GM dept. - Joe Douglas talks new challenges, changing culture ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

The New York Jets went through an avalanche of turnover at every level this offseason, and new general manager Joe Douglas knows the challenges they’re facing.

After the New York Jets cleaned house from the top down this offseason, it might be easier to list the people returning to Florham Park this fall rather than the new faces.There have been big changes on both sides of the ball in terms of personnel, but also organizational upheaval, as the Jets replaced their entire coaching staff and front office. Out is head coach Todd Bowles in favor of Adam Gase, and while Joe Douglas has replaced Mike Maccagnan as the team’s general manager.

Those kinds of seismic changes can leave daunting tasks for the coaches, players and decision-makers assuming their new roles, and Douglas knows full well the importance of changing the culture from top to bottom (via team senior reporter Eric Allen):

The challenge for this team is you’ve got a lot of new people in a new environment with a new head coach and a new GM. We have newly added players and probably two of the best players at their respective positions in C.J. Mosley and Le’Veon Bell, so just getting acclimated and getting together and getting on the same page will probably be the biggest challenge that we’ll face in training camp.

I really put emphasis on the people, on the person, on the locker room and on the culture. And I feel like I’ve said it many times since arriving, but you win with people. That means good, high-character people, and not just personal character but football character and guys that love to compete and love to win.

The additions of Mosley and Bell should certainly go a long way toward improving the Jets’ fortunes in 2019 and beyond. Both players are obviously stellar performers, but they also have plenty of experience around playoff teams. The Jets haven’t tasted postseason action in nearly a decade.

Returning talents like second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams, speedy wide receiver Robby Anderson and veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams give the Jets a strong foundation on both sides of the ball. Adding perhaps the best player in the 2019 NFL draft, Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, certainly won’t hurt, either.Gase will be trying to accomplish what he couldn’t in three years as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach, while Douglas will be getting his first crack at building an NFL winner from the GM position.

It’s a tall task for all involved, but all the pieces are there for the Jets to rebuild themselves back into a playoff contender sooner than later.

>      https://thejetpress.com/2019/07/24/jets-joe-douglas-culture-challenges/

[kelly]

New York Jets: Next mission for GM Joe Douglas is cornerback

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas solved the OL issue, up next is fixing the depth at cornerback. Here are the top targets he should consider.

The New York Jets had some uncertainty on the offensive line, so general manager Joe Douglas aggressively fixed it with the acquisition of All-Pro center Ryan Kalil.The next mission for Douglas and company? The dreadful situation at cornerback.

One of the biggest concerns for the Jets heading into the 2019 offseason was the depth at corner, heading towards the preseason it is still a massive concern:

• Trumaine Johnson
• Darryl Roberts
• Brian Poole
• Parry Nickerson
• Jeremy Clark
• Derrick Jones
• Arthur Maulet
• Mark Myers
• Montrel Meander
• Dee Delaney
• Tevaughn Campbell
• Kyron Brown

It’s hard to blame you if you had this reaction to the majority of that list.

Currently, the New York Jets have 12 cornerbacks listed on their 90 man roster. 6-of-the-12 corners haven’t been in the league for more than 2 years, not a recipe for success.Trumaine Johnson is the unquestioned No. 1 corner on this squad. Not because of his outstanding play, but more so because of his contract status.Johnson has four more years left on his deal for a grand total of $62.5 million in cap hits. While he didn’t play anywhere near up to snuff in 2018, any free agent bust talk is premature at this point.

Trumaine is reunited with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from their Los Angeles Days. During their time together, Johnson had his best season as a pro: seven interceptions back in 2015.But even if Trumaine returns to Pro Bowl form, the Jets are going to need some reinforcements. With Jets general manager Joe Douglas being proactive with the deficiencies at the center spot, it’s time for him to be proactive with the problem at cornerback.

Here are some of the options for the Jets to consider:

Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars

• 6-foot-1, 194 pounds
• Cap hit:
  • 2019: $7.5 million
  • 2020:  $13.7 million

If Joe Douglas was willing to go big-game hunting at the center spot, why not do the same thing at cornerback? While Jalen Ramsey is a character and brings some passionate baggage to the table, he is one of the true elite shutdown corners in this game. Plus he’s only 24-years old, that’s a worthwhile call to make to Jacksonville.

Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings

• 6-foot-1, 218 pounds
• Cap hit:
  • 2019: $13.3 million
  • 2020: $12.9 million
  • 2021: $14.1 million
  • 2022: $13.8 million (although the Jets could cut him with no dead cap penalty).

Acquiring Xavier Rhodes wouldn’t be nearly as attractive as adding Jalen, but it would prove effective. Rhodes is a lanky, long-armed cornerback who can stifle an opposing team’s No. 1 wide receiver. The contract isn’t great and Rhodes is 29 years old, but perhaps both of those factors would make Xavier easier to acquire without having to give up a lot of assets.

Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals

• 6-foot-1, 203 pounds
• Cap hit:
  • 2019: $11.8 million
  • 2020: $13.1 million

I’m sure Jamal Adams would be all for adding another LSU Tiger to the secondary. Patrick Peterson has been one of the best corners in the game since being taken in the 2011 NFL Draft. The contract isn’t terrible and he’s 29 years old (just like Xavier). A slight issue that the two teams would have to work around is Peterson’s upcoming six-game suspension. With only two years left on his deal, missing six games in 2019 could cause an impasse.

Morris Claiborne, UDFA

• 5-foot-11, 192 pounds
• Cap hit:
  • ?

If Joe Douglas wants to go the cheap route, excuse me, the “selective” route he could go to free agency. All it’ll cost Douglas is money instead of giving up money and assets. Although some unfortunate suspension news was revealed on Friday by Ian Rapoport:

“Veteran CB Mo Claiborne, one of the top unsigned players, is facing a 4-game suspension for violations of the substance abuse policy. He’s appealing and it could be reduced. This would explain why a player as proven as he is would remain a FA.”

The New York Jets didn’t draft a cornerback until the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and didn’t draft a center in general. Which seemed like a vote of confidence for Jonotthan Harrison and Darryl Roberts.The problem is both players are relative unknowns who don’t have experience. The Jets couldn’t afford to put Harrison in as a starter heading into Week 1 so they acquired All-Pro center Ryan Kalil, now it’s time to do the same at cornerback.

> https://thejetpress.com/2019/08/03/new-york-jets-next-mission-gm-joe-douglas-cornerback/

[kelly]

ArDarius Stewart, Chad Hansen, Jordan Leggett, Dylan Donahue and Jeremy Clark. What do all of those names have in common?

They are members of the Jets’ 2017 draft class who are no longer with the team.

Clark was the latest to join the list, as he was waived so general manager Joe Douglas could bring in safety Godwin Igwebuike on Sunday. A sixth-round pick out of Michigan by Mike Maccagnan in 2017, injuries kept Clark from getting acclimated with the NFL the past two seasons. As a result, he joins the lengthy list of Maccagnan draft picks that did not pan out.Whether it be due to troubles on the field, troubles with the law, or a combination of both, New York’s 2017 draft class has been exceptionally disappointing. Other than first-round pick Jamal Adams, second-round selection Marcus Maye, sixth-round running back Elijah McGuire and seventh-round pick Derrick Jones, who has somehow managed to stick around this long, the 2017 class has been an utter disaster.

