Unsurprisingly, Jets led the league in cap $$$$ tied up on IR

[Scott Dierking]

https://nypost.com/2022/01/10/jets-joe-douglas-prioritizing-player-health-this-offseason/

The Jets had plenty of issues this season and injuries were near the top of the list … again.

The Jets led the league with $68.3 million tied up on injured reserve, according to Over The Cap. They lost key players Carl Lawson, Marcus Maye, Mekhi Becton, Lamarcus Joyner and Corey Davis to lengthy season-ending injuries.

General manager Joe Douglas said keeping players healthy is one of the organization’s offseason priorities.

“It’s hard to consistently win games when you’re banged up,” Douglas said. “It’s been a frustrating thing.”

The Jets created an Athletic Care and Performance department last March to give players better health treatment. Douglas said the department did help in some areas. Douglas said the Jets had fewer hamstring and ACL injuries this year. Now, they want to study why they had so many Achilles’ tendon injuries. They lost Lawson, Maye and Jamien Sherwood to torn Achilles this season.

“Overall, we’ve lost far too many guys to injuries,” Douglas said. “We have to be better.”

The next most cap space on IR behind the Jets was Washington at $59 million. The most money tied up on IR for a playoff team is $27 million for the Buccaneers.

Becton missed all but one game after suffering a knee injury in Week 1. The Jets need Becton to return in 2022 and live up to the promise he showed as a rookie.

“I think for him attacking this offseason and coming back in the best possible shape he can be in,” Douglas said. “I expect big things from him next year. We all want Mekhi back.”

Why did an injury that the Jets said would keep him out four to eight weeks extend for four months?

“Mekhi’s a bigger man,” Douglas said. “ It took him longer to heal than we originally expected. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault. It wasn’t Mekhi’s fault. It wasn’t the doctor’s fault. The process became longer than we originally thought.”

Becton was the No. 11-overall pick in 2020. That draft class failed to deliver much for the Jets this season other than cornerback Bryce Hall. Douglas preached patience.

“I would say about the entire draft class, we’re in Year 2 of their pro careers,” Douglas said. “I would say at this checkpoint in their race, it’s probably not where it needs to be as a group but at this point there’s no one giving up on these players.”

The second-round pick in 2020 was Denzel Mims. The wide receiver had an extremely disappointing season. Mims had eight catches for 133 yards and did not have a catch in his final four games. He has yet to score a touchdown in two NFL seasons.“Everyone wants the best for Denzel and everybody wants Denzel to succeed,” Douglas said. “Him coming back this offseason in the best possible shape he can be in with the right mentality and attack the offseason, I think that’s going to be beneficial for him and the entire team.”

Douglas dodged a question about whether he wanted Maye, a pending free agent, back. … Douglas praised DT Quinnen Williams, but said there have been no conversations about a contract extension. Williams is now eligible for one after completing his third season. “He is a player that we all value and appreciate and want to keep here for a long time,” Douglas said. … Jets coach Robert Saleh said he would like veteran QB Joe Flacco to be re-signed by the Jets.

 

[ScarletKnight89]

That's got to change going forward. Nothing worse than paying big money for players and watching them not contribute due to injury. Especially when you are trying to develop a QB. 

[Scott Dierking]

1 minute ago, ScarletKnight89 said:

That's got to change going forward. Nothing worse than paying big money for players and watching them not contribute due to injury. Especially when you are trying to develop a QB. 

Woody needs to make more of an investment in helping the team in this area. They gave a little more last year, but more needs to be developed in this area.

[OilfieldJet]

Yet another aspect of this team that needs to be upgraded.

[Warfish]

Quote

“It’s hard to consistently win games when you’re banged up,” Douglas said. “It’s been a frustrating thing.”

Given he has control over the players, and the training staff, and the medical staff, he probably needs to own this issue alot more than he is doing.

His players.  His training and medical staff.  His issue if no one can stay healthy.

