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

[kelly]

The New York Jets officially unloaded defensive lineman Leonard Williams on Monday ending his five-year tenure in New York and the team got it right with this trade.

Coming off the heels of the NFL trade deadline, many players saw new homes. Additionally, rumors swirled for the New York Jets. While deals did not take place, names such as Le’Veon Bell, Jamal Adams, Robby Anderson, and Marcus Maye dominated the rumor mill.

The Jets certainly have many holes to fill and as it stands, will not be competitive for a very long time. General manager Joe Douglas and head coach Adam Gase certainly have their work cut out for themselves as they look to retool the roster to their liking.They made strides towards that when they traded Leonard Williams to the New York Giants for a third-round pick in 2020 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2021.Leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, Williams was touted as one of the best players in the entirety of the class. The sixth overall pick of that draft was called a “Hall of Fame talent” by Charles Davis and possibly “the best player in this draft” by Gil Brandt.

In spite of his talent and production from when he was drafted through his first couple of seasons, Williams has fizzled out quite a bit. He started with high grades in Pro Football Focus but has gone through regression this year, with a 62.5 grade overall thus in 2019.Douglas did the right thing and got the value he could for a player he had no allegiances to. If he was not willing to extend Williams (which he obviously was not), it was imperative that Douglas kick tires and gauge interest throughout the league.Rather than sign Williams to a lucrative extension or let him walk in free agency for nothing, Douglas was correct in getting value where he could, allowing him more flexibility in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In his first year of a six-year deal, trades like this are necessary to save money against the salary cap and allow a new regime to draft the players they want. The Jets got this move right.Unlike previous regimes who have controlled the team in recent years, Gase and Douglas seem to be working in sync. Off the heels of an offseason where Douglas was not active in the decision-making process, he needs as many picks as possible in order to assemble what he can feel is his young nucleus.Furthermore, if this future does not include investing an extensive sum of money in Williams, then they absolutely have to ship him out to the highest bidder in order to obtain as much draft capital as they can.

Of course, this does not spell immediate relief by any stretch.

Not only will the Jets be out a player who could possibly contribute for another team and they would have to watch this production from close proximity, but the team actually has to use these picks wherever they fall and make positive investments to acquire contributors to the team.

Douglas and Gase may not be done.

In their first offseason together we will get a true sense of their vision for how they see building the team, but the 2020 NFL Draft looks a little brighter with some more early draft capital.

>    https://thejetpress.com/2019/10/31/new-york-jets-right-leonard-williams/

[SOJ]

The problem is not JD its AG.   he had is players in Miami and still lost.  His team has looked uncompetitive and uninspired. Except for the dallas game, this team is a mess and its not just the talent but coaching, period. 

[kelly]

Rich Cimini     ESPN Staff Writer 

Surprise: RB Le'Veon Bell said on his "17 Weeks" podcast that the Steelers, his old team, were among those showing interest at the trading deadline. The Steelers could've had him for basically the same salary he turned down last year on the franchise tag — $14.5M (amount of guaranteed money left in his Jets deal). And, of course, the Steelers would've had to compensate the Jets. That's why it wasn't close to happening, I'm told.

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

[kelly]

~ ~ 10. The last word : "It's funny. A couple of people have come up to me, like, 'I can't believe you've done a trade with the Patriots and Giants.' I don't think of it that way. If it's an opportunity we believe can help our organization, I don't think we look at the decal on the helmet." -- Douglas, who was a guest on The Michael Kay Show (ESPN New York radio).

rest of above article :

>    https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/81400/jets-can-dust-off-old-game-plan-by-trading-jamal-adams-before-draft

[Jetsfan80]

On 10/31/2019 at 7:03 PM, SOJ said:

The problem is not JD its AG. 

I don't even know how its possible for people to put a modicum of blame on Joe Douglas.  He may well suck but he just got here and hasn't made a draft pick.  This would best express that level of scapegoating:

 

 

[kelly]

Up until Sunday, Brian Winters was the lone offensive lineman to play in every game for the Jets.

Now he’s injured, too.

Head coach Adam Gase announced Monday that Winters re-dislocated his shoulder in the 34-27 win over the Giants. Now, Winters is likely done for the season and may require surgery to repair the damage.The question is what that means for the Jets’ longest-tenured offensive lineman. Winters has been with this team since 2013, when he was picked in the third round.But it’s fair to wonder whether the 28-year-old will remain with the team beyond 2019. He’s set to enter the final year of his contract next season. General manager Joe Douglas needs to overhaul the offensive line.

Could Winters fall victim to those circumstance ?

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of cutting Winters after this season – and some final thoughts on what Douglas should do when the time comes:

Pros: Let’s start simple: Winters’ 2020 salary is not guaranteed. So, Douglas could save $7 million – plus a $500,000 bonus – by setting him free. Better yet, he could save that money without incurring any dead cap space. Given how many holes this Jets roster has, that $7.5 million could prove very valuable in free agency. Plus, Winters hasn’t exactly been performing at an elite level this season. His 20 allowed pressures ranks in the bottom half of all NFL offensive linemen, according to ProFootballFocus.com. The same goes for the 15 quarterback hurries he’s allowed. Is it really worth bringing back an offensive lineman who A) was struggling will require an offseason of rehab and C) is beyond his peak years for $7.5 million?

Cons: You know all those other holes on the roster we just mentioned? Douglas already has his work cut out for him trying to fill those. He has to find a center. He likely needs at least one offensive tackle. Perhaps a left guard, depending on the Jets’ evaluation of Alex Lewis. Plus two starting cornerbacks. Plus an edge rusher. Oh, and some new wide receiver targets for Sam Darnold, too. That’s already a long to-do lost. Cutting Winters would only make Douglas’ offseason more hectic. If the first-year GM sends Winters packing, he’ll essentially be forced to rebuild the entire offensive line in one offseason – while also reshaping a whole bunch of other starting positions. That may be too much to ask. The Jets’ talent deficiency will likely take more than one year to overcome. So, Douglas could kick the right guard can down the road for another season by keeping Winters around. Doing so would allow him to focus more of his attention and resources on the spots that are already vacant or in even more dire straits.

Verdict: It probably makes sense for Douglas to keep Winters around for 2020 – unless this recovery is going to take so long that it bleeds into next season. If that’s the case, the Jets will already need to have a Plan B in place, so they may as well save $7.5 million and roll with that backup option. But if Winters will be physically ready by next season, then Douglas should let him stay. After all, the GM could use a veteran presence around to help mentor whichever OL he drafts this spring. Plus, as we’ve already mentioned, Douglas already has enough work on his hands trying to plug existing roster holes. Creating another hole doesn’t make much sense – especially considering the Jets are unlikely to really contend in 2020, anyway. This is going to be a multi-year project for Douglas. There’s no real reason the right guard position can’t wait until Year Two.

>      https://www.nj.com/jets/2019/11/has-brian-winters-played-his-final-game-with-jets-weighing-joe-douglas-tricky-offseason-decision.html

[Apache 51]

[kelly]

The New York Jets are looking to make a proactive move with Jordan Jenkins. Here are all the details and what that contract could look like.

The New York Jets have a ton of tough decisions to make in 2019 and beyond. Re-signing outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins isn’t one of them.

In his four years with the Jets, he has far outplayed his ‘third round’ draft standing.

After another remarkable performance on Sunday vs the New York Giants (two sacks) he now has 17.5 for his career. This season he’s already up to five with seven games left to play, which would be a career year for the former Georgia Bulldog.On the Flight Deck podcast with ESPN’s Rich Cimini, he revealed that the team is looking to lock him up before the 2019 season concludes.This is something the Jets did with wide receiver Quincy Enunwa in late December of 2018.

Jenkins is currently in the final year of his rookie contract he signed back in 2016. This year he’s making just a shade over $2 million.