Third-round wide receiver ArDarius Stewart never flashed much in his short-lived time with the Jets. Fourth-rounder Chad Hansen showed some potential in spurts, but faded into the background as consistency plagued him. Jordan Leggett never lived up to the expectations that followed him out of Clemson, while Division II outside linebacker Dylan Donahue succumbed to personal demons. Clark is the only one who was done in by injuries, but nonetheless, he contributed nothing in his tenure with the team.Maccagnan’s draft philosophy placed an emphasis on talent over character. Clearly, that did not work out too well for him. Not only did a couple members of the 2017 draft class lack in the character department, but most of them didn’t even have the talent to survive on the field.

Take one glance at Maccagnan’s draft record with the Jets and it’s hard not to question the organization’s talent evaluating process while he was at the helm. Yes, Maccagnan hit on first-round picks Leonard Williams and Jamal Adams. He also deserves credit for orchestrating the trade that eventually netted Sam Darnold in the 2018 draft. Even with those moves on his resume, Maccagnan’s mid-round failures tarnish any positives he might’ve accomplished in his five drafts with the team.The fate of Maccagnan’s final draft class with the Jets is likely a long way from being determined. With the likes of Quinnen Williams, Jachai Polite and Chuma Edoga, Maccagnan added some intriguing pieces in his last go-around with the team. However, history has a tendency to repeat itself. With that in mind, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see New York’s 2019 draft class fall short in some areas.With Maccagnan out and Douglas in, things have changed at One Jets Drive. Douglas is cleaning house. He has no reason to keep Maccagnan’s players around if he doesn’t like what he sees out of them. The latest member of the 2017 draft class biting the dust is a prime example of that.

Regardless of what the future holds, there’s no denying that New York’s 2017 draft class will go down as one of the worst overall classes the organization has had in the past decade. With Douglas now calling the shots in the front office, a couple more members of that class could find a pink slip in their locker sooner rather than later.

>   https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/08/05/new-york-jets-2017-nfl-draft-class-mike-maccagnan-joe-douglas-jeremy-clark/?utm_source=smg&utm_medium=wasabi&utm_content=home-hero

[kelly]

 -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:

1. Joe and the volcano ?  Joe Douglas looked a bit lost on Thursday night. Surrounded by his front-office lieutenants, he walked into the wrong room in the bowels of MetLife Stadium as he made his way to the locker room after the Jets' preseason opener. He quickly realized his mistake. Hey, it was new territory for him.

In terms of performing the duties of general manager, Douglas seems to know exactly where he's going. And this pleases coach Adam Gase, who, in case you haven't heard, didn't see eye-to-eye with the previous GM, Mike Maccagnan."He's very organized; he's very direct," Gase said of Douglas, who was hired in June. "He's done a great job as far as getting everybody on the same page. When things come up, there's a line of communication that it seems like nobody is caught off guard with anything. It's gone extremely smooth, coming in this late and being able to do all that. It's worked out well for us."

It's not hard to read between the lines. Gase didn't feel that simpatico with Maccagnan, which is why he advocated for Douglas. That's ancient history. What's relevant now is that Gase respects Douglas' ability to find players, although you would have to be naive to believe Gase isn't giving input. He's not the wallflower type.Right now, Douglas is thriving in the Band-Aid business, covering wounds with temporary fixes -- i.e. the additions of center Ryan Kalil and guard Alex Lewis. The offensive line depth was an issue, and he addressed it with two low-risk moves. The bigger challenge will be in the offseason, when Kalil, Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell will be free agents and Kelechi Osemele's cap number increases to $11.7 million in the final year of his contract. Prepare for an overhaul.

"I think the fact that our GM is a former offensive lineman, I'm pretty sure you guys know that he's going to be looking for those type of guys," Gase said. "His type of linemen are tough, physical, smart guys that can play multiple positions and play both sides of the line. I think that's what he's going to be combing the earth for."Gase is an offensive guy, and he believes offensive line and quarterback play are the keys to success. Maybe that explains his affinity for Douglas.

For now, Douglas is trying to find short-term solutions to vexing issues, including the worrisome lack of depth at cornerback. This approach isn't a revolutionary concept at One Jets Drive. Maccagnan had his flaws, but it's not like he sat on his hands the entire time. The Jermaine Kearse addition at the end of the 2017 preseason (part of the Sheldon Richardson trade) was a smart move that addressed a glaring need at wide receiver.In the big picture, the important takeaway here is that Gase is down with Douglas, which allows him to focus on coaching, not personnel decisions (a power he held with the Miami Dolphins.)

"We see players pretty much the same," Gase said.

Maccagnan and former coach Todd Bowles used to say the same thing. That turned out to be lip service.

 

rest of above article :

>    https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/80546/early-signs-jets-gm-joe-douglas-has-a-plan-and-adam-gase-likes-it

[kelly]

Rich Cimini       ESPN Staff Writer 

Are the Jets interested in Jadeveon Clowney? Because of tampering rules, GM Joe Douglas couldn't answer a direct question about the Texans' star. But, asked if he'd trade significant draft capital for a player, he said, "We're in the business of making this roster better. If the right opportunity presented itself, I certainly wouldn't shut it down." A trade is worth considering, especially with the losses at linebacker.

>     https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[The Voice of Reason]

3 minutes ago, kelly said:

Rich Cimini       ESPN Staff Writer 

Are the Jets interested in Jadeveon Clowney? Because of tampering rules, GM Joe Douglas couldn't answer a direct question about the Texans' star. But, asked if he'd trade significant draft capital for a player, he said, "We're in the business of making this roster better. If the right opportunity presented itself, I certainly wouldn't shut it down." A trade is worth considering, especially with the losses at linebacker.

>     https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

No just.... No...

Clowney is a bad effort guy like Polite... No thanks... Polite has at least a chance... Clowney wants top 5 money... eek stay away...

[kelly]

~ ~ 3. Talent search: Douglas and his staff have been studying preseason tape from around the league, evaluating players who might shake free on cut-down day. With the No. 3 waiver priority, the Jets figure to be active next weekend.Their biggest needs: Cornerback. Kicker. Kickoff/punt returner. Outside linebacker. Wide receiver. Experienced tackle for depth.

In only two-plus months on the job, Douglas has done a nice job of adding pieces, acquiring tight end Ryan Griffin, Kalil and guard Alex Lewis -- all of whom will make the team. Other additions such as cornerback Marcus Cooper and linebackers Albert McClellan and Stephone Anthony are in the hunt for backup jobs.

rest of avove article :

> https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/80667/how-jets-mastermind-gregg-williams-can-scheme-around-defensive-issues

[kelly]

Exactly one month ago, as the Jets reported to training camp, new coach Adam Gase plainly stated his expectations for his first season.

“We’re going to play meaningful games at the end of November and December,” Gase said.