(Covid losses being the exception).

Also, it's hard not to wonder if a few of these players are malingerers frankly, taking it easy, not working hard to rehab., milking the injury as long as they can.  They get paid either way, many of them.

One way or the other, we're the softest team in the NFL.  That needs to change.

[Scott Dierking]

3 minutes ago, Warfish said:

Given he has control over the players, and the training staff, and the medical staff, he probably needs to own this issue alot more than he is doing.

His players.  His training and medical staff.  His issue if no one can stay healthy.

(Covid losses being the exception).

Also, it's hard not to wonder if a few of these players are malingerers frankly, taking it easy, not working hard to rehab., milking the injury as long as they can.  They get paid either way, many of them.

One way or the other, we're the softest team in the NFL.  That needs to change.

JD doesn't control the budget that the owners spend in player wellness. That is a capital item, which he can only make suggestion. 

[Gangrene]

Granted it's not much of a sample size but loosing the mega signing free agent CJ Mosley to injury for the 2019 season, and then loosing the big 2021 free agent Carl Lawson in preseason seems to suggest spreading cap money over mid tier free agents/better quality depth players might be a better plan as injuries mount and starters end up on IR as the season progresses.

[Matt39]

Jets are a destination for players to milk injuries. Has been this way for a bit. 

[Peace Frog]

[JustInFudge]

Do the Jets win this award every year?  It feels like they do.

[CanadaSteve]

Has ANYONE looked into the field at the stadium?  Are the Giants having issues with this?  

If the Giants are NOT having an issue, then they may want to look at medical staff, trainers, nutritionists, etc.... because this has been a problem for at least five years now with the team. 

[slimjasi]

There is no bigger issue I want the Jets to address than the injuries. 

We can argue all day about the QB, or this player or that player, but this team has been completely devastated by injuries for the past 3 seasons. Just think of the WRs - how many Jets WRs have gotten hurt between 2019-2021? It almost has to be a record. Enough already. Figure this sh*t out. 

[BeaconJet]

The rash of Achilles injuries needs to be looked at.  Football is a rough sport, guys get hurt, but that many injuries of that type at one time seems bizarre. 

[Scott Dierking]

I posted research on this site, probably 2 years ago, the rostered Jets "trainers", as in comparison to some other clubs.

The Jets paled in comparison, almost embarrassingly, by a large margin. Using many, many interns.

[Bronx]

2022, NY Jets  Day 1 OTAs

 

[slimjasi]

1 hour ago, Matt39 said:

Jets are a destination for players to milk injuries. Has been this way for a bit. 

I definitely get this point, but it's not a sufficient explanation for what has transpired here in recent seasons. A lot of guys have gotten hurt before the season even started and there have been a bunch of season ending injuries. Consider the main signings from the 2021 FA class:

Carl Lawson, DE.

Corey Davis, WR.

Tevin Coleman, RB.

Keelan Cole, WR.

Sheldon Rankins, defensive tackle.

Vinny Curry, DE.

Lamarcus Joyner, S.

Jarrad Davis, LB.
 

Lawson and Curry were both out for the season before it even began. Corey Davis was out for the season by early December. Joyner was out for the season after the 1st game. Jarrad Davis missed the first 6 games. 

If this is bad luck, it's time for it to end. If something else is going on, the Jets need to figure it out or just give up. 

[Larz]

32 minutes ago, CanadaSteve said:

Has ANYONE looked into the field at the stadium?  Are the Giants having issues with this?  

If the Giants are NOT having an issue, then they may want to look at medical staff, trainers, nutritionists, etc.... because this has been a problem for at least five years now with the team. 

Lawson tore his Achilles in Green Bay, Maye Indianapolis, Sherwood at NE

its witchcraft 

[Scott Dierking]

10 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

I definitely get this point, but it's not a sufficient explanation for what has transpired here in recent seasons. A lot of guys have gotten hurt before the season even started and there have been a bunch of season ending injuries. Consider the main signings from the 2021 FA class:

Carl Lawson, DE.

Corey Davis, WR.

Tevin Coleman, RB.

Keelan Cole, WR.

Sheldon Rankins, defensive tackle.

Vinny Curry, DE.

Lamarcus Joyner, S.

Jarrad Davis, LB.
 

Lawson and Curry were both out for the season before it even began. Corey Davis was out for the season by early December. Joyner was out for the season after the 1st game. Jarrad Davis missed the first 6 games. 

If this is bad luck, it's time for it to end. If something else is going on, the Jets need to figure it out or just give up. 

When bad luck becomes the constant, you are doing something wrong. Hope is not a strategy.

[Jet Nut]

1 hour ago, CanadaSteve said:

Has ANYONE looked into the field at the stadium?  Are the Giants having issues with this?  

If the Giants are NOT having an issue, then they may want to look at medical staff, trainers, nutritionists, etc.... because this has been a problem for at least five years now with the team. 

He addressed this yesterday.  Hammy injuries, soft tissue injuries were drastically down with their new training staff.  

No training staff is going to stop cartilage and ligament type injuries.  

The NFL has guidelines for stadiums and turf.  They redid their testing after the 49rs lost players for the season a year ago, like Bosa and Garappolo.  There was nothing found to be problematic at MetLife. Besides, I don’t remember an inordinate number of Jet injuries at home.  Seems like the Achilles were all road injuries.  Sometimes it’s just shltty luck.  Injuries are up all across the NFL,  the Titans led the league in injury time.  Who knew

[David Harris]

39 minutes ago, CanadaSteve said:

Has ANYONE looked into the field at the stadium?  Are the Giants having issues with this?  

If the Giants are NOT having an issue, then they may want to look at medical staff, trainers, nutritionists, etc.... because this has been a problem for at least five years now with the team. 

Maybe they should change the practice fields to the identical field turf they play on in stadiums.  I know most injuries haven't occurred during practice at One Jets Drive but throwing money at problems feels good.

[Barry McCockinner]

1 hour ago, Warfish said:

Given he has control over the players, and the training staff, and the medical staff, he probably needs to own this issue alot more than he is doing.

His players.  His training and medical staff.  His issue if no one can stay healthy.

(Covid losses being the exception).

Also, it's hard not to wonder if a few of these players are malingerers frankly, taking it easy, not working hard to rehab., milking the injury as long as they can.  They get paid either way, many of them.

One way or the other, we're the softest team in the NFL.  That needs to change.

He also talked about the steps they've taken to try and improve that, the areas it did improve, and the areas they are continuing to look at to try and improve.

[Barry McCockinner]

[Sperm Edwards]

1 hour ago, Scott Dierking said:

https://nypost.com/2022/01/10/jets-joe-douglas-prioritizing-player-health-this-offseason/

The Jets had plenty of issues this season and injuries were near the top of the list … again.

The Jets led the league with $68.3 million tied up on injured reserve, according to Over The Cap. They lost key players Carl Lawson, Marcus Maye, Mekhi Becton, Lamarcus Joyner and Corey Davis to lengthy season-ending injuries.

General manager Joe Douglas said keeping players healthy is one of the organization’s offseason priorities.

“It’s hard to consistently win games when you’re banged up,” Douglas said. “It’s been a frustrating thing.”

The Jets created an Athletic Care and Performance department last March to give players better health treatment. Douglas said the department did help in some areas. Douglas said the Jets had fewer hamstring and ACL injuries this year. Now, they want to study why they had so many Achilles’ tendon injuries. They lost Lawson, Maye and Jamien Sherwood to torn Achilles this season.

“Overall, we’ve lost far too many guys to injuries,” Douglas said. “We have to be better.”

The next most cap space on IR behind the Jets was Washington at $59 million. The most money tied up on IR for a playoff team is $27 million for the Buccaneers.

