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What do you make of this quote?
I find it really interesting and I will get into why in a second. First let me give you the quote. It was about the culture the Jets are trying to develop in their locker room.
“The front office, we are on the same page – both of us are trying to get the same kind of guys, the kind of guys that are looking to win, do it right, be here to learn the offense, defense, special teams, all those type of things,” Adam Gase said on Friday.
I find this quote really interesting when you consider the most important player on the Jets’ offense, aside from QB Sam Darnold, isn’t in town with his teammates learning their offense.
Obviously I’m talking about running back Le’Veon Bell.
It’s somewhat surprising, to some, that a player who just signed a mega-contract with a new team, isn’t with that team in their off-season program.
Yes, it’s voluntary, and Gase pointed that out on Friday.
“It’s voluntary,” Gase said. “Everybody can get upset about it. There’s no point. We know where he is. He’s working out. He’s always been ready. Every year that he’s played, he’s been ready to go. So, that’s just what it is. If somebody doesn’t like it, then talk to the NFLPA.”
So there is nothing Gase can do to force Bell to attend, but in the same press conference he said they “are looking to win, do it right, be here to learn the offense.”
Look, Bell is an amazing talent, and should help the Jets a great deal as a runner and receiver, but the fact that he’s not with the team for the lion’s share of their off-season program is somewhat mind-boggling.
He just started working at a new company. Look at that way.
When Bill Parcells was the Jet coach, he wanted everybody there. In fact, he used to have it written into contracts, if I’m not mistaken.
It’s always been very important to Bill Belichick in New England that players are there.
So if Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, two of the best coaches in NFL history, think it’s important for players to attend the entire off-season program, perhaps it does matter.
Aside from learning the playbook and working on conditioning, it’s also a great time for team building and getting comfortable with your new teammates.
Who does Bell know well on the Jets aside from former Pittsburgh Steelers teammates: nose tackle Steve McLendon and left tackle Kelvin Beachum?
As one long-time NFL executive put it recently, “Talent matters, but willingness to buy into the program matters more.”
Bell might buy into the program eventually, but is he truly buying in now by not attending the off-season program?
Look, this signing could turn out to be awesome for the Jets due to the player’s skill set, but what is going on right now, with the off-season program taking place sans Bell, is just odd, especially since the coach wants “the kind of guys that are looking to win, do it right, be here to learn the offense.”
May 13, 2019
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