Joe Douglas, the Jets’ new general manager, was reminded of that quote Saturday, before the team’s third preseason game, against the Saints. Does Douglas agree with Gase?“I would say I’m not going to go out into December,” Douglas said, dodging the question.Still, the reality remains: The Jets are a win-now team in 2019. Not a Super Bowl-level win-now team, but an organization that should be expected to show significant progress nonetheless.And Douglas can make one monster move that would put them over the top, and into the playoffs — trading for Texans edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

It wouldn’t be cheap. Douglas would have to give up a draft pick (or picks). And he’d have to sign Clowney to a long-term contract, because he isn’t under contract past 2019, when he is due to make $15.967 million on the franchise tag.(The Jets technically would not be able to sign Clowney to a long-term contract until after the season, because of the parameters of the franchise tag. But from the end of the season until the start of free agency in March, the Jets would have exclusive negotiating rights with Clowney. Then again, he might just want to hit free agency after a year with the Jets anyway, which you could understand, for a guy wanting to maximize his value with offers.)

Clowney almost certainly won’t re-sign with Houston after this season, so couldn’t Douglas just get him in free agency next offseason? Maybe. But the price for Clowney would be driven up by significant competition from other suitors.By trading for Clowney, Douglas has a chance to avoid that situation — though some other teams might be interested in a trade, as well — while helping the Jets immediately, even with a one-year rental player and potential trade piece next offseason (on a second franchise tag, applied this time by the Jets, albeit for an even higher figure than the 2019 tag).

Remember, the Jets are entering the beginning of their winning window with second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, who is still on a relatively affordable rookie contract. And the Jets made win-now moves this offseason by giving massive contracts to running back Le’Veon Bell and inside linebacker C.J. Mosley.Not only would a Clowney trade make sense from those standpoints, but the Jets also badly need help at edge rusher — as they have for years. Clowney has 29 sacks over the past four seasons, including nine and 9.5 the past two years, with 21 quarterback hits each year.And the Jets are projected to have a decent amount of salary cap space in 2020 (about $40 million), so they could fit Clowney in.

Douglas unsurprisingly danced around a question Saturday about whether he’d trade for a player not under contract past this year.“I feel like you’re narrowing this player down,” he said with a laugh, well aware that Clowney was that player. “If it was the right player and the right situation, we’d consider it.”Douglas need not trade away an entire draft for Clowney, nor break the bank on him. But if Douglas feels good about a potential deal with the Texans, he should push hard for it.

The Jets spent the past two seasons absorbing the misery of rebuilding. And though their rebuild isn’t totally finished, they need to start at least producing results and pushing for the playoffs. Gase realizes that. So does Douglas, even if he won’t say it — or acknowledge the pass rusher who would help end the Jets’ eight-year playoff drought.

>    https://www.nj.com/jets/2019/08/joe-douglas-wont-admit-it-but-jets-are-a-win-now-team-in-2019-and-trading-for-jadeveon-clowney-would-put-them-into-playoffs.html

[kelly]

Adam Schefter    ESPN Senior Writer 

Trade: Jets dealing a 2020 6th-round pick to the Colts for CB Nate Hairston, per source. Hairston started 11 games the past two years. Still has two years left on his contract.

>       https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[Apache 51]

On 7/25/2019 at 11:06 AM, kelly said:

The New York Jets went through an avalanche of turnover at every level this offseason, and new general manager Joe Douglas knows the challenges they’re facing.

After the New York Jets cleaned house from the top down this offseason, it might be easier to list the people returning to Florham Park this fall rather than the new faces.There have been big changes on both sides of the ball in terms of personnel, but also organizational upheaval, as the Jets replaced their entire coaching staff and front office. Out is head coach Todd Bowles in favor of Adam Gase, and while Joe Douglas has replaced Mike Maccagnan as the team’s general manager.

Those kinds of seismic changes can leave daunting tasks for the coaches, players and decision-makers assuming their new roles, and Douglas knows full well the importance of changing the culture from top to bottom (via team senior reporter Eric Allen):

The challenge for this team is you’ve got a lot of new people in a new environment with a new head coach and a new GM. We have newly added players and probably two of the best players at their respective positions in C.J. Mosley and Le’Veon Bell, so just getting acclimated and getting together and getting on the same page will probably be the biggest challenge that we’ll face in training camp.

I really put emphasis on the people, on the person, on the locker room and on the culture. And I feel like I’ve said it many times since arriving, but you win with people. That means good, high-character people, and not just personal character but football character and guys that love to compete and love to win.

The additions of Mosley and Bell should certainly go a long way toward improving the Jets’ fortunes in 2019 and beyond. Both players are obviously stellar performers, but they also have plenty of experience around playoff teams. The Jets haven’t tasted postseason action in nearly a decade.

Returning talents like second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams, speedy wide receiver Robby Anderson and veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams give the Jets a strong foundation on both sides of the ball. Adding perhaps the best player in the 2019 NFL draft, Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, certainly won’t hurt, either.Gase will be trying to accomplish what he couldn’t in three years as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach, while Douglas will be getting his first crack at building an NFL winner from the GM position.

It’s a tall task for all involved, but all the pieces are there for the Jets to rebuild themselves back into a playoff contender sooner than later.

>      https://thejetpress.com/2019/07/24/jets-joe-douglas-culture-challenges/

 

[kelly]

On ‎8‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 10:20 AM, The Voice of Reason said:

No just.... No...

Clowney is a bad effort guy like Polite... No thanks... Polite has at least a chance... Clowney wants top 5 money... eek stay away...

agreed !..

 

[kelly]

Joe Douglas won’t truly be able to put his stamp on the Jets until next offseason, but the new general manager will have his first opportunity to re-shape at least part of the team when NFL rosters shrink from 90 to 53 this weekend.

Former GM Mike Tannenbaum called roster cutdowns a “mini-draft,” a chance to scoop up pieces to bolster the bottom of your roster. Scouting staffs get an opportunity to add players that eluded them in previous drafts or caught their collective eye this summer. With nearly 1,200 players getting cut in the coming days, it’s a mad rush to add pieces to fit your specific puzzle.On the surface, it looks like a bunch of roster gymnastics that won’t have a tangible impact on the team this season. After all, these players were whacked for a reason. However, smart NFL teams live by this credo: You keep the right 53 players, not necessarily the best 53 players.

What’s right for you may not be right for another club. So, there’s real opportunity for Douglas to mine for players that make better sense for his roster than some currently on it.“Twelve hundred guys are going to hit the market,” Douglas said. “We’ve got to be prepared. We are prepared. We’ve had great meetings. We’ve gone through these first two games with a fine-tooth comb. We have our target list. We feel good about it… We’re excited. We have an opportunity to really upgrade this team.”

The Jets sure could use upgrades (starters and depth) at cornerback, edge rusher, offensive line and safety … among other positions. Douglas has already bolstered the overall quality and depth of the offensive line by luring center Ryan Kalil out of retirement and trading for the versatile Alex Lewis.Douglas’ first 85 days on the job have also revealed a desire to improve the secondary. Since he was hired six weeks after the draft, Douglas has acquired eight defensive backs, including four cornerbacks off waivers and one via trade.The logic is simple. The process seemingly is never-ending. Throw as many darts at defensive backs that you believe have a chance to provide depth for a glaring area of weakness. If it doesn’t work out, there’s no collateral damage. Just cut the player and take another stab.