What would the Jets have to pay to retain his services ?

Jordan Jenkins may not be a double-digit sack artist, but he’s a really good football player.

Cimini suggested the player to look at is former Washington Redskins outside linebacker Preston Smith as a comparable player/contract.In his four years with the Redskins he recorded 24.5 sacks, so slightly better production than Jenkins has accrued in a similar time frame.This offseason he signed a four-year $52 million contract with a $16 million signing bonus, and makes on average $13 million per season.

Jenkins isn’t expected to necessarily command that salary if the Jets can sign him before the season is over, which is their intention. But if he reaches unrestricted free agency in March, Rich Cimini believes he could receive a deal that annually pays him between $11 and $13 million per season.

That would put Jordan in the top-10 at his position in terms of average yearly pay, per Spotrac.

Jordan Jenkins is a really solid football player who is good against the run and provides a nice pass rush as well. With the Jets draft history, this was a home run selection.The New York Jets should look to keep him in green for the foreseeable future. It sends a good message to the rest of the locker room that if guys perform they’ll be rewarded. Also to develop homegrown talent and watch them get second and third contracts is a good sign of a successful organization.

On the Jets 53 man roster, only four players have received second contracts from the team (and only three of those players were drafted by New York):

• Darryl Roberts, cornerback
• Bilal Powell, running back
• Quincy Enunwa, wide receiver
• Brian Winters, guard

> https://thejetpress.com/2019/11/14/new-york-jets-jordan-jenkins-contract-extension/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini    ESPN Staff Writer 

GM Joe Douglas' first significant acquisition — former Pro Bowl C Ryan Kalil — turned out to be a failure. Kalil, placed on injured reserve Saturday (knee), came out of retirement at the start of training camp and never was able to recapture his old form. His 11th-hour arrival created chemistry issues on the O-line; it was a bad fit. And costly. They paid Kalil, 34, a total of $6.7M for seven starts, including salary and bonuses.

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

[kelly]

Rich Cimini  ESPN Staff Writer 

Two biggest takeaways from the Jets' media availability at the scouting combine: GM Joe Douglas spoke highly of RB Le'Veon Bell and said there have been no trade talks. Regarding S Jamal Adams and the possibility of a new contract, Douglas said, "The plan is for Jamal to be a Jet for life." Douglas confirmed there have been "preliminary" discussions with Adams' agent. This is the first acknowledgment by the team that it's interested in extending Adams.

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

[kelly]

How Will Joe Douglas and Adam Gase Approach the 2020 NFL Draft  ?

Jets Head Coach and General Manager Take a Closer Look at the Draft Evaluation Process

video..

> https://www.newyorkjets.com/video/how-will-joe-douglas-and-adam-gase-approach-the-2020-nfl-draft

[kelly]

The Jets enter this period of player procurement like Noah’s Ark: They need two of everything.

With holes all over the roster, free agency and the draft are going to present some challenging decisions for general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Adam Gase, as they try to weigh their priorities and decide the best course to take.

One draft dilemma you can already see coming is whether the Jets should take possibly the third- or fourth-best offensive lineman with the No. 11-overall pick or one of the top two wide receivers.Early mock drafts have linemen flying off the board in the top 10. That could leave the Jets with a choice of a lineman who is not near the top of their list. Top receivers Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb are projected to be available when the Jets pick. It could create a tough decision.“What’s the best thing, what’s best available and what are our options?” Gase said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. “You just don’t know until you get there. I know there’s a lot of work we have to do from here until the season starts, we got to find those answers.”

The Jets desperately need to upgrade an offensive line that struggled mightily last season. Three of the primary starters are scheduled to hit free agency — tackles Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell and guard Alex Lewis. Guard Brian Winters also may be cut in the coming weeks.That leaves a lot of holes for Douglas to fill. Some of them will be filled in free agency, but it would not be surprising to see the Jets take multiple linemen in the draft.“I think that’s our starting point because I think on both sides of the ball that’s where it starts — up front,” Gase said. “Just over the last 15 years seeing that, that’s always been the toughest thing to put together. Guys that work well together, that’s when you have success. When they don’t, that’s when you’re not as good.”This draft class is top-heavy with linemen. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, Houston’s Josh Jones and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas are all expected to be first-round picks. There is a drop off after them.

Wide receiver, on the other hand, is considered the deepest position in this draft.

That is where the decision comes for Douglas. It is a supply-and-demand question. Do you take your third or fourth favorite lineman, knowing you may not find a starter in the later rounds, or do you take the top receiver early, even though you probably can find a starter in a later round?NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said he has 27 wide receivers with a grade in the top three rounds. Douglas and his staff should be able to find a good one in the middle rounds if they pass on one in the first round.There is no doubt the Jets need to address the position. They could lose Robby Anderson in free agency, and Quicny Enunwa’s future is unknown because of neck injuries.

Anderson was the Jets’ best speedster and he may now be gone. Douglas knows he needs playmakers.

“I think you saw that in the two teams that competed for the Super Bowl this year,” Douglas said. “How many explosive players they had on both sides of the ball. Everyone is trying to get bigger, faster, smarter, tougher. We need explosive guys. We need explosive, dynamic playmakers.”

Does Douglas grab one in the first round? That will be a fascinating decision for him to make when the draft arrives in April.

> https://nypost.com/2020/02/29/the-huge-dilemma-at-center-of-jets-2020-nfl-draft/

[kelly]

Why NFL Analysts Believe Joe Douglas Will Bring the Right Players to the Jets

NFL Analysts Share Why They Think Joe Douglas Is a Great Fit for the Jets' Future

video..

> https://www.newyorkjets.com/video/why-nfl-analysts-believe-joe-douglas-will-bring-the-right-players-to-the-jets

[phill1c]

First of all, the Jets don't really have all that many holes, outside of the OL. They definitely have some pending free agents, but, to me, the roster that finished the season had no real holes besides OL, CB, and (forever) Edge rusher. That's not a ton of holes and there not in all that hard to fill positions.

On offense, people discount the no-names at WR that the Jets finished with. Smith and Berrios showed me that they can make plays. And the TEs, they seem adequate or better. All in all, the receiving corps was productive and, at times, explosive. They were held back by the OL not being able to pass protect. So, fix the OL and the receivers with a year's experience and familiarity should be fine. But, of course, you can't stand still, so getting talent when it's there is important. But I just don't see a "if we don't get someone else, we can't win..." situation.

The Jets growth this year should primarily come from current players increased familiarity in the systems. Yeah, absolutely need to get some additional talent, but that talent isn't likely to immediately supplant the incumbents. Talent-wise, they should, but it can take some time for things to click. The Jets are a little better than that.

Hell, on defense, they already have a playoff caliber defense. They are very stout against the run and should be getting some pro-bowlers and leaders back to the LB corps. Yeah, they need a couple of corners and, of course, the mythical EDGE. But I could live with getting two above average CBs this year. Williams and dial up pressure at will, from anywhere anyway.

This is year two. Address the foundation: OL, CB, K. But don't go crazy drafting OL. Address the starters early in the offseason and possibly with the first pick. After that first pick, draft with all units in mind.

[Beerfish]

Wut?  We have tons of holes if you are looking at becoming a good team.

We need two CBs

Two to three olineman

An edge rusher.

At least one if not two WRs

We need another RB.

[phill1c]

No, we don't NEED two CBs. Maybe for depth. We don't NEED any defensive starters. Yes, it would be great to have an edge rusher. But, defenses survive without 'named' edge rushers all the time.

We NEED two starters on the OL

We don't NEED another RB. For what?

We don't NEED another starter at WR, assuming Robby is resigned.

We NEED to develop the team's talent. But the 'holes' we have are mostly depth for the majority of positions not on the OL.

...is my opinion.

 

[FidelioJet]

This whole culture thing is always way overblown.