Becton missed all but one game after suffering a knee injury in Week 1. The Jets need Becton to return in 2022 and live up to the promise he showed as a rookie.

“I think for him attacking this offseason and coming back in the best possible shape he can be in,” Douglas said. “I expect big things from him next year. We all want Mekhi back.”

Why did an injury that the Jets said would keep him out four to eight weeks extend for four months?

“Mekhi’s a bigger man,” Douglas said. “ It took him longer to heal than we originally expected. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault. It wasn’t Mekhi’s fault. It wasn’t the doctor’s fault. The process became longer than we originally thought.”

Becton was the No. 11-overall pick in 2020. That draft class failed to deliver much for the Jets this season other than cornerback Bryce Hall. Douglas preached patience.

“I would say about the entire draft class, we’re in Year 2 of their pro careers,” Douglas said. “I would say at this checkpoint in their race, it’s probably not where it needs to be as a group but at this point there’s no one giving up on these players.”

The second-round pick in 2020 was Denzel Mims. The wide receiver had an extremely disappointing season. Mims had eight catches for 133 yards and did not have a catch in his final four games. He has yet to score a touchdown in two NFL seasons.“Everyone wants the best for Denzel and everybody wants Denzel to succeed,” Douglas said. “Him coming back this offseason in the best possible shape he can be in with the right mentality and attack the offseason, I think that’s going to be beneficial for him and the entire team.”

Douglas dodged a question about whether he wanted Maye, a pending free agent, back. … Douglas praised DT Quinnen Williams, but said there have been no conversations about a contract extension. Williams is now eligible for one after completing his third season. “He is a player that we all value and appreciate and want to keep here for a long time,” Douglas said. … Jets coach Robert Saleh said he would like veteran QB Joe Flacco to be re-signed by the Jets.

 

Glossed over this is the proportion of active Jets player contracts that went to IR when factoring in dead space for players no longer on the team. On top of the $68MM lost to IR, according to OTC there was another ~$35MM or so of 2021 dead cap.

So in round numbers you're talking about just over $100MM of cap space - about half the team's cap charges - went to players who weren't available to the coaches.

There are plenty of legit criticisms in terms of the coaching, but that's a crazy handicap (on top of starting a raw/unready rookie QB, which is an extra multi-loss handicap on its own) for a first-time HC with a bunch more first-year position coaches & coordinators, who were further installing new schemes all over.

[Biggs]

On the plus side none of those players  earned their performance bonus money. 

[JoJoTownsell1]

The Rams lost their lead RB in Cam Akers before the season and then lost their #2 WR in Woods a few games into the season. They were a playoff contender, so their GM/Coach went out and got replacements. We are rebuilding so we just fill the gaps with young guys or guys off the street. 

The Ravens lost their QB midway through the year, they lost their lead RB in Dobbins before the year and 2 stud DBs in Peters and Humphreys. 

The Jets are not alone in dealing with injuries.  I just think we don't have the depth to overcome those injuries. I do think that will all change next year with this upcoming draft class and our free agent class. The honeymoon is now over for JD. 

[Scott Dierking]

6 minutes ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

The Rams lost their lead RB in Cam Akers before the season and then lost their #2 WR in Woods a few games into the season. They were a playoff contender, so their GM/Coach went out and got replacements. We are rebuilding so we just fill the gaps with young guys or guys off the street. 

The Ravens lost their QB midway through the year, they lost their lead RB in Dobbins before the year and 2 stud DBs in Peters and Humphreys. 

The Jets are not alone in dealing with injuries.  I just think we don't have the depth to overcome those injuries. I do think that will all change next year with this upcoming draft class and our free agent class. The honeymoon is now over for JD. 

The Jets have a disproportionate amount of injuries related to the rest of the NFL  in relation to other clubs.  That is not a Joe Douglas issue.