It’s not an ideal circumstance, but it’s reality when you decide to fire your general manager three weeks after the draft. This season will be built on Mike Maccagnan’s players and vision. It’s Douglas’ job now to re-shape this team in his vision when the opportunities arise.It’s an interesting dynamic. On one hand, Maccagnan added a pair of dynamic players on both sides of the ball (Le’Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley) this offseason. On the other hand, it’s fair to question the wisdom of paying a relatively obscene amount of money for a running back and inside linebacker. Would Bell and Mosley even be on the Jets if Douglas were hired in January? The smart money (pun intended) is a hard no.Regardless, it’s Douglas’ task now to tinker with the bottom seven or so roster spots (plus the 10-man practice squad). So, expect Gang Green to be active this weekend.

Douglas has already explored trades (and made one) to address problem areas. That will continue in the coming days.“In the past we’ve been able to get really good players who were able to contribute on our team,” Douglas said. “Specifically on special teams in previous stops I’ve been at. There’s going to be opportunities. Whether it’s trades, whether it’s claims, there’s going to be guys really from that 46, 47 spot on the roster all the way to 63 when you’re talking about your 10-man practice squad. You can really bring in guys who can help you in those spots.”

It’ll be his charge to make life easier for Adam Gase this season, even if it’s only by giving him a slight edge. The right players are out there for this team at this time. It’s up to Douglas to identify and land them.

>    http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ny-joe-douglas-roster-cutdowns-20190830-tvf67ut2l5d7jesz5kmnhmtc2m-story.html

[Rangers9]

One thing about Douglas is he has a better personality than Macc who had a way better personality than Idzik. Mike T is supposed to be a good communicator. I just never trusted him. It’s important in a big market like NYC. 

[kelly]

Rich Cimini       ESPN Staff Writer 

The Jets' decision to name Hymie Elhai as team president comes as no surprise. He's well regarded and has been with the franchise for two decades. In recent months, he got involved in the football operation in his role as Senior VP/general counsel (sat in on GM interviews) and became a confidant of coach Adam Gase. Everything has aligned for Gase, who has his handpicked GM (Joe Douglas) and a president he trusts. Life is good for Gase. Elhai will work with Gase and Douglas to "integrate football and business operations," the team said.

>      https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

The New York Jets made a ton of moves during the 2019 offseason, none were greater than picking Le’Veon Bell over Antonio Brown.

After another playoff-less year, the New York Jets had to make some serious makeovers to its roster.During the 2019 offseason, both former Pittsburgh Steelers stars Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell became available.Many Jets fans were split on whether they wanted AB, Bell, or maybe in some crazy scenario both? Bell became the unrestricted free agent he wanted to be, so it made it easy (somewhat) for the Jets to acquire him, just win the bidding process.AB was a tougher nut to crack. The Steelers put him on the block with him still under contract. Which meant if any team wanted him had to compensate Pittsburgh AND give AB an extension.

Ultimately the Jets decided that the cost was too great to acquire AB, despite the talent and need for a true No. 1 wideout on the team.

Hindsight is 20-20, but the latest chapter in the Brown saga has sealed the deal, the Jets made the correct choice picking Bell over AB.

Jumping in the time machine before free agency, both Le’Veon and Antonio were painted as terrible teammates and locker room cancers.

Per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, “for all the whispers of what Bell was or wasn’t during his ugly divorce with the Steelers, this much is clear now: He’s been a model teammate this summer, a difference-maker hoping to bring a wayward franchise back from the margins.
The bitterness surrounding Bell’s contract dispute with his former employer clouded the fact that he’s actually everything you’d want in your star player: Hardworking, selfless and willing to sacrifice for the greater good. He’s never asked for the red-carpet treatment. He’s been the epitome of a pro.”

While on the other side here are just a handful of the situations the Oakland Raiders have had to deal with since sending third and fifth-round draft choices to the Steelers (and a brand new contract extension) back in March:

Frost gate.

He suffered frostbite to his feet because he wasn’t wearing the proper footwear during a typical cryotherapy session. This forced him to miss a large chunk of training camp.

Helmet gate.

In early August he filed for a grievance regarding his ability to wear an outdated helmet this season in which he threatened retirement if he didn’t get his way. He lost all of the appeals and was set to return to the football field.

Suspension gate.

New general manager Mike Mayock fined AB over $50,000 due to a variety of unexcused absences. Which led to Brown posting the letter Mayock sent him on Instagram and then escalated into a face-to-face conversation where AB threatened to hit Mayock in the face.

The Raiders did have a plan on the table to levy a suspension for an unknown length of time. Which led to an immature decision to unfollow the Oakland Raiders and quarterback Derek Carr on Instagram.So it seems like the drama in Pittsburgh was real with Antonio Brown. Where there was smoke, there was clearly fire.Although that doesn’t seem to be the case with Bell over a similar time frame since joining the green and white in March.

Bell has said all the right things and has been a ‘model citizen’.

Le’Veon from the last down he played with the Steelers to his very first snap with the Jets on Sunday vs the Bills will span 601 days. That’s a long period of time that you can either look at as potential rust or much-needed rest for an overworked running back.

Well put Bell in the much-needed rest crowd because he’s ready to deliver for the Jets as much as he’s needed by head coach Adam Gase:

“I could carry it 50 (times) if he asked me to,” Bell said Wednesday via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “I’m ready. When I said don’t hold back, I mean literally that. I don’t want to go out there and try to sprinkle me in… I’m ready to play football. I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. A lot of people are excited to see me play. Quadruple that. That’s how I feel. I’m excited to play. And I can’t wait.”

That is the exact kind of hutzpah the Jets need offensively and Sam Darnold needs around him quite frankly. Hell, the Jets fanbase needs that electricity and vibes after so many long years without any proven offensive NFL stars to build around.

Clearly, the Jets feel pretty good about their investment and we’ll see if it pays immediate dividends in an all-important AFC East divisional matchup with the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the 2019 season.

>       https://thejetpress.com/2019/09/05/new-york-jets-made-correct-choice-leveon-bell-antonio-brown/

[nycdan]

Quote

“I could carry it 50 (times) if he asked me to,” Bell said Wednesday via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “I’m ready. When I said don’t hold back, I mean literally that. I don’t want to go out there and try to sprinkle me in… I’m ready to play football. I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. A lot of people are excited to see me play. Quadruple that. That’s how I feel. I’m excited to play. And I can’t wait.”

I got goosebumps reading this.  And I love the unintentional nod to Bart Scott.

[kelly]

Joe Douglas’ first major move as Jets general manager was heralded as a brilliant, creative move to solution a pressing issue.

Two games in, Douglas’ fix has become a problem.

In late August, the Jets deemed new center Ryan Kalil “not ready” to play in the third preseason game, despite their original desire to get him some snaps.

He doesn’t look any more ready now than he did back then.

Kalil has been disastrously bad since coming out of retirement. He ranks 30 among the NFL’s 32 centers through two games, according to analytics site ProFootballFocus.com.He’s been so bad, in fact, that head coach Adam Gase benched him during the fourth quarter of Monday night’s loss to the Browns, reverting back to Jonotthan Harrison instead.

Gase ultimately said the sit-down was to save Kalil – who is the Jets’ oldest player – from unnecessary fatigue in a blowout. But he also admitted his center has not been up to snuff.“I think (Kalil) is trying to make sure that he’s got all the details of the offense down," Gase said. “We’re probably a ways from where he would actually like to be.”

The Jets frankly cannot wait much longer for Kalil to reach that point. This unit – and, as a result, the rest of the offense – is in crisis.

To be clear, the Jets’ entire offensive line has been a problem. All five players have had their share of horrible moments and contributed to the larger issue. But Kalil has been the worst of the bunch, both to the eye and according to the stats; he’s graded out below the Jets’ four other starting linemen.That’s concerning because from the moment Douglas arrived in Florham Park, he made the offensive line his No. 1 priority. Considering his glory days as college offensive linemen, there was plenty of reason to believe he could identify and acquire talent in the trenches.

With Kalil, that theory has fallen flat.

Small sample size? Sure. Is one potentially bad move enough to discount Douglas’ GM abilities? No, certainly not. Even the best GMs are going to miss on some moves. You don’t give up hope on a hitter because he struck out in his first at-bat.But Douglas is operating as the head man for the first time. After years within the shelter of gurus like the Eagles’ Howie Roseman or Ravens’ Ozzie Newsome, he’s finally flying without a safety net. And his only big order of business to date is already crumbling. That has to at least sow some small doubts.

Here’s the thing: Douglas obviously cannot be blamed for most of the Jets’ talent issues. He gets a pass on those because he was hired late, well after both free agency and the NFL Draft had concluded. He didn’t get a chance to shape this roster, so it would be unfair to blame him for many of its failures.Perhaps, had Douglas been given a full offseason, he would have signed one of the high-profile centers available. Perhaps he would have snagged one in the draft. Perhaps waiting until August to make a move left him short of good options and willing to throw a Hail Mary.But Douglas ultimately chose Kalil. The 34-year-old center is one of the new GM’s small collection of Jets disciples. He’s also by far the most prominent member of that group. So, at least for 2019, Douglas job performance will be judged in large measure based on Kalil’s successes and failures.

The early returns, unfortunately, have not been encouraging.

>  https://www.nj.com/jets/2019/09/joe-douglas-only-major-jets-move-has-become-an-early-disaster.html

[Losmeister]

my question is how much practice RK even had compared to JH...

anyway...  thaks for posting Kelly...     

[kelly]

After yet another quiet performance in Week 3, Leonard Williams’ future status with the New York Jets appears up in the air.

The New York Jets have fallen to 0-3 to start off their 2019 campaign after an embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. The entire team seemed non-competitive throughout the entire matchup. It almost felt like everybody knows the season is basically over already, only three weeks in.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment so far this season has been Leonard Williams.

The former 2015 first-round pick has done nothing in his first three games. His presence on the field has not been felt at all, whether the play was a run or a pass.Williams’ 2019 so far consists of 11 tackles. That’s it. That’s his only stat. No sacks, no tackles for loss, nothing. Just 11 tackles.This is beyond disappointing for someone who was once considered to be the best player in his draft class.

When the Jets picked Williams with the sixth overall pick in 2015, the reasoning behind it was that he was the best player available. They didn’t actually need a defensive lineman at all, but they thought that Williams was such a clear cut talent who couldn’t be passed up at sixth overall. That doesn’t look like such a great move anymore.For the past several seasons, Williams’ lack of efficiency at getting to the quarterback was always excused by the fact that he is double-teamed. However, great players can get around double teams.That excuse is over now. It’s put up or shut up time for Big Cat, and he hasn’t quite put up so far. With his rookie deal expiring this offseason, he’s running out of time to prove he’s worth a long-term deal, or even a new contract at all.

Gregg Williams is not putting up with Williams’ subpar play, either. His snap count has dropped each week since the first week of the season, and Kyle Phillips’ snap count has raised to nearly 50% after being a healthy scratch for Week 1.If the Jets continue to struggle leading up to the trade deadline, Williams could be in trouble. The Jets may want to get something out of him before moving on at the end of the season. Williams is reportedly worth around a second or third-round pick, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.Weeks 5-8 will be big for Leonard Williams. His spot on the team is on the line, and so is potentially a lot of money. The coaching staff clearly hasn’t been happy with Williams’ nonexistence up front this season, and he’s running out of time to turn his Jets career around.

>    https://thejetpress.com/2019/09/24/new-york-jets-leonard-williams-could-be-in-trade-trouble/

[kelly]

With the Jets sitting at 0-4 and reaching a breaking point in their season, there’s a chance that general manager Joe Douglas looks to move some pieces in order to acquire assets for the future.

One piece who would certainly be up for grabs is defensive end Leonard Williams. The fifth-year pro out of USC is in a contract year and, at only 25, has plenty of gas left in the tank. For a team seeking help on the defensive line, Williams could stand out as a potential option on the trade market.

Just don’t count on a team to part with any significant assets given the way Williams has played lately.

Williams has been a non-factor for New York through the team’s first four games. He only has 11 tackles and three quarterback hits, which is astounding for a player who has flashed as a dominant defensive lineman when he’s on his A-game. To make matters worse, Williams has yet to record a single sack or tackle for loss — the areas where linemen make their money.When the Jets have needed him the most, Williams has faded into the background. He contributed almost nothing in New York’s first two losses of the season and was invisible against the Patriots in Week 3 until he picked up a 15-yard personal foul penalty late in the game. Even the return of Quinnen Williams against the Eagles this past weekend wasn’t enough to help the former first-round pick get back on track.

With each no-show performance that he turns in, Williams’ trade value takes a steep dive. It’s hard to see the Jets getting anything for him at this point, as other linemen who actually produce will be available for the taking once the trade deadline rolls around.Once a player with loads of potential, Williams has not been the same since his 2016 Pro Bowl season. He recorded a career-low 47 tackles in 2017 and has not been able to get back to his old self. It remains to be seen if a turnaround is in the cards for Williams. Even if one is in store, odds are it won’t come with the Jets.

Don’t count on Williams’ departure from the Big Apple coming via trade, though. There’s a slim to none chance Douglas will be able to move him for worthwhile compensation with his value at an all-time low.

>  https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/09/new-york-jets-de-defensive-end-leonard-williams-trade-value-joe-douglas/

[kelly]

The New York Jets have been the subject of rumors regarding a possible trade for Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith in what would be a massive acquisition for the team.

The New York Jets have been the center of a ton of trade talks in recent weeks as the trade deadline nears, but one recent report could perhaps be the most interesting of all. There has been a rumor going around that the Jets could be in talks to acquire cornerback Jimmy Smith.

This rumor was reported on Twitter by NFL insider Chad Forbes sparking plenty of discussion online. Let’s be honest, however. Although he has a sizable following, Forbes isn’t exactly the most high-profile source.That isn’t to call to question his validity, but it’s certainly a rumor to be taken with a grain of salt. Essentially, this isn’t Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport reporting this.

