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There has been some talk of this, but it might be premature.
What I’m talking about it a contract extension for Jets coach Todd Bowles.
A local columnist and a prominent national radio host called for it.
I like Todd personally, but I wouldn’t go there yet.
I believe Bowles signed a four-year contract when he took over as Jets coach.
That means there is one year left on his original contract.
So many people make such a big deal out of coach coaching on the last year of his contract. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.
What a great motivator!
How many players in this league work under one-year contracts. It’s a big chunk of the league, and while it’s not ideal for the player, what a great motivator! You are playing for your next contract.
So if so many players have to operate under one-year contracts, why can’t the coach?
Now some reporters will go crazy – it’s a great angle to blow out of proportion – “poor Todd, he’s being left to twist in the wind.” Even if some of them don’t believe that Bowles deserve an extension, they will write it. It will get clicks.
I don’t look at it as “poor Todd” at all.
First of all, he was somewhat lucky to survive the 2016 debacle – his team got blown out six times.
Secondly, he will make a reported $4 million next year. That is good money. A lot more people in the world to feel sorry for than a guy making $4 million to coach a football team.
I’d let him play out the contract. I realize the one downside of that is it could be hard to get free agents to sign long-term deals, but considering how the Jets got burned with big money long-term free agent deals in the past, is that really a big deal?
They are better off with younger, hungrier players on shorter term contracts or rookie contracts. Jets are playing much harder this year with a younger, hungrier roster than last year with a roster loaded with hired guns and individual contracts.
But in closing, I will give you perhaps the biggest reasons I wouldn’t extend Todd right now – the Jets’ pass defense.
Bowles made his bones in this league as a secondary coach, and the Jets’ pass defense has been problematic all three seasons.
You have a secondary expert taking over as your coach, and your pass defense is consistently a problem?
Now, I think they finally fixed the safety spots with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, two smart, instinctive productive players. Now they haven’t been perfect, but you can see these two positions are in good hands for years to come.
But this cornerback situation has been bