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While Adam Gase’s coup toppling Mike Maccagnan was criticized by many . . .
. . . you have to say, Gase’s first three transactions as interim GM all seem pragmatic.
I’m talking about trading linebacker Darron Lee, signing punter Matt Darr and releasing tight end Jordan Leggett.
But before I get into detail on those moves, I want to address what Gase said yesterday that there was no power struggle that led to Maccagnan’s ouster.
“I disagree as far as [it being a] power struggle,” Gase told NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones. “[Christopher Johnson] is the owner. He told me [about Maccagnan’s firing]. I work for him.”
Semantics. Yes, you work for Christopher Johnson, but the owner was around the complex more recently, and you were fighting with Maccagnan in front of him. Johnson saw a GM and head coach who couldn’t work together. The head coach just signed a lucrative long-term deal. The GM has had three losing seasons in a row and has two years left on his deal. So who is going to go if the GM and coach are battling? There are different ways to execute a coup. Yes, Johnson made the decision to fire Maccagnan. But, yes, this was a coup.
While I don’t think Gase should be the full time GM and he won’t be, his three moves so far are illustrative of bold, quick decision making that needs to be done. In player personnel, it’s important to deal with reality at all times, and just move on.
All three moves made perfect sense, and should have been done sooner.
We have discussed the Lee trade before. When you play run defense the way he did, and on top of that, getting suspended at the end of last year, there is no way he should have still been in Florham Park in mid-May. What purpose did it serve for him to be in the team’s off-season program with them trying to start fresh? Players see what we see and often more. They saw Lee getting manhandled by offensive linemen, tight ends and fullbacks in run support. This really hurt the Jets, opening massive holes for opposing runners to waltz through. Players saw that. Gregg Williams saw the film. No need to drag your feet. Just move on.
As for the signing of Darr. One of the big head-scratchers from the last few years, that didn’t get a lot of attention, was the Jets not having competition in camp for punter Lachlan Edwards. He’s got a lot of natural ability, and has had his moments, but he’s been very inconsistent. To anoint this guy the last few summers as the punter, with nobody else in camp, made no sense. Look, I’m not saying they should have cut him. But he’s not Ray Guy. Have somebody in there to compete with him. Jeez Louise.
As for Leggett. I have written this before. He never seemed to be the same after the knee injury he suffered in his first training camp as a rookie in 2017.
The way that injury was presented to the media, it seemed like a short-term MCL type deal, but it lingered far into the season and eventually landed him on IR. It almost seemed like the team and the player had a little different view of this injury.
Then then last year he wore a bulky knee brace. And we didn’t the speed he displayed at Clemson.
And he’s never been a top-shelf blocker.
After looking terrific at Clemson, to use old Gertrude Stein quote, “there was no there there” with the Jets.
And Gase clearly saw that. Maccagnan perhaps didn’t since he drafted him.
The Jets have Chris Herndon, Neil Sterling, Trevon Wesco, Daniel Brown and Eric Tomlinson at tight end. There is no need for Leggett.
So while Gase isn’t going to be the long-term GM, and the coup d’etat is a bad look, you have to respect the three moves he made right out of the gate, and decisiveness they were executed with.
May 21, 2019
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