Nonetheless, Smith would be a massive upgrade for the Jets at one of the weakest positions on the team. The Baltimore Ravens cornerback has been among the more underrated corners in the league for quite some time but has dealt with injury issues as of late.

Smith has missed pretty much the entirety of this season dealing with a knee injury, only playing six snaps in Week 1 before exiting with the injury. However, he recently returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering said injury in Week 1.The 31-year-old is on the last year of his contract and his play has declined slightly since his standout 2017 season which is why the Ravens could look to part ways with him. On top of that, the recent acquisition of Marcus Peters could make him expendable.

Still, if Baltimore is trying to make a playoff push — which they obviously are — it doesn’t make too much sense to try and trade away one of their top defenders, regardless of his cap hit.In the report, Forbes indicated that offensive guard Kelechi Osemele could also have been involved in the trade talks, however, the recent debacle surrounding his injury likely prevents that from happening.

The Jets could certainly use some help at cornerback as it remains their biggest weakness on defense and possibly on the entire roster. While Brian Poole has done an excellent job manning the slot this season, the team’s outside corners have struggled immensely.Darryl Roberts is a career backup who has had his moments but is better off as a dime cornerback. Nate Hairston has also had his moments but has struggled to stay healthy. And the less that’s said about Trumaine Johnson, the better.

Jimmy Smith would immediately step in and be the Jets’ top cornerback, even with his injuries and declining play.While it’s important to take this rumor with a grain of salt, it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward. For the Jets, this move would make all the sense in the world. For Baltimore, there might need to be a bit more of an explanation.

Regardless, we should be in for a very interesting 10 days as the trade deadline quickly approaches.

>   https://thejetpress.com/2019/10/18/new-york-jets-kelechi-osemele-drama/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini     ESPN Staff Writer 

Jets DL Leonard Williams, the subject of trade rumors, said he wants to stay put and that "people in this building know I want to be here." But he said he's trying to keep his emotions out of it because he knows it's a business and even the best get traded. "Odell (Beckham) got one of the biggest receiver contracts in history and he got traded to the Browns," Williams said. The trading deadline is Tuesday.

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

The Jets find themselves in an interesting position with the trade deadline nearing.

Following an embarrassing 33-0 loss to the Patriots on Monday night that featured the worst performance of Sam Darnold’s career and incompetence on all sides of the ball, it feels like New York’s season is over. Lost in the shuffle is the fact that the Jets play an extremely soft schedule over the next month and have a legitimate chance to turn their season around against an equal level of competition.At 1-5, the odds New York rebounds and gets into the AFC Wild Card hunt are slim. Even with the soft schedule, a lot has to go right for the Jets to creep close to .500, let alone the playoff picture. New York has plenty of pieces general manager Joe Douglas can get a decent return for, which is why the first-year general manager should take an aggressive, but cautious approach in the days leading up to the trade deadline on Oct. 29.

A player like Leonard Williams should be on the block and available for the taking. Not only does he have value for a team looking for help on the defensive line, but it’s also safe to assume he’s not a part of New York’s future with the way he has played this season. If Douglas can get any kind of draft capital for him, he should pounce on the opportunity to make a move that could help the Jets build toward a brighter future.Then there’s a player like Robby Anderson who has plenty of value on the trade market, but also has a future in New York if the new regime wants him here. Anderson is Sam Darnold’s No. 1 target and a receiver he has developed a solid rapport with. The Jets are already paper-thin at wide receiver. Moving Anderson for anything less than a haul Douglas deems a steal would be a severe detriment to Darnold and New York’s offense.

Douglas needs to be aggressive shopping players, but he needs to be wise in the way he goes about his business. In other words, Douglas needs to differentiate between the expendable players who can garner a decent return and the ones who can play a part in New York’s journey back to respectability.Players that can help the Jets now and in the future shouldn’t be moved for anything less than a deal that can help the team build in the right direction — even in what is looking more and more like a lost season with each passing day.

Douglas pledged to be aggressive in upgrading the roster the day he took over as general manager. The trade deadline is his first chance to leave his imprint on how the team is built, but he needs to go about it in a way that features the perfect mix of aggression and shrewdness.

>    https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/24/new-york-jets-how-joe-douglas-should-approach-trade-nfl/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini     ESPN Staff Writer 

If the Jets sign a linebacker today from the practice squad, which Adam Gase said is a possibility, the logical corresponding move would be to put Kelechi Osemele (shoulder surgery) on IR. If they don't (perhaps due to a technicality relating to the grievance), the dispute will have risen to a point where it's affecting roster management. And it would cost another player his job. Bad look.

>     https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[TuscanyTile2]

On 7/25/2019 at 11:06 AM, kelly said:

It’s a tall task for all involved, but all the pieces are there for the Jets to rebuild themselves back into a playoff contender sooner than later.

There are 2 pieces in place - Joe D and Sam.  But, unfortunately, we’re onto our 3rd straight rebuild.  (Unless I’ve lost count)

[BRONX DUDE]

GM dept. - Joe Douglas talks new challenges, changing culture ~ ~ ~

 

WHERE HAVE I HEARD THIS A MILLION TIMES PREVIOUSLY?

 

[kelly]

-- Sunday’s 29-15 loss to the Jaguars was just the latest, most convincing evidence: Joe Douglas must sell at the trade deadline.

Clearly, this Jets team isn’t going anywhere at 1-6. And the roster is obviously bereft of talent, particularly at key spots across the offensive line and in the secondary.The Jets’ first-year general manager has two major trade chips at his disposal in defensive lineman Leonard Williams and wide receiver Robby Anderson. So, the instinct might be to ship them both off and stock up on as many future supplies as possible. And it would be an understandable impulse.

But it would be just that: Impulsive.

Indeed, Douglas has to rebuild. Sure, the more draft picks he has at his disposal, the better. So yes, Douglas should absolutely spend the next two days until the NFL’s Tuesday 4 p.m. trade deadline trying to cut a deal.But Douglas can’t completely dismiss the present in favor of the future. He has to think about quarterback Sam Darnold’s well-being, too. That’s why he can’t afford to move both players.

Williams should go. Anderson should stay.

For all the talk about Anderson’s lack of chemistry with Darnold, the two actually have stunningly decent numbers. They’ve played in 16 games together over the past season-plus – Anderson has 57 catches for 883 yards and seven touchdowns in those contests. That’s good for 15.5 yards per catch.Sure, those averages are skewed by a few big games; Anderson tallied 123 yards once last season and 125 in a game this year. Still, 55 yards per game is nothing to scoff at – especially considering the Jets’ wide receiver depth.If Douglas deals Anderson, the Jets’ offense will be left with just two wide receivers who have extensive NFL experience: Jamison Crowder and Demaryius Thomas. Crowder is a nice slot guy, but can’t carry an offense. And odds are that Thomas, at 31 and coming off an Achilles tear, isn’t that kind of player anymore, either.

Anderson, in reality, isn’t a No. 1 receiver in this league, either. But there’s still a stark difference between Anderson and Vyncint Smith – who would become a starter if Douglas deals his best wideout.That would be a disaster for Darnold, who is having enough trouble in Gase’s offense as it is.The Jets were unlikely to be contenders this season, even if things broke perfectly. So, this year was always about grooming Darnold for the future. To this point, it hasn’t been going well. He hasn’t made that big Year Two jump that so many other young quarterbacks have.But there’s still time. And at this point, the only goal for the rest of this season should be restoring Darnold’s confidence. Trading Anderson and hamstringing the offense will make that much, much harder.

So, yes, the Jets could use the pick that Anderson would no doubt bring in return. But that pick isn’t as valuable as Darnold’s psyche. After seven picks in the last two games, the Jets have to find a way to make their quarterback comfortable. Upending the offense right now is a bad idea.

Now, as for Williams ...

The Jets’ defensive line has quite clearly proven itself capable of playing at a passable level without him on the field. For starters, Williams played just 75 percent of the Jets’ snaps through six games. That’s a lot, obviously, but it also means this team is plenty experienced working without him.In part, that’s thanks to the emergence of second-year defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi and rookie defensive end Kyle Phillips.Phillips leads the team in tackles for loss with five after notching three against the Jaguars. Fatukasi tallied two on Sunday and is just one behind Phillips on the team leaderboard. Williams has zero.

Williams is also sack-less on the season, putting him behind nine other players in that category.

That’s not to say Williams is useless, by any stretch. He does – as his coaches often point out – command near-constant double teams, which frees up space for others to work. But clearly, he’s been flanked by some competent, up-and-coming talent – and that’s without even mentioning No. 3 overall pick Quinnen Williams.The Jets’ defensive line would surely be poorer without Leonard Williams. All of those secondary pieces would suddenly face tougher matchups once he’s gone. But that position group is the deepest on the roster; the defense could survive his loss as a result.It might be tempting for Douglas to sell off both players, especially in the wake of Sunday’s fresh disaster. But only one side of the ball can handle the added adversity right now.

For Darnold’s sake, Anderson must stay.

>    https://www.nj.com/jets/2019/10/the-case-for-jets-joe-douglas-trading-leonard-williams-but-hanging-onto-robby-anderson.html

[kelly]

Injuries, sadly, have been an one of the underlying reasons for the Jets’ failures in 2019.  From preseason ACL tears to groin strains to mononucleosis, the Jets have seen a shocking amount of ailments aid their descent to the bottom of the NFL.

Through it all, the Jets’ new coaching staff and front office have done a fantastic job of making a bad situation worse. Injuries to three critical Jets starters – Avery Williamson, C.J. Mosley and Kelechi Osemele – could have been mitigated or entirely avoided if Adam Gase and Joe Douglas had been a little more thoughtful when it came to each situation.Start with inside linebacker Avery Williamson, who tore his ACL in the second quarter of a meaningless preseason game against the Falcons. Williamson was slated to start alongside Mosley in the middle of the Jets defense, but Gase left him in the game after he’d taken out every other defensive starter. Jets cornerback Tevaughn Campbell dove into Williamson’s right knee trying to make a play in the end zone, ending Williamson’s season before it began.

Gase took immediate responsibility for the injury but explained it was all in the name of practice – he wanted Williamson to get more reps at weak-side linebacker and to play with backup Neville Hewitt. “Looking back on it, hindsight is 20/20,” Gase said after the game. “I wish I would have gotten him out of there a series earlier… It’s on me. I’m the one that has to make that call and get him out of there.” It doesn’t really matter why Gase kept Williamson in the game. There’s no reason why the Jets’ 2018 tackles leader should have played double the snaps of every other defensive starter just so he can get more reps. Injuries happen and they’re almost impossible to predict, but they are significantly easier to prevent if the player isn’t on the field when he doesn’t have to be.

The coaching staff also let Mosley, another cornerstone of the Jets defense, rush himself back from a groin injury he suffered midway through Week 1 that forced him to miss four games. Mosley desperately wanted to play after watching teams tear up the Jets defense, and was cleared by doctors and coaches after declaring publicly his intent to face the Patriots in Week 6. But it was evident early on against the Patriots that Mosley should have never stepped foot on that field. He looked sluggish and uncomfortable, especially on this touchdown run by Sony Michel.Mosley may have thought he was ready, but Gase and the rest of the coaching staff should have known better, or at least caught on as the game progressed. Now, Mosley will miss the next 5-6 weeks rehabbing the injury he spent the last 5-6 weeks healing. Another piece of the team lost to injury.

Then there’s the Osemele situation, which is tricky. The Jets camp believed Osemele 1) suffered a shoulder injury before he joined the team and 2) was healthy enough to play through it. But Osemele said he needed season-ending surgery. Regardless of which side is right or wrong, the idea that two parties could have such a vast difference in an assessment of what ended up being a torn labrum is laughable. If Mosley’s situation was one where the Jets should have disregarded what the player wanted, Osemele’s situation is the complete opposite. Osemele knew his pain tolerance and knew Toradol wouldn’t help him play through his injury, but the Jets still wanted to push surgery until after the season because they didn’t want to pay him the rest of his base salary. Now, Osemele is no longer with the team, and future free agents will have cause for concern when pondering a contract with Gang Green.

Not a great look.

None of these situations are identical, but all could have been avoided or mitigated if the Jets had been more thorough. Williamson should have never been on the field for that freak injury, Mosley should never have been allowed to rush himself back, and Osemele should have been allowed to have surgery.The one thing the entire organization should get credit for, though, is the handling of Sam Darnold’s mononucleosis diagnosis. Gase, Douglas and the medical staff acted fast in keeping Darnold away from the rest of the team so as not to infect and decimate the rest of the roster. They were also very careful to not let Darnold play with an enlarged spleen, which could have caused serious, if not fatal, harm, if ruptured during a game. 

So, out of the four major health issues to hit the Jets this season, the new regime managed to screw up three of them.

Again, injuries are impossible to predict, but there were better ways to handle these situations. The decisions to keep Williamson in the game and allow Mosley to play were all coaching calls by Gase. The Osemele debacle appears to on Douglas and the medical staff.

That’s a concerning start for two men new to the job in New York.

>     https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/28/jets-new-regime-messing-up-injuries-avery-williamson-cj-mosley-kelechi-osemele-adam-gase-joe-douglas/

[kelly]

8 minutes ago, kelly said:

..Not a great look.

 

>     https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/28/jets-new-regime-messing-up-injuries-avery-williamson-cj-mosley-kelechi-osemele-adam-gase-joe-douglas/

...^ ^ VERY ^ ^   not a great Look   

[kelly]

Rich Cimini    ESPN Staff Writer 

Jets GM Joe Douglas, in his midseason media availability, shed no light on the Kelechi Osemele situation. He said "it's not an ideal situation for either party," adding they made the best decision for the organization. He didn't say why they cut him. He said the Jets followed league rules and always emphasize player health and safety. He said he's not worried about the bad PR influencing how their players (or players around the league) view the Jets.

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Rich Cimini    ESPN Staff Writer 

In the end, the Jets made one trade — Leonard Williams to the Giants. That trade makes sense even though it hurts them in the short term. Who cares? The short term is shot. They received offers for Jamal Adams and Robby Anderson, per sources, but GM Joe Douglas didn't get his price. Now the Jets will be in damage control because two of their most vocal players (Adams and Bell) know they were on the trading block. It'll be a sticky situation for Adam Gase to navigate.

> https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[jeremy2020]

Well, they changed the culture...just not in the direction that everyone was hoping for..

[kelly]

With a 1-6 record, the Jets don’t seem like they have any sense of direction, but general manager Joe Douglas isn’t ready to tear this team apart.

Douglas spoke to the media after Tuesday’s trade deadline passed and acknowledged that this season hasn’t gone according to plan. Additionally, with reports flying around that Douglas was shopping and listening to offers on some of his most important players, it appeared that the Jets were heading in a different direction. But Douglas said that he wasn’t shopping anyone around and that he’s not looking to start from scratch.

“I’m not going to classify this as a rebuild, tear-down,” Douglas told reporters.

Douglas can say that he wasn’t making players like Le’Veon Bell, Jamal Adams and Robby Anderson available, but he was absolutely listening to offers from other teams. While ultimately he didn’t get the right price for any of them, it’s pretty clear that he didn’t have a problem moving on from them if he got what he was looking for. The only player he did trade was Leonard Williams because he was an unproductive player that had an expiring contract.

Douglas has no ties to most of the players on the current roster. These players were either picked by Mike Maccagnan in the draft or signed by him in free agency. So he has no problem trading them away because they aren’t his players.The Jets have some young talented pieces in place for the future, so they didn’t necessarily have to blow the entire team up. There are certainly plenty of holes on the roster, but there is no sense in trading away young, controllable talent just to accumulate draft picks. It just creates more holes.

Douglas is going to have his work cut out for him in the offseason to add to the young foundation that this team has established. He’ll have his first draft and free agency in the offseason to prove to the fanbase that this team is not in the rebuilding stages.

>  https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/29/joe-douglas-insists-jets-are-not-rebuilding/

[kelly]

It’s pretty impressive to destroy a relationship with your best player less than five months into a job, but general manager Joe Douglas managed to do that with Jamal Adams.

Sadly, this is now the second player relations nightmare generated by Douglas and the Jets since he joined the team in June. First, the Jets refused to let Kelechi Osemele have surgery to repair his torn labrum and fined him for missing practice before cutting him. Now — right or wrong — Adams thinks Douglas tried to trade him behind his back after Douglas listened to trade offers for the safety before Tuesday’s deadline.Douglas had a pretty pristine reputation as both a scout and executive before taking the Jets job, so it’s a little surprising to see multiple problems arise so quickly in his tenure as general manager. However, he is a first-time GM and, like a lot of things with the Jets, some of the tension could have already existed prior to Douglas joining the team. Now that they’re off to a horrid 1-6 start, things are boiling over.

The roster constructed by Mike Maccagnan was full of holes and is a big reason why the Jets are 10-29 since Adams entered the league. Adams says he’s sick of losing, which is understandable and could also be signal he wants a change of scenery and is using the trade rumors as leverage. The Osemele situation, too, could be a product of the former regime. Maccagnan, not Douglas, traded with the Raiders for Osemele, and the Jets later claimed Osemele actually injured his shoulder before the March trade. If those reports are to be believed, Douglas doesn’t deserve nearly as much blame as he received thus far. That doesn’t exonerate him from the horrible optics of denying a player the ability to repair a torn labrum or the subsequent fines, but it means Douglas may have been put in a situation that was doomed to fail from the start.

As for the Adams mess, that’s a little trickier.

Despite being on a losing team each of his three seasons in the NFL, Adams remained positive, upbeat and undeniably team-first. This is the first time in his career Adams publically appears frustrated at his bosses, and it all stems from his feeling of betrayal.

Douglas isn’t at fault for listening to offers for Adams, but he should have been transparent with him while reports surfaced that he wasn’t actively shopping Adams. No player wants to hear he’s in the middle of trade discussions, especially one who’s been adamant in the past about his loyalty to the team that drafted him. Adam Gase, to his credit, appears removed from most of these issues. He hadn’t spoken to Osemele throughout his surgery fight (something that didn’t offend Osemele) and he refused to comment on the matter later. Gase also wouldn’t talk about trade rumors surrounding Adams, Le’Veon Bell and Robby Anderson. It’s not all that surprising given Gase’s job as the coach, but there’s no way he isn’t aware of what’s going on behind the scenes. There haven’t been any negative reports of discontent among players with Gase at the helm, but he had a reputation for alienating players during his time with the Miami Dolphins. 

Not much is going right for the Jets in their first season with Douglas and Gase running the show, and the Osemele and Adams catastrophes are just another example of a bad team going through a bad stretch. Frustrations and desperation breed distrust, but it’s on Douglas and Gase to quell the problems of discontent and level the ship quickly before it capsizes.

>      https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/31/jamal-adams-fiasco-another-reason-for-players-to-be-weary-of-jets-management/

[kelly]

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas can put his money where his mouth is in 2020. Here are the full details and why this offseason is huge.

After a flurry of talk ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the New York Jets ultimately stood pat. One of the big names that were surprisingly rumored to be on the move was All-Pro safety, Jamal Adams.

On Tuesday evening, Jets general manager Joe Douglas clarified that situation to the media:

“Jamal Adams is absolutely a part of the Jets long term future. I just want to reiterate we weren’t shopping Jamal Adams. He wears the ‘C’ patch for a reason. Jamal is an absolute warrior and is the heartbeat of the defense.”

If Adams is truly a part of the team’s long term future, Joe Douglas can put his money where his mouth is this offseason.In the new league year, Jamal Adams for the first time in his career will be eligible for a long-term contract extension.If Jamal truly is a part of the team’s long term future, Douglas can make it official this offseason beyond his words with a blank check rewarding Adams for his success with the team and his bright future.

Currently, Adams is ranked 19th among safeties in average salary per year. He’s near the end of his rookie contract he signed back in 2017. There are two years left on his deal, his fifth year is a team option.After the deadline, Jamal Adams went to social media to reveal that any reports of him asking to be traded from the Jets “are completely false.”He would then go on to say that he met with coach Adam Gase and GM Joe Douglas last week to reiterate that he wants to be here in New York.

Although he also shared that his agent told him that Douglas “went behind his back and shopped me around to teams, even after I asked him to keep me here! Crazy business.”

There are two important things to note.

Jamal Adams is still a member of the New York Jets. Now the team must go into damage control mode and convince their star player that they want him here long term and they can do that by giving him a fat extension this offseason.The second point is Joe Douglas flat out denied shopping any of the players mentioned at the deadline and said he took calls and that was it.The exorbitant price that the Jets asked for in any potential Jamal Adams deal seems to indicate that. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport said that the Dallas Cowboys and the Jets engaged in trade talks and the green and white would only part with Adams for a future first-rounder and two 2nd rounders.

Jamal Adams isn’t a trade chip, he’s a foundational piece that can lead the Jets into a new era of football. It’s time for Joe Douglas to walk the walk, after talking the talk to the media. If he does that, all should be well on 1 Jets Drive. If he doesn’t, all hell could break loose.

>    https://thejetpress.com/2019/10/29/new-york-jets-gm-joe-douglas-can-put-money-mouth-offseason/