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While there isn’t a lot . . .
. . . to be positive about around the Jets right now, there is one thing that has people at One Jets Drive abuzz.
And that is GM Joe Douglas.
One league source, who knows a lot of people in the building, gave me the thinking of many people in the building.
“Joe knows what exactly what needs to get done,” said the source relaying the thinking of many in the building. “He will be a great GM. There is a lot internal confidence in Joe. The initial impression is extremely positive.”
The Jets have made a few coaching and GM hires since Bill Parcells left the building that were dubious.
But you get the sense they hit this hire out of the park.
Obviously there is only so much Douglas can do in season to fix this mess. An occasional waiver claim and in-season signing isn’t going to move the needle much.
But once you get into the off-season, Douglas can start the heavy lifting.
I agree with the sentiment in the building – it looks like the Jets nailed the GM hire.
Some people made a big deal that they paid Douglas $3 million-a-year. I don’t understand how that is considered too much money if they finally have found a GM who can lead them out of the wilderness.
Plus, with New Jersey and its massive taxes, he’s probably only going to take home half of that.
Some of you might say, “Fine, they have the right GM, but what about the coach?”
Well, like I wrote in the last issue of Jets Confidential, Douglas should be made Gase’s boss, and decide his future after next season. The owner already said he’s coming back in 2020.
And if they decide to fire Gase if the team struggles in 2020, Douglas should interview and pick the next coach.
Douglas knows the big-time college coaches from all those years on the road scouting college games – the Lincoln Riley’s, the Ryan Day’s. And also, he knows what to look for in a coach. Sometimes when the wrong people do the interviews, they focus on the wrong things.
I’m not calling for Gase to be fired. Plus, what is the point if I did, he’s coming back next year?
But if the Jets want to send a strong message after a rough year, they should change their football structure and make Douglas the boss over everything football, and let him evaluate the coach and make a decision about his future after next season.
However, if Christopher Johnson doesn’t make Douglas the football czar, at the very least it looks like he has the perfect guy to roll up his sleeves and fix this roster mess.
The one thing Jets fans can hang their collective hats on, in the middle of this awful season for Gang Green, is having Douglas in the building.
And that is how many of the employees at One Jet Drive feel as well.
December 6, 2019
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