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The Jets clearly need to tweak this process a little.
I’m talking about how they evaluate players, who they keep on the roster, who they start and so forth.
When you are running a football team, you need to have a meritocracy – every personnel decision you make should be based on merit. And what you have done in the past shouldn’t matter. It should be about what you are doing now, what you bring to the table now. It shouldn’t matter where you were drafted or how much you make or how will the media react if you are benched.
Yesterday, another example of the Jets problem reared its head. The Jets released a statement from Todd Bowles on the retirement of Darrelle Revis.
“Darrelle is one of the best technicians to ever play the cornerback position,” Bowles said. “As a defensive backs coach, you used his film as teaching tape for young players. I spent two seasons with Darrelle and he stands out as one of the smartest players I have ever coached.”
Look, I understand sending out quotes praising a former standout upon his retirement. I have no issue with that. Revis is one of the best players to ever where the Jets green-and-white. He should be a lock for their ring of honor and should get into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame at some point.
But to say, “I spent two seasons with Darrelle and he stands out as one of the smartest players I have ever coached.”
During those two years, like I said yesterday, he too often wasn’t “playing the sticks” on third down, giving up myriad first downs. How is that smart? I don’t get it. The Jets consistently couldn’t get off the field on third down.
To say, “Darrelle is one of the best technicians to ever play the cornerback position,” when his tackling was horrendous in 2016 is a strange thing to say. His tackling technique was terrible in 2016.
Look, Revis was superb his first stint with the Jets. This Bowles quote certainly applies to Revis first stint from 2007-2012.
But Todd wasn’t here then, and he specifically said in the quote “I spent two seasons with Darrelle,” so when you see that in a quote, it’s fair to assume he’s talking about those two seasons, at least to some degree.
Revis play hurt Bowles as a head coach in his first two seasons. There is no way around that. Revis contributed to Jets loses. Let’s not forget that in Buffalo, in the season finale, in a must-win game to get into the playoffs, Revis consistently played too far off Sammy Watkins, who finished that game with 11 catches for 136 yards.
“Sammy dominated him,’’ Bills receiver Greg Salas, a former Jet, told The Post. “If you look at it, it didn’t look very contested at all from what I was seeing.”
Bowles quote made little sense to me. Once again, I have no problem with flowery quotes when a good player retires, like when Chris Johnson said on Wednesday, “Darrelle Revis is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Jets jersey.”
I have no issue with that.
But for Bowles to rave about things, that didn’t happen during their two years together, should be scary to Jets fans from an evaluation standpoint.
Is that really what he saw?
Just like he seemed to have little problem with Buster Skrine’s hurting this team for three years with his penalties and big plays given up?
Once again, no issue with people praising a player upon his retirement.
But keep it more generic.
Don’t talk about those two bad years like you were on a parallel universe.
And makes you wonder how he evaluates other players.
Todd, you’re a good man. It’s time for you and everyone in the building to take your player personnel game to another level.
No more propaganda – deal with reality at all times.
July 19, 2018
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