It was one of the most important quotes in recent New York Jets history:
“That structure has changed. Joe (Douglas) will report to (ownership), Robert (Saleh) will report to Joe. It seems a clean and simple way to do things.” – Christopher Johnson, January 21, 2021.
This is so, so important. The old way, where the coach and GM were equals, wasn’t working, and was hurting the Jets’ chances at success.
There was a stretch of time that Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan weren’t even speaking to each other.
Whether it was John Idzik and Rex Ryan, or Maccagnan with Todd Bowles or Adam Gase, it just wasn’t working.
And even with Gase and Douglas, who liked each other, it wasn’t totally working, with the Frank Gore situation being a perfect example. Gase playing the 37-year-old Gore as much as he did, with talented young running backs on the roster, was beyond odd. But the way the Jets were set up, Douglas had no power to stop it. Yes, Douglas picked the players, but the coach decided who played on game day.
So now, if Saleh pulls something like Gase did with Gore, which he probably never would, Douglas is empowered to stop it.
So with all the excitement about the Jets now with five picks in the first 87, a ton of cap space and a new coach, this new power structure change should excite fans just as much.
This is a game-changer in Florham Park.
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