The Joe Douglas issue would be who they have to replace those players.

Joe Douglas would be better served in helping the team perform, if there were less injuries.  There is no doubt about that. The Jets need to help him there.

[Sperm Edwards]

Also note the very last sentence in the article. If Saleh gets his way, they're bringing back Joe Flacco, who was brought in as a Douglas-favorite in the first place so he's not going to object.

So Flacco's the QB2 again next year unless he again refuses to re-sign here at whatever rate Douglas is offering. Thus there won't be any upgrade in QB alternatives, should Wilson fail to take a giant step forward in his soph season.

I'm not as pessimistic on Wilson as I was at times earlier in the season - particularly those first forgetful games and then when he had some short-throw yips - but he's only earned such a no-alternative situation based on draft slot + recency, and I can't say I'm in love with that plan.

There are dozens of other players on the team, too.

[Lurker89]

How many times do the Johnsons need to be told the turf is trash?....

You'd think they wouldn't want that turf monster eating all their money.

[Greg555]

Jets are at or near the top …every year!…with regard to injuries.  If assumed that the injury-factor is based on luck…bad luck…the odds would be astronomical ..for the Jets players to be injured at such a rate..over the last 5 years.

 

[IndianaJet]

1 hour ago, Jet Nut said:

He addressed this yesterday.  Hammy injuries, soft tissue injuries were drastically down with their new training staff.  

No training staff is going to stop cartilage and ligament type injuries.  

The NFL has guidelines for stadiums and turf.  They redid their testing after the 49rs lost players for the season a year ago, like Bosa and Garappolo.  Besides, I don’t remember an inordinate number of injuries at home.  Seems like the Achilles were all road injuries.  Sometimes it’s just shltty luck.  Injuries are up all across the NFL,  the Titans led the league in injury time.  Who knew

This...and as another poster noted.  Most of the more serious injuries to higher level players occurred on the road.  It's not a field condition issue and not a training staff issue (at least not this year).  just really bad luck.

SOJ type of luck, some would say.

[IndianaJet]

30 minutes ago, Lurker89 said:

How many times do the Johnsons need to be told the turf is trash?....

You'd think they wouldn't want that turf monster eating all their money.

 

1 hour ago, Larz said:

Lawson tore his Achilles in Green Bay, Maye Indianapolis, Sherwood at NE

 

Add - Becton got hurt in Carolina

[Jet Nut]

33 minutes ago, Lurker89 said:

How many times do the Johnsons need to be told the turf is trash?....

You'd think they wouldn't want that turf monster eating all their money.

They paid millions for new turf last year.  The NFL approved it and then retested it, approving it again.  Johnson’s, Mara and Tish I’d think don’t want their expensive players getting paid while unable to perform

[UntouchableCrew]

2 hours ago, Warfish said:

Given he has control over the players, and the training staff, and the medical staff, he probably needs to own this issue alot more than he is doing.

His players.  His training and medical staff.  His issue if no one can stay healthy.

Does he?

Not saying you're wrong but it's unclear to me if Douglas actually has hiring and firing power over that.

[section314]

2 hours ago, Warfish said:

Given he has control over the players, and the training staff, and the medical staff, he probably needs to own this issue alot more than he is doing.

His players.  His training and medical staff.  His issue if no one can stay healthy.

(Covid losses being the exception).

Also, it's hard not to wonder if a few of these players are malingerers frankly, taking it easy, not working hard to rehab., milking the injury as long as they can.  They get paid either way, many of them.

One way or the other, we're the softest team in the NFL.  That needs to change.

I've been saying this in a different way for the last 2-3 years. Guys are sitting out with things here that they wouldn't even think of trying to get away with in college.

[IndianaJet]

6 minutes ago, UntouchableCrew said:

Does he?

Not saying you're wrong but it's unclear to me if Douglas actually has hiring and firing power over that.

It's very complicated....just look at the org chart: