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Mixed emotions for Joe Douglas . . .
While today is an exciting day for the Jets with the trade for Aaron Rodgers, Joe Douglas started his pre-draft press conference today on a somber note, paying tribute to Matthew Capogrosso, the team’s director of football computer systems, who passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. Capogrosso leaves behind a wife and twin girls.
“The system he created allows us to work seamlessly across our scouting operations,” said Douglas. “He was a programmer that understood football and could anticipate what made sense for the next iteration of the system before a football person could ask.”
But then Douglas sent his condolences to the family of Jets COO Brian Friedman.
Friedman recently lost his son Matthew, 19, a freshman at Cornell, who was found unresponsive in his dorm room on April 13.
Douglas got emotional but composed himself and went on with the press conference.
Even though this was a pre-draft press conference, most of the questions were about the Rodgers trade.
“Obviously a long time in the making. there are still some I’s to be dotted and T’s to be crossed,” Douglas said. “We still have to officially cross the finish line.”
Rodgers still needs to pass a physical, and some legal work still needs to be completed.
Douglas isn’t concerned that Rodgers is coming off an average season.
“Obviously he’s not far removed from back-to-back MVPs,” Douglas said.
After the Packers picked Utah State QB Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, Rodgers proceeded to win two NFL MVP Awards in 2020 and ’21.
“When [the Packers] drafted Jordan (Love, in the 2020 first round), this conversation (about me leaving Green Bay), would have happened a lot sooner, if I had not won back-to-back Covid MVPs,” Rodgers said recently on the Pat McAfee Show. “There were probably some people who thought I was a descending player and it was time to make a change.”
The Jets clearly don’t think he’s a descending player and made a blockbuster trade for the 39-year-old QB on Monday.
The 64,000 question is whether Rodgers intends to play for the Jets beyond this season.
Douglas didn’t feel comfortable speaking for Rodgers about whether he’s going to play in 2024.
“I don’t want to put any words in Aaron’s mouth,” Douglas said.
What helped push the deal over the finish line was what former NFL GM Mark Dominik talked about late last week.
“I get the sense that we’re going to see the Packers move from 15 to 13 (in the first round) and Aaron Rodgers is going to be (with the Jets) as well as another draft pick,” said Dominik now with SiriusXM NFL Radio.
That proposal seemed to be the icing on the cake.
“That is one of the last things agreed to in the deal,” Douglas said.
The Jets are still working with Rodgers’ agent, David Dunn, on restructuring the QB’s deal to gain some cap relief. Rodgers is scheduled to make $59 million this year.
“There have been some positive discussions with Dave,” Douglas said about moving some money around to create cap space.
Douglas and assistant GM Rex Hogan wouldn’t get into names they are considering in the first round at 15, but Make-a-Wish kid Kyle Stickles, who was on the dais with them to start the press conference, was.
Stickles will announce the Jets’ pick in Kansas City. He said he’d like to see them pick Paris Johnson or Broderick Jones, both offensive tackles.
Stickles, from Ghent, NY, was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left tibia in 2020, but after chemo and physical therapy, he’s able to walk again.
Stickles said he knows Douglas likes to build up the trenches. Smart kid.
April 25, 2023
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