You create a good culture by putting good football players on the field.  Draft well and spend judiciously.

We have very little to go on about Douglases abilities to build a team. 

[kelly]

Cornerback was a trouble spot for the Jets last season, so it doesn’t come as much of a shock to hear that the team has a couple of this year’s top free agents at the position on their radar.We heard last week that they are among the teams with interest in Panthers corner James Bradberry and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that the team is also showing interest in Byron Jones.

The Cowboys corner has also reportedly caught the eye of the Raiders and Cimini reports that the Eagles are also expected to be in the running for Jones’ services later this month. He also notes that neither Bradberry nor Jones looks like an ideal fit for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ defense, which may limit the lengths the team is willing to go to land either of the free agents.The Jets spent big for cornerback Trumaine Johnson in 2018, but he has not played as well as the team hoped over the last two seasons. Cutting him would leave $12 million in dead cap space on the books for the 2020 season. Darryl Roberts, Nate Hairston and Bless Austin are also under contract while Arthur Maulet is set for restricted free agency.

>      https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/03/08/report-jets-showing-interest-in-byron-jones/

[#27TheDominator]

On 3/7/2020 at 2:55 PM, phill1c said:

No, we don't NEED two CBs. Maybe for depth. We don't NEED any defensive starters. Yes, it would be great to have an edge rusher. But, defenses survive without 'named' edge rushers all the time.

We NEED two starters on the OL

We don't NEED another RB. For what?

We don't NEED another starter at WR, assuming Robby is resigned.

We NEED to develop the team's talent. But the 'holes' we have are mostly depth for the majority of positions not on the OL.

...is my opinion.

 

Cut Trumaine Johnson.  You let Poole and Maulet walk.  Thinking of cutting Roberts for cap space.  You don't NEED corners? 

You don't NEED and edge rusher?  How about somebody to play outside?  Jenkins is a UFA.  I think Copeland is too.  You plan to start Basham and...? 

You sign Anderson.  You don't need another starter at WR?  You are starting Crowder and Anderson?  With Berrios in the slot?  Not even going to replace Thomas?  

This team needs starters almost everywhere.   The offensive line is a barren wasteland, but they need starters everywhere just to keep pace with 2019's pitiful roster.

[THE BARON]

On 8/30/2019 at 11:40 AM, Rangers9 said:

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. 

Mike T. was brought in for contract language.  He worked well with Mangini, because Mangini, the scouring department and the assistant coaches had the collective smarts needed to bring in splendid players.  When Rex became the HC, the HC/GM combo of Rex and Tanny did very poorly with the roster.  Rex was a great game coach, but he was horrible as an acting GM.  By the end of 2010 it was apparent that Rex was way too much of an emotional reactionary to administrate over the roster and Tanny not being a well rounded GM was a total push-over for what Rex wanted.  At the very top was Woody, who was not nearly equipped to see and understand what was happening and take action to save Rex and Tanny from themselves.  The end result was a totally wrecked roster and the end of Tanny and then Rex with the Jets.  

 

[kelly]

Jets' Joe Douglas, Adam Gase Are 'Aligned' Entering 2020 

Collaboration is a big part of general manager Joe Douglas' recipe.

In Douglas' season-ending press conference, he said that no decision would be made unilaterally despite his having final say over the roster. As coach Adam Gase and Douglas enter their first offseason together, they're looking through the same prism."After going through a season of personnel meetings and listening to the coaches talk about players whether it's training camp, in season, end-of-season meetings, you develop a feel for what each coach looks for and things that they really like about players," Douglas told Newyorkjets.com's Eric Allen at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Gase added: "It starts with personnel and coaching all being aligned and then it trickles down to the players. When they feel that, they just focus on what they need to do to win the game."When asked about the symbiotic relationship between Gase and Douglas, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, who worked with Douglas in Baltimore as a scout, said he recently spoke to an NFL head coach who presents "basically a menu" to the scouts that illustrates the traits they need at each position."I don't care how gifted your coach is or how gifted your GM is, if you're not on the same page, you're not going to be successful," Jeremiah said. "To me, that's hugely important. Those guys have a relationship going back to Chicago, they had a chance to know each other and what they value is huge. I think that's what the great relationships have."

NFL Network reporter Steve Wyche used, as an example the 49ers, who brought in both head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch in 2017. After a pair of 4-12 seasons, San Fransciso represented the NFC in Super Bowl LIV after going 13-3 in the regular season. Wyche then provided a faux conversation between Shanahan and Lynch. 

We want these types of players, we don't want these types of divas, we want to have this many veterans in each room and this many young people, etc."The fact that they're so coordinated, you look at the roster they have now, they're going to be in play for years," Wyche said. "I think that's the importance of Gase and Douglas having that type of relationship with what they can do long-term in New York."

Jim Nagy, who is the Executive Director of the Reese's Senior Bowl and an ESPN draft analyst, was most recently a scout for the Seahawks from 2013-18 before moving to Mobile. Nagy used his former stomping grounds as an example of what a transparent relationship between head coach and general manager looks like. Coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider were both hired in 2010 and have a .628 winning percentage (100-59) together. They've missed the playoffs twice in 10 seasons in Seattle (2011, 2017), played in back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013-14 and took home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVIII."They absolutely have to be [on the same page]," Nagy said. "I was lucky enough to be in my last situation in Seattle with John Schneider and Pete Carroll. That was a great marriage and it has to be that way. There can't be any fraction, any ego involved. That was the mantra in Seattle: Check your ego at the door. … That marriage is critical and I know those guys are aligned in New York."

>     https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-joe-douglas-adam-gase-are-aligned-entering-2020

[kelly]

In the summer of 2007, Joe Douglas attended a University of Delaware practice and fell hard for a lanky, strong-armed quarterback named Joe Flacco, a relative unknown.

Douglas, a Baltimore Ravens area scout, had studied Flacco's game tape from the previous year. Now, watching him live for the first time, he was smitten after only a few throws. Not concerned about the level of competition, he wrote a glowing report and submitted it to his bosses.

And they thought he was nuts.

 

"He put a big-time grade on him," former Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said this week in a phone interview with ESPN. "Of course, we all go, 'Joe, this kid is from Delaware. Really?' He stood by his grade."

Prompted by Douglas, Newsome and the Ravens' top decision-makers paid close attention to Flacco throughout the season and wound up picking him in the first round of the 2008 draft. Five years later, he was a Super Bowl MVP. The Flacco decision was a big win for the entire organization, but as Newsome noted, "Joe D. was the first guy to put his eyes on Joe Flacco."Those eyes now work for the New York Jets, who desperately need someone with a clear vision to lead them out of the NFL wilderness.

It starts next week for Douglas, who, after nine months as general manager, gets a chance to reshape the roster. With $50 million in salary-cap space and eight draft choices, including four in the first three rounds, Douglas has the resources to fill many, if not all, of the holes in the roster. He did some tinkering last season, but the first true test comes with free agency.Can a first-time GM with a neighborly personality handle the crucible of New York and make the Jets a consistent winner?For insight into Douglas, the best source is Newsome, one of the greatest tight ends in history, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a Wizard of Oz when it came to roster building. Newsome, who stepped down as the Ravens' GM after the 2018 season, doesn't do many interviews anymore, but he made an exception to speak about Douglas. That should tell you something about his feelings for his protégé.

 

Newsome hired Douglas in 2000 to be part of the Ravens' 20/20 program, which got its name because they took twentysomethings with a football background, paid them about $20,000 a year and gave them entry-level responsibilities in football operations. They made airport runs, drove players to the doctor, stuff like that. Douglas landed the unenviable job of "The Turk," the poor soul who tells players to report to the coach's office so they can be released. He got some face time on TV because the Ravens were featured that year on HBO's "Hard Knocks."

"They learned the business from the bottom up," Newsome said of his 20/20 grunts.

Douglas spent 15 years under Newsome, the last few as a national scout. Now he's in the big chair.

"It's something he's up to," Newsome said. "He came into [a] unique situation. He came in after the draft last year and after free agency, so there wasn't a whole lot he could do from the time he got the job until the end of the season. In that situation, he got a chance to find out about the roster and get accustomed to [coach Adam] Gase and [defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams, and get a feel for what they want. Having all of that will help him this offseason with getting better personnel on the Jets."Now he can start to put his footprint on the Jets. Now you get a chance to see him."Newsome described Douglas as an astute talent evaluator, a careful listener and a processor.

A processor?

"He's not one of those guys that just offers up opinions," Newsome said. "He's a guy that wants to accumulate as much information that's available to him and then make a decision. To me, he's a processor. Regardless of how fast things are moving sometimes, Joe D. is going to be solid and he's going to be right down the middle. And he's going to come away with a good decision."Big decisions await. Does he pay wide receiver Robby Anderson, a pending free agent? How does he overhaul the offensive line? How much is Jamal Adams worth on a long-term extension? What if he receives a tempting trade offer for the star safety?Douglas has been influenced by many in his career, which included stints with the Chicago Bears (2016) and Philadelphia Eagles (2017-19), but his forever mentor is Newsome.

"Ozzie's consistent. Ozzie's patient. Ozzie is not going to get wrapped up in emotions when he's making decisions," Douglas said. "He's not going to get wrapped up in perceived needs. He's going to do what's best for the team short and long term. I'll never compare myself to Ozzie Newsome. Ozzie should be in the Hall of Fame twice, as a player and as a GM, but being around him for 15 years was a true joy, and I'm very blessed to have done it."ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, a former college teammate of Douglas' at the University of Richmond, said, "[Douglas] learned so much from Ozzie Newsome and that staff in Baltimore. That's where he grew up. He's had a couple of other destinations, but Baltimore is where he was raised."Douglas will be his own man, but he likely will base much of his philosophy on the Book of Oz. If so, this is what it could mean for the Jets:

• The Jets won't be married to free agency: Under Newsome, the Ravens splurged every now and then, but the usual plan was to look for value in second-tier free agents. Douglas might stray from that school of thought this year because he has money to burn and so many holes to fill, which is why they've been linked to top free agents such as cornerbacks Byron Jones and James Bradberry, guard Joe Thuney and tackle Jack Conklin. For the long term, though, Douglas would be wise to follow the Ravens Way. "We're going to have different tiers of free agents, with what money they're going to make," Douglas said. "But it's going to be important for us to choose the right person."

• They will try hard to retain their best players: For the first 23 years of the franchise, the Ravens never failed to keep a multiple Pro Bowl first-round pick past his rookie deal. That streak ended last year when linebacker C.J. Mosley signed with the Jets. Mosley notwithstanding, they believe in keeping their own. Douglas will have that in mind as he approaches the Adams situation. He's their best draft pick since Darrelle Revis (2007), and it would be a shame if he doesn't play the prime of his career with the Jets.

• Best player available over need: It "skews the whole process" if a team drafts for need, according to Newsome. He demonstrated his BPA philosophy in his first draft for the Ravens (1996), picking future Hall of Fame tackle Jonathan Ogden fourth overall even though he had a very good tackle in Tony Jones. Need versus BPA could come into play for the Jets, who own the 11th pick. They need an offensive tackle, but the best player might be a wide receiver, perhaps Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb, or a cornerback. Douglas won't reach for a need.

• They will emphasize college free agency: In the mid-2000s, Newsome put Douglas in charge of coordinating the Ravens' effort in signing undrafted players. He did a "fabulous job," according to Newsome. "We've made a living getting two or three college free agents a year. It started with Joe D. and his ability to lay the foundation for that program."In fact, the Ravens have gone 16 straight years with at least one UDFA on their opening-day roster. For competitive reasons, Newsome wishes Douglas had gone to an NFC team, but he knows how badly he wanted the Jets' job. On the day his protégé was hired last June, Newsome received no fewer than three phone calls from Douglas."I was on the golf course and he kept calling me, seeking my advice about the position," Newsome said. "I knew he was ready."

• >    https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/82503/time-for-jets-gm-joe-douglas-to-put-his-ozzie-education-to-work

[kelly]

You have detailed the dysfunction in the building due to Adam Gase’s leadership style. How much can we expect Douglas to help improve this considering Gase does not report to him and played a big role in him getting the job? - @gang_green_A2

The parallel reporting structure does create inherent challenges that threaten to undermine the general manager’s authority. Frankly, it only works when both the head coach and general manager trust each other implicitly. That dynamic doesn’t exist on One Jets Drive.Douglas comes from winning organizations. I don’t know yet whether he’ll be a successful general manager, but I’m confident that he has the football I.Q., leadership traits and proper temperament to deal with the mercurial head coach. In fact, there have already been instances in which Douglas has tried to help Gase deal with some of his shortcomings. Some have worked. Some have not.

Executives from other teams have told me that they believe Douglas will be able to keep Gase in check. He’ll give Gase enough to placate him without letting the coach’s emotional instability and fickleness become the organizational compass.But will this be a prosperous long-term union? Put it this way: I would love to see how Douglas could do with a hand-picked head coach. And plenty of NFL executives agree.

rest of above article : 

> https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ny-jets-mailbag-20200313-x5nd2d7ic5eajktsburwx44vmm-story.html

[kelly]

Rich Cimini  ESPN Staff Writer 

The Jets continued their fire sale, trading LB Avery Williamson to the Steelers for a swap of fifth- and seventh-round picks in 2022. GM Joe Douglas is dumping expiring contracts for little return, as the team nears full-tank mode. Who's next? Names to watch are S Marcus Maye, LB Jordan Jenkins and CBs Pierre Desir, Brian Poole and Quincy Wilson. Trading deadline is Tuesday.

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

[kelly]

Rich Cimini  ESPN Staff Writer 

A couple of quick thoughts on Joe Douglas' midseason presser: The GM took a lot of bullets for his coach and even his QB, but here's the reality: His love for Sam Darnold won't preclude him from drafting a top QB. He'll keep loving Darnold until he knows draft position and which QBs are in the draft. Then we'll find out if he loves somebody else more than Darnold. Douglas endorsed Adam Gase, but that doesn't mean he's safe. CEO Christopher Johnson makes that call.

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

[kelly]

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:

1. Home improvement: General manager Joe Douglas inherited a fixer-upper. He threw on a coat of paint, went to Walmart for interior decorations and figured he was good to go. He was wrong, which he acknowledged in his midseason news conference. Now he's gutting the place and starting over.The good news for the Jets is they have the means to build it the right way. They have 18 draft picks in 2021 and 2022, including nine in the first three rounds. They have a league-high $81 million in salary-cap room for 2021, according to Over the Cap (OTC) data -- and that total could grow to $110 million once they roll over their unused cap space this year."That gives us a lot of flexibility and a lot of opportunity moving forward to really improve the talent on this roster," Douglas said.

The Jets have a lot of resources and a plan. Problem is, their AFC East rivals have plenty of resources, too, so the competition will be fierce. Consider:

• New England Patriots. Right now, they have six draft picks in '21, but they're projected to receive three compensatory picks, including a third-rounder for Tom Brady. Coach Bill Belichick won't be able to complain about his cap situation anymore because the Patriots will be sitting pretty. They will have $65 million in room, per OTC, plus a rollover that could bring them close to $90 million. Belichick's days of clipping coupons will be over.

• Miami Dolphins. It's all about the draft capital. Already a team on the rise, the Dolphins own four picks in the first two rounds of the '21 draft, including first- and second-rounders from the Houston Texans (Laremy Tunsil trade). Miami could have four of the top 50 picks, including possibly the No. 1 overall pick because the Texans (1-6) are so bad. If the Dolphins are convinced Tua Tagovailoa is their long-term quarterback, they could trade that pick for a bounty of draft choices. Yep, they're looking good for a franchise that appeared to be tanking a year ago.

• Buffalo Bills. They don't have as much draft capital as the others, and they will be pressed against the '21 cap, but they also have the best roster in the division -- a roster that includes an ascending quarterback in Josh Allen. So, they're OK.

• 2. Blue to Green? Jim Harbaugh's name is sure to surface as a head-coaching candidate as we get toward the latter stage of the season. He hasn't lived up to expectations at Michigan, his alma mater, where he has one year remaining on his contract. The Jets have been linked to Harbaugh in each of their past three coaching searches.

In 2009, they interviewed him for the position, which went to Rex Ryan. Late in the 2014 season, Ryan's final days, the Jets reportedly were interested in Harbaugh, but nothing came of it. There were rumors in 2019, but the Jets denied interest and eventually hired Adam Gase.Harbaugh's success with the San Francisco 49ers (44-19-1) makes him an attractive candidate, but you have to believe he'd want to run his own show or hire a personnel man he knows. The Jets aren't going to sack Douglas two years into a six-year contract, so this wouldn't seem to be a natural fit.Then again, Douglas knows John Harbaugh from his time as a scout with the Baltimore Ravens. Could a relationship with one Harbaugh help build one with the other? Food for thought.

3. Future gains: Let's put a bow on the Jets' recent roster moves. What did they accomplish by trading defensive players Avery Williamson, Steve McLendon and Jordan Willis and releasing running back Le'Veon Bell?First, they created roughly $3 million in cap room for 2020, which fattens the amount of their rollover. That helps, but that wasn't the primary reason for the moves.The purpose of the trades was to get something for three players on expiring contracts who weren't going to be back next season and weren't going to qualify for compensatory picks. But, by trading them before they left as free agents, the Jets essentially did get comp picks in 2022 -- a fifth-rounder and two sixth-rounders. There was a cost (three seventh-round choices), but it was a small cost.Draft picks are currency, and Douglas managed to add a little to his bank account.

4. Ugly stat of the season: The Jets have $44.4 million in "dead" money on this year's cap, with Bell ($15.1 million) and wide receiver Quincy Enunwa ($11.9 million) accounting for a good chunk of it. The only teams with more dead money are the Carolina Panthers ($50.6 million) and Jacksonville Jaguars ($49.7 million), per OTC.Detect a trend? They're all losing teams.

5. In the trenches: Douglas reiterated his blueprint is focused on building the offensive and defensive lines, an inside-out strategy that is based on sound reasoning. The Jets have a good start on the defensive line, with Quinnen Williams, Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers, a pleasant surprise. The offensive line is a different story.There are no building blocks other than rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton. The Jets are committed to center Connor McGovern for 2021 because of guaranteed money, but he hasn't lived up to expectations. The rest of the starters are replacement-level players. The wild card is rookie Cameron Clark, a fourth-round pick who hasn't played. The coaching staff believes he has a ways to go before he's ready to play, so this could turn out to be a redshirt season.

6. Clown show: Sometimes non-moves are the best moves. For months, the Jets were linked to defensive end Jadeveon Clowney even though they never had any real interest in the free agent. Some fans and media types screamed for them to make a splashy move. Well, has anybody checked on Clowney? He has been a disappointment for the Tennessee Titans, who are paying him $13 million for one year. He has 15 tackles, one forced fumble and no sacks.

7. Fall into the gap: Remember that halcyon day in January 2011, when the Jets stunned the Patriots in the AFC divisional playoffs? Some in the Jets' camp felt it was a sign they had closed the gap on the Patriots.Not exactly.The Patriots have won 16 out of the past 18 meetings, including an eight-game winning streak going into Monday night's home game for the Jets (8:15 ET, ESPN). Since then, the Patriots are a 113-88 -- a league-best .748 winning percentage. The Jets are 57-98 -- 29th in winning percentage.A 56-game difference in the win column?The gap remained a Grand Canyon.

8. 0-no! The Jets are 1-0 in franchise history when their record is 0-8. In other words, they've never been 0-9, so they could drop to an all-time low on Monday night. In 1996, they got their first win after an 0-8 start, finishing 1-15.

9. The next-to-last word: "Ultimately, I think when you look at successful organizations, no matter what the sport, you don't see a lot of teams that build long-term success by buying their way out of it. You see the teams, the organizations, that have long-term success, they draft well, and they develop their players. I think that's the model moving forward." -- Douglas.

10. The last word: "Poor offensive-line play, bad running-back play, no tight ends, bad playcalling. It's all bad." -- an AFC scout on the Jets.

> https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/84795/new-york-jets-have-tools-for-renovation-but-theyre-not-home-free

[kelly]

The Jets haven’t drafted well in recent years, but it looks like Joe Douglas is well on his way to changing that narrative.

Douglas’ first draft received mixed marks initially. Many questioned the selection of Ashtyn Davis in the third round over a wide receiver, while picking James Morgan early in the fourth round raised plenty of eyebrows. Despite the criticism, the early return on most of his nine 2020 draft picks has been encouraging.So far, Mekhi Becton and Denzel Mims look like NFL starters, while La’Mical Perine and Ashtyn Davis have proven to be effective role players who could develop into quality contributors. Braden Mann, Douglas’ last pick of the draft, is already one of the better punters in the league. Cameron Clark, Bryce Hall, Morgan and Jabari Zuniga haven’t played much yet, but still carry plenty of potential.

It’s only a half-season of one class, but Douglas already looks like a better rookie talent evaluator than his predecessor, Mike Maccagnan, who made 37 selections between 2015 and 2019. Of Maccagnan’s picks, only 11 remain, and only two – Jordan Jenkins and Marcus Maye – were drafted before 2018.

That is a harrowing indictment on Maccagnan’s draft record.

What’s even wilder is the number of Maccagnan picks on the roster may go down more after this season. Jenkins and Maye are set to hit free agency and the Jets could move on from 2018 first-rounder Sam Darnold if they draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2021 draft. Tight end Chris Herndon has been a major disappointment in his third season and could be on his way out, as could defensive lineman Nathan Shephard – a 2018 second-rounder. Chuma Edoga and Trevon Wesco, two 2019 picks, have not brought much to the table, either.To be fair, Maccagnan’s misses are not all his fault. Leonard Williams looked like a star after a breakout 2016 season but slowly regressed over time – possibly because of coaching or scheme – before Douglas traded him to the Giants last year. Jamal Adams was also a fantastic pick in 2017, but his character deteriorated as the Jets kept losing and eventually he clashed with the coaching staff and front office culture so much Douglas had no choice but to trade him.

Maccagnan cannot be forgiven for some of his selections, though. He was notoriously awful in the second round with picks like wideout Devin Smith in 2015 and quarterback Christian Hackenberg in 2016. He botched nearly all of his middle and late-round picks, too. The Jets’ failures in free agency are indirectly tied to Maccagnan’s draft blunders, too, since the roster couldn’t compete without bringing in expensive mercenaries who proved overvalued and ineffective.Douglas, meanwhile, has been left to clean up Maccagnan’s mess. He’s done a solid job so far, finding contributors on offense, something Maccagnan failed to do in five drafts. Devin Smith tallied just 15 receptions for 248 yards and two scores in 18 games, while ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen – Maccagnan’s third and fourth picks of the 2017 draft – combined for 17 receptions and 176 yards in 15 games with the Jets. Mims already has 10 catches for 140 yards in three games. Perine has already proven he is already a more efficient runner than Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon in his limited role.

The jury is still out on the defensive players until Davis, Hall and Zuniga get more reps, though. There is also Clark, who hasn’t seen the field yet after suffering injuries in training camp, and Morgan, who has yet to be part of New York’s active gameday roster. With that being said, those players could develop into a solid core for Douglas over time.Douglas didn’t have a high bar to clear with his first draft as a general manager, but his picks look solid more than midway through the season. The key will be to build off this class in the next two drafts, where the Jets possess a total of 18 selections – including four in each of the first two rounds in 2021 and 2022.

Douglas was hired for his scouting acumen. Early in his tenure with New York, he has proven that his evaluation skills are good enough to create a bright future at 1 Jets Drive.

>    https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2020/11/14/joe-douglas-already-looking-like-a-better-drafter-than-mike-maccagnan/

[kelly]

You have to wonder what opposing coaches are thinking when they start scouting the Jets before they face them. Usually, coaches would go through a team’s strengths, what they need to take away from a team, what players they need to be worried about.

With the Jets, that could lead to a lot of silence.

The lack of talent on the Jets roster is stark right now. That should not be a surprise for an 0-10 team, but it is driven home every week the Jets take the field. The Jets are playing and starting players who should probably be on a practice squad somewhere. They have less talent than a middle school play.This is the task that now faces general manager Joe Douglas. The easy part will be drafting Trevor Lawrence if the Jets do end up with the No. 1 pick. Finding a new coach will be key, but also should be doable with the right process in place. The real trick that Douglas now faces is doing a roster overhaul.A decade of bad drafts and bad free-agent decisions has left the Jets here. This season has to be rock bottom, right? It can’t get worse than this.Douglas has set the Jets up for success by loading up on draft picks (nine in each of the next two drafts) and getting the salary cap in order. The Jets are projected to have more than $80 million in cap space.

That gives Douglas flexibility. If the plan starts with drafting Lawrence, the next line better be to give him a support system. We’ll never know what Sam Darnold might have been had the Jets properly supported him. Darnold has thrown to 20 different wide receivers in his time with the Jets, most of them forgettable. Add in running backs and tight ends and Darnold has thrown to 38 different players. There has been no continuity for Darnold and very few playmakers around him.Look at the way the Jets drafted before and after taking Darnold. The team took three wide receivers in the two drafts before they selected Darnold, none higher than the third round. ArDarius Stewart was that third-rounder and was a known character risk when the Jets drafted him. After taking Darnold, former GM Mike Maccagnan took tight end Chris Herndon in the fourth round of that same 2018 draft and tight end Trevon Wesco in 2019, but did not take any wide receivers. Douglas began fixing that error by taking Denzel Mims in the second round this year.

It is not like the Jets have made up for those draft failings in free agency. Jamison Crowder was a good signing last year, but that is about it.Then, you get to the offensive line where Mekhi Becton was the first lineman the Jets drafted in the first two rounds in a decade. The neglect on the line has led to Darnold getting sacked 82 times in his career. There are 10 quarterbacks who have been sacked more than him since he entered the league in 2018, but all of them have played in more games.The Jets holes are not just on offense, of course. They desperately need an edge rusher who can win one-on-one battles and cornerbacks who can slow down opposing passing attacks. Sunday’s display by the Chargers underscored this. Keenan Allen may have just caught another pass.Douglas will not be able to fill every hole this offseason. He had some missteps in free agency last offseason, but his first draft class is promising, starting with Becton and Mims.

Now, Douglas could have the chance to draft a generational talent in Lawrence. That won’t be the hard part. Surrounding Lawrence with enough additional talent will be.

> https://nypost.com/2020/11/23/joe-douglas-plan-to-fix-the-jets-cant-end-with-trevor-lawrence/

[kelly]

The Jets fell to 0-10 Sunday with their 34-28 loss to the Chargers in Los Angeles. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:

1. The Jets have been eliminated from the playoffs in our minds for months, but it became official on Sunday when the Colts defeated the Packers in overtime. That result, coupled with the Jets loss, meant the Jets will miss the playoffs for the 10th straight season. It is the second-longest playoff drought in franchise history, trailing the run from 1970-80 by one season.It is incredible to think it is now a full decade since the Jets have been in the playoffs. Even worse than that is that it has been five years since they even contended for the playoffs. Not since the 2015 season when they went 10-6 and lost to Buffalo in Week 17 have the Jets sniffed the playoffs.I was not around to see the teams in the 1970s but have long heard the stories of that lost decade in New York football, not just for the Jets but also the Giants. It made me wonder how that run of futility compares to this one.

The Jets have a .370 winning percentage since 2011 (57-97). That is just slightly better than the .356 winning percentage from 1970-80 (57-103). But look at those records. If the Jets lose their final six games and finish 0-16, they will be 57-103 over the last decade, the exact same record as those ‘70s teams.During this horrible run, the Jets’ division has been dominated by the Patriots. In the ‘70s, it was the Dolphins early in the decade and then the Colts. The Jets finished in second place just once in the ‘70s, in 1972. They have finished second three times in the last decade – 2011, ’13 and ’15.So, the current Jets are rivaling those ‘70s Jets for the worst period in team history. If the Jets finish 0-16, they will bump aside the 1996 Jets, who finished 1-15, as the worst team in franchise history. This is not the kind of history any team wants to make.One other note on the drought. The only teams with longer active droughts than the Jets are the Browns (17) and Buccaneers (12). But both of those teams are currently in playoff contention, meaning the Jets could have the longest active streak in the NFL by the end of this season.

2. Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert was quite impressive on Sunday. He looked like he knew where to go with the ball and his physical skills are obvious. Seeing Herbert can make Jets fans dream of the possibility of Trevor Lawrence next season and how he could transform the Jets.Here’s what stood out to me, though. Herbert has Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Hunter Henry to throw to. Who is going to be here for Lawrence if the Jets draft him No. 1 overall? Jets general manager Joe Douglas has a huge task ahead. If the first line of the plan is to land Lawrence, then the second line has to be to build around him. The Jets failed to build around Mark Sanchez a decade ago and they did it again with Sam Darnold. That is not to say those two would have been All-Pros, but we never got to see the best from them because of the talent around them.Denzel Mims looks like he could be a good player. The Jets need to add another top receiver in free agency this year to help out Lawrence or whoever the quarterback is.

3. The amount of roster turnover for the Jets this offseason could be staggering. How many of these players are part of the future? If there is a new coach, as expected, he is going to have a big say in the personnel and surely will want different players than who Adam Gase wanted.One of the things that stands out in my time around the Jets over the last 10 years is the lack of continuity. I’m not sure the losing is a product of it or the reverse that the lack of continuity is a result of the losing. We focus on continuity with the front office, coaching staff and quarterback a lot. But the entire Jets roster seems to get flipped every 1-2 years. The last time the Jets had roster stability was 2008-12 when the team kept a core of players together.Looking at the Jets starters from Sunday’s game, here is the breakdown of the year they arrived to the Jets:

Offense

2020 (8): Breshad Perriman, Mekhi Becton, Connor McGovern, Greg Van Roten, George Fant, Denzel Mims, Joe Flacco, Frank Gore

2019 (3): Alex Lewis, Ryan Griffin, Jamison Crowder

There is not one offensive player starting that was here before 2019. Chris Herndon did not start but played a lot and he was here since 2018. If Sam Darnold were healthy, he would start and he has been here since 2018.

Defense

2020: Lamar Jackson, Bryce Hall, Ashtyn Davis

2019: John Franklin-Myers, Quinnen Williams

2018: Folorunso Fatukasi, Harvey Langi, Neville Hewitt, Frankie Luvu

2017: Marcus Maye

2016: Jordan Jenkins

There are a few more players on defense that have been here for a while, but Jenkins and Maye are really the only ones who have been here a long time.Looking at that list of starters, I would say there are four players on offense I expect back next season and maybe six on defense. That means a whole lot of roster turnover again next year.

4. A few things on the play-calling story that came out of Sunday’s game. I really don’t think it is a big deal that Adam Gase gets the play call from Dowell Loggains and then calls it in to the quarterback. This was not an issue because of a problem in the game. There were no delay of game penalties that sparked it. It was only an issue because the broadcasters made it one during the game.Another thing is watch the Chiefs – Andy Reid picks the play, tells Eric Bieniemy and then Bieniemy calls it in to Patrick Mahomes. It seems to work well for them.It is not uncommon for coaches to split play-calling by situation. Sometimes one coach calls all the red zone plays or the third down plays. Gase said he is involved in two-minute calls and third downs.Everything is ripe for criticism because the Jets are 0-10. If they were 10-0, no one would blink at this story.

Revealing stat

The Jets had 196 yards passing Sunday. That is the 15th straight game they have had without a 300-yard passing game. It is the longest active streak in the NFL, according to Pro-Football-Reference. The Giants are second with 11.

Surprising snap count

Chris Herndon played 36 snaps out of 60 (60 percent). Herndon ended up having a few good moments on Sunday, but I’m still surprised he is playing more than Ryan Griffin (27 snaps)

Game ball

Defensive lineman Henry Anderson had his best game in two years. He blocked a punt, recorded a ½ sack and had five tackles.

>  https://nypost.com/2020/11/23/jets-building-around-trevor-lawrence-is-as-vital-as-drafting-him/

[kelly]

When a team is as bad as the Jets are, and have been, every aspect of the team gets the microscope treatment.

The way it call plays, the placement of players on IR and the running back rotation have all sparked speculation and conspiracy theories lately. That is life when you are 0-10 and have not made the playoffs in a decade. If you’re winning, no one cares.As the Jets move closer to 0-16 and making a change at head coach, another aspect of the organization, one that seems to annoy many fans, is going to be scrutinized as well. The way the Jets have their reporting structure set up has irritated some people since the team changed it in 2015.The Jets are set up where the head coach and general manager both report to the owner whether that is Christopher Johnson or his brother Woody, if he takes over day-to-day duties when his time as ambassador to the United Kingdom ends in January. This is different than the traditional way most fans think of with the coach reporting to the GM and the GM then answering to ownership.

The Jets changed from that traditional setup to their current version after the 2014 season when John Idzik and Rex Ryan were at each other’s throats but Ryan did not feel comfortable going over his boss’ head directly to Woody Johnson to voice his concerns about Idzik. Johnson responded by making the coach and GM equals on the organizational flow chart and it has been that way from the Todd Bowles-Mike Maccagnan marriage through the current Adam Gase-Joe Douglas partnership.For some reason, this really grates on some people. I have heard complaints about this setup for the past few years and some people even assign blame for the team’s struggles to the GM and coach being equals.

Here is what I say: It does not matter.

It does not matter if the GM and coach are equals or if the coach answers to the GM. It matters who those two people are. This is what the Jets must get right.There is an idea that the Jets are alone in this organizational structure. But a check with other teams around the NFL shows that 16 teams operate like the Jets with the two power brokers in line. There are 11 teams with the more traditional setup of the coach working under the GM. There are five teams that currently do not have their GM spot filled.

The Jets could very well flip how they do things if they fire Gase after the season, as expected. They could give more power to Douglas, who would be the point man on any coaching search. Or they could keep it the way it is. No one around the Jets is to the point where this is being discussed while Gase is still on the job.Whatever the Jets decide can work. The Chiefs have both coach Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach reporting to ownership and they just won a Super Bowl. The Saints have GM Mickey Loomis as coach Sean Payton’s boss and New Orleans is one of the best teams in football.

The truth is the reporting structure only draws attention when a team loses … like the Jets. The Jets need to hire a good coach and Douglas needs to find some good players. If the Jets do that, no one will care if the coach reports to the GM, the owner or Joe Namath.

> https://nypost.com/2020/11/24/maddening-joe-douglas-adam-gase-structure-not-unique-to-jets/

[kelly]

When it comes to Mike Maccagnan’s drafting woes, Adam Gase hasn’t exactly bitten his tongue.

Whether it’s said with his words or roster moves — Gase shipped Darron Lee away just hours after Maccagnan was fired — New York’s head coach isn’t afraid to tweak the team’s former general manager.That was the case again on Friday when Gase was asked about Jordan Jenkins being the longest-tenured player on the team. Jenkins, a third-round pick out of the University of Georgia, is the only remaining member of New York’s 2016 draft class, which was selected by Maccagnan.

“[Jenkin’s] draft class should be the heart of the roster,” Gase said, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “He’s the only one remaining.”Maccagnan’s poor drafting record played a significant role in his firing, and it’s partly why Gang Green’s roster is so void of established talent in 2020. Maccagnan didn’t exactly hit home runs in free agency, either.Between Lee and Christain Hackenberg, Maccagnan’s whiffs on the first two picks have helped cripple the Jets’ current roster. Lee, an undersized linebacker out of Ohio State, never panned out and is currently on the Bills’ practice squad. As for Hackenberg, he never attempted a pass in an NFL regular-season game and will go down as one of the organization’s biggest draft blunders.

Juston Burris and Brandon Shell are both starting in Carolina and Seattle, respectively. The Jets never knew what they had in Burris, who was moved from cornerback to safety once departing New York. As for Shell, swapping him for George Fant has actually worked out quite well for Gang Green. Also, seventh rounders Lachlan Edwards and Charone Peake were nothing more than middling special teams players.All in all, Gase doesn’t have much ground to stand on considering he’s still here and the Jets are 0-11, but his critique of Maccagnan isn’t wrong. The team’s poor drafting record under Maccagnan is why the Jets are going through a total roster transformation under Joe Douglas. And while Jenkins has been a more than formidable complementary piece for New York, he isn’t a game-changing player.

>   https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2020/12/05/new-york-jets-adam-gase-takes-shot-at-mike-maccagnan-2016-draft-class-jordan-jenkins/

[kelly]

* * would someone please post this article here. i'm unable to post it from the computer i'm currently using .  thank you !... i apol. ! !  * *  

5 most likely trade partners for Sam.. >  https://thejetpress.com/2020/12/09/ny-jets-5-likely-trade-sam-darnold/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini   ESPN Staff Writer 

Sergio Castillo, who missed three FGs, said he "didn't follow through on a couple, and then it was one after the other. I have to do better and bounce back. That's on me." The gig could be up for Castillo, as Sam Ficken (groin) is eligible to come off IR this week. Asked if he's worried, Castillo said, "There are no diamonds without pressure."

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

[kelly]

In so many ways, the nightmare ending last Sunday for the Jets was almost a dream description of who they are, who they have been for a long time and, oh sure, who they may continue to be whether they get rid of Adam Gase and get the No. 1 pick in the next NFL draft or not.Think about it: A defensive coordinator who never should have been hired by a head coach who never should have been hired makes the worst call any coordinator anywhere has made since Darrell Bevell of the Seahawks called for a pass on the goal line against the Patriots one time and gift-wrapped the Lombardi Trophy for them. Because of that playground defense, the Jets nearly win a game that might have blown the No. 1 draft choice for them.And because they are the Jets, the Knicks of professional football, the lowest point in the worst season they have had since Rich Kotite was the Jets coach who never should have been hired was viewed by so many Jets fans as you know and I know as a good thing, despite the fresh ridicule they had to endure.

To sum up, then: Only the Jets can hit rock bottom losing that way and have their fans think they actually won something. Even if it wasn’t a football game.This is what Larry David, a Jets fan who goes back to Namath with them, told me after the Raiders game last Sunday:“I turned it off early in the third with the Raiders leading and feeling very relieved. Later my cousin called and asked if I saw the end of the game. My heart sank thinking they had pulled it out and screwed up the draft yet again. Then I saw the play and was so proud of them. That’s my guys! Best I’ve felt about them since Super Bowl 3.”And then Larry David asked something a lot of people asked after the game when Gregg Williams still had his job as defensive coordinator: Why Adam Gase didn’t have the good grace to resign right after he fired Williams. Gase was wearing a headset when Williams had already called the same defense the play before. But Gase didn’t stop Williams then, and he didn’t stop him on the play that won the game for the Raiders.

“Obviously,” Larry said, “the buck doesn’t stop anywhere near Gase.”But somehow Jets fans are now supposed to believe that because their team has hit rock bottom, that they might be about to get Trevor Lawrence and are certainly about to get a new head coach, that the Jets may be about to start to turn things around now. But why in the world would anybody possibly think that way with Woody Johnson as the owner and his brother Christopher as his caretaker while Woody has been playing dress-up as this country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom?You know who Jets fans often think could do a better job of owning and running their team? Those cutouts in the stands at MetLife Stadium this season.The previous general manager, Mike Maccagnan, wasn’t the one who hired Todd Bowles, the coach before Gase. You know who might have had the biggest voice in the room on that one? Charlie Casserly, who hadn’t been a GM in the league since 2006, when he left the Houston Texans. And the Jets, being the Jets, effectively hired Bowles before they hired Maccagnan at the time. Send up a flare when either one of them has a job in the league as good as the ones they held under the Johnson family.

You know the last time the Jets were as bad as they are right now? When Kotite coached them. You know how Kotite got the job? Because the late Leon Hess never got over the fake spike play from Dan Marino at old Giants Stadium and got rid of his coach and decided Kotite was going to be his savior. The coach Hess fired so he could hire Kotite?

Pete Carroll.

With Carroll gone after one season, Kotite’s Jets proceeded to go 4-28 over the next two seasons. The first one was 3-13. Then came the 1-15, and we all thought that was the bottom for the Jets until now. And, oh by the way, you know who had as much to say about the hiring of the current Jets general manager, Joe Douglas? Adam Gase. Because who wouldn’t give a coach power like that with a record like his as a head coach, first in Miami and now over in Jersey?The last time the Jets really had a general manager and coach on the same page was when they had Mike Tannenbaum as GM and Rex Ryan as coach. Woody gave Tannenbaum a do-over after Eric Mangini and Rex replaced Mangini and the Jets had those two shining seasons when they made it to two consecutive championship games, first against Peyton Manning and the Colts, then against the Steelers. They led at halftime against the Colts, 17-13. The next year they beat the Colts on the road and beat Belichick and Brady and the Patriots on the road and scared the Steelers half to death in the fourth quarter of that championship game.Those feel like the glory years now. Rex coached his team up as well as Bill Parcells had coached up the Jets when he took them to a championship game in Denver.

Now here they are. And the most important guy in the world to Jets fans is Douglas, who has mostly hidden behind what feels like a whole season that is the Butt Fumble on steroids. He has a long-term contract, he has stockpiled draft choices, he finally may get to hire his own coach if the Johnson boys will get out of the way. This is Douglas’s show. He has to get it right with the No. 1 pick if the Jets get it, and he has to hire his own coach.Because if he doesn’t get to do that, if the Johnson brothers think they know more about football than he does — in the words of Parcells neither one of them know if the ball is blown up or stuffed — then the Jets are just doomed to repeat their own history, the kind they made last Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Giants last Sunday did exactly what they needed to do last Sunday, even with Colt McCoy at quarterback:They went on the road and they beat the Seahawks, their first win against a winning team since the Bears in 2018.Now we see on Sunday if they can keep going against the Cardinals, who had a winning record until they began to fade the past few weeks.Yankee fans I know think that the longer their team goes without signing DJ LeMahieu, the more worried they get.Say it again:Trevor Bauer is made for the big city.We’d need one guy to cover his pitching, and another to be the beat reporter for him on social media.The only two quarterbacks who looked better than Josh Allen did in last weekend’s games were named Mahomes and Rodgers.The only way the Cowboys start moving toward the Lombardi Trophy again, instead of continuing to move away from it, is if someone other than a Jones is running the football operation down there for team that hasn’t been America’s Team for over two decades.Didn’t Troy Aikman sound as if he needed a hug on Tuesday night watching the Ravens run all over his old team?

The last time anybody had a record as bad as Trump’s lawyers was Northwestern football in the late ’70s and early ’80s, when at one point the Wildcats were 2-52-1.It Notre Dame doesn’t win the title this year, when does it?If you had to bet, who makes it to the World Series first:Dave Dombrowski’s old team, the Red Sox, or his new team, the Philadelphia Phillies?Not going to lie: I can’t wait to watch 11-year-old Charlie Woods play with his old man in the PNC, the tournament in which major champs play with a son, daughter or parent.From my pal Barry Stanton:Jalen Hurts once got benched in a national championship game and now he’s supposed to be the Eagles’ savior?It really will be interesting if Ron Rivera’s decision to go for two against the Giants in October — instead of kicking the point in the last minute and going to overtime – might cost the Washington Football Team the NFC East.David Israel, who once wrote columns in D.C. and Chicago and Los Angeles, said after Washington beat the Steelers that the WFT had just provided the WTF game of the year.The only better comeback story in sports this season than Alex Smith’s is Daniel Bard winning Comeback Player of the Year in the National League after essentially having pitched himself out of the sport six years ago.Pretty sure that the only guy the Knicks haven’t signed out of Kentucky over the past couple of months is Mitch McConnell.

Wait, we’re about to have a mayor of New York City again?

>    https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ny-jets-adam-gase-joe-douglas-lupica-20201212-zwfzemcbzba3hk5it5u4555jtq-story.html

[kelly]

The NY Jets have claimed two players off waivers including a new kicker.

The NY Jets may be rolling out a new kicker this Sunday after they claimed two players off waivers — one of which was former Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Chase McLaughlin.

On Monday, the Jets announced that they had claimed both McLaughlin and defensive lineman Trevon Coley off waivers. The addition of the former puts the incumbent Sergio Castillo‘s job in serious jeopardy.Castillo has been the Jets’ kicker for six games this season filling in for the injured Sam Ficken. But while Castillo started off hot making six of his first seven field goals (his only miss was blocked), his disastrous Week 14 performance might have sealed his fate.

The former CFL and XFL kicker nailed his first kick from 45 yards out on Sunday but then missed his next three field-goal attempts, all of which were within 50 yards. It was a nightmare of an afternoon for Castillo and it’s seemingly cost him his job.McLaughlin was undrafted last season and bounced around between a whopping five teams, kicking for three of them. In 11 total games in 2019, the former Illinois kicker connected on 18-of-23 field goals and made all 26 extra-point attempts.That includes three kicks from exactly 50 yards, all of which he made. The Jaguars signed McLaughlin off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad last month and he would go on to kick in three games for the team.

McLaughlin made 4-of-5 field goals including one from 52 yards out with his only miss coming on a desperation 62-yarder at the end of regulation last week. However, he did miss a costly extra-point in that game.

The NY Jets will have a decision to make at the kicker position

The aforementioned Ficken will be eligible to return from injured reserve this week and it remains to be seen if the Jets will opt to do so. But at the very least, it seems as though the Sergio Castillo era in New York has come to an end.As for Coley, the former undrafted free agent spent the first two years of his career with the Cleveland Browns where he solidified a role in their defensive line rotation. Coley started 29 of 31 games in Cleveland before bouncing around with the Indianapolis Colts and later the Arizona Cardinals.In six games this season (two starts), Coley has 14 tackles, three tackles for loss, two QB hits, and one sack.

We’ll see if either of these players manage to stick around through the end of the season.

>     https://thejetpress.com/2020/12/14/ny-jets-claim-two-players-waivers-kicker/