 40 time at the combine,” Grantham said. “I mean on tape he’s not a 4.84-guy if you watch it.”

[JustInFudge]

1 hour ago, Augustiniak said:

this is absurd.

i actually met him at the rookie event.  he had the best personality and attitude of the rookies including Q.  very, very outgoing and personable.  

The character stuff about Polite couldnt be more off.  He was the hardest working kid in the offseason program last year and voted team captain for numerous games.  

Who knows what he'll be at the next level but the stuff circling around about him is just off.  

[JohnnyLV]

Poorly researched article.

Polite IS actually known to be a football head, he dropped because he seemed immature, though not really a bad guy, and completely bombed the pre-draft process. He is supposed to be fairly well liked and had arguably better tape than Josh Allen

Edoga has been questioned about his dedication and work ethic for football and there were some personality concerns, but he did extremely well in the Senior Bowl, Darnold knows him and he got some first team reps in OTAs and mini-camp so hopefully he can work out too.

That said, watching the videos of Indy's draft process and then seeing pictures of our draft room on day 3, it seems we will be infinitely better at drafting going forward. Our front office is now a combo of Baltimore, Philly and Ballard's Colts. Cant really do better than that.

 

 

[Warfish]

Did Polite have actual character issues? 

I thought he just showed up fat, slow and unprepared for the combines and interviews.

Was there more, some actual thing he did that was bad (as opposed to being unprepared)?

 

[#27TheDominator]

2 minutes ago, Warfish said:

Did Polite have actual character issues? 

I thought he just showed up fat, slow and unprepared for the combines and interviews.

Was there more, some actual thing he did that was bad (as opposed to being unprepared)?

 

I wondered the same, but when people are throwing around "worst interviews ever" it seems to go beyond simple unpreparedness. 

[Apache 51]

4 hours ago, New York Mick said:

I’m hoping they’ll keep an eye on all the players. 

Geez, I hope not.

[JustInFudge]

7 minutes ago, Warfish said:

Did Polite have actual character issues? 

I thought he just showed up fat, slow and unprepared for the combines and interviews.

Was there more, some actual thing he did that was bad (as opposed to being unprepared)?

 

The "character issues" are - the Florida coaches wanted him to stay and Polite said no, I'm going to the NFL.  This upset Grantham and Mullen because they were losing their best player and suddenly, he wasnt coachable and was tough to deal with despite being the darling of the offseason and named team captain for numerous games.  

 

3 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

I wondered the same, but when people are throwing around "worst interviews ever" it seems to go beyond simple unpreparedness. 

Casserly said that titled belonged to Kyler Murray.

[slats]

29 minutes ago, JiF said:

Why cant Polite cant handle a coach yelling at him?  Where did you get that from?  He just played for a psychopath in Todd Grantham and Dan Mullen isnt exactly mild mannered and he was by far the best player on the team.  Nick Savage, the Florida Gators strength and conditioning coach is every bit as loud as Gregg Williams.  He was also recruited by a fiery yeller in Geoff Collins. 

And I do love this little piece too coming from a coach who apparently hated him;

“He’s a first-round talent guy,” Grantham said.

The 52-year-old should know. He coached in the NFL for 11 seasons and in February turned down the Cincinnati Bengals for their defensive coordinator opening.

“I had DeMarcus Ware and I had Justin Houston and then really Jachai was next as far as twitch, as far as initial burst off the ball,” Grantham said. “But there’s other factors that go into playing that position, and you get a guy that’s a first-round talent that everybody’s gonna evaluate, and they’ve just got to make a decision on where they feel comfortable taking him relevant to everything that’s happened before.”

Polite could have returned to school, shored up his weaknesses, raised his draft stock and been better prepared for what was to come. Instead, the Daytona Beach product will learn his fate in two weeks.

Grantham said Polite showed enough on game tape to make a strong case for teams needing a pass rusher.

“From a play standpoint all you gotta do is watch the tape and you know he’s faster than his 40 time at the combine,” Grantham said. “I mean on tape he’s not a 4.84-guy if you watch it.”

I referenced his combine interviews: Jachai Polite May Have Had the Worst Combine Ever

In that article, he's depicted as someone who could not handle criticism at all. He lashed out at teams for picking apart his game, and revealed that he never watched himself on film before. That, to me, doesn't sound like someone who might respond well to someone getting in his face. 

Now, I know you know the player a million times better than I do, and I'd love to be wrong in that regard, so I'll just leave it at that. 

[Beerfish]

I do not think the mccagnan drafts bad character thing is correct other than this lat draft perhaps.  He passed on obvious good players like mixon and cook among others.

Should have made the change when bowels was fired and we would not be having this convo and not perhaps wasting players because ' he is not our guy that we drafted'

[T0mShane]

37 minutes ago, JiF said:

But there’s other factors that go into playing that position, and you get a guy that’s a first-round talent that everybody’s gonna evaluate, and they’ve just got to make a decision on where they feel comfortable taking him relevant to everything that’s happened before.”

This is his own coach saying he’s got million-dollar talent and a ten-cent head.

[kelly]

4 hours ago, Jet Nut said:

That's not quite what he wrote.  

But you're right

yup..

 

 

cheers ~ ~

[rangerous]

4 hours ago, LIJetsFan said:

By: Tyler Calvaruso

Throughout his tenure as Jets general manager, Mike Maccagnan had a tendency to overlook character in favor of raw talent.

Time and time again, Maccagnan brought in talented players with glaring character concerns. In 2016, he picked Darron Lee in the first round of the NFL draft. Two years later, Lee was benched by Todd Bowles for showing up late to team meetings. He was later hit with a four-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. ArDarius Stewart, Dylan Donahue and Chris Herndon have either had run-ins with the law, a suspension handed down by the NFL, or both in recent years. All three of them were Maccagnan draft picks.

New York’s new GM, Joe Douglas, has a team-building philosophy that is the polar opposite of Maccagnan’s. Douglas would rather bring in players who eat, sleep and breathe football as opposed to ones with all the talent in the world who can’t seem to put it together.

With Douglas leading the charge, things are changing at One Jets Drive. However, remnants of the Maccagnan era remain and could cause trouble for New York down the road.

Maccagnan’s last draft class with the Jets left Douglas with two players who have character concerns. Throughout the pre-draft interview process, edge rusher Jachai Polite’s work ethic was frequently questioned, as was his maturity. Offensive lineman Chuma Edoga failed a drug test at USC and was disciplined as a result. He also once shoved an official during a game and was ejected for it.

If Douglas was calling the shots in April, odds are he would’ve passed on both Polite and Edoga. Their talent is undeniable, but their character makeup does not fit with Douglas or even head coach Adam Gase.

With this, Polite and Edoga find themselves in a peculiar spot moving forward. Both are immensely talented and have the potential to help New York as soon as this upcoming season. However, neither of them has ties to Douglas. If they underperform or run into trouble off the field, they will almost certainly be shown the door sooner rather than later.

Douglas is trying to change the culture surrounding the Jets and he cannot do that with a couple of bad apples among the bunch. However, Polite and Edoga control their own fate moving forward. As long as they play well and endear themselves to Douglas and the rest of the organization, they shouldn’t have much of an issue sticking around.

What’s next for Polite and Edoga remains to be seen. Either way, Douglas will have to keep a close eye on the two Maccagnan holdovers moving forward.

interesting points.  luckily these guys are rookies and the coaches should know pretty darn quick if they will have good attitudes for their careers or at least this season.  imo mac also used to go after guys whose draft position dropped due to injury.  he was always looking for those diamonds in the rough.  unfortunately for the jets most of those diamonds turned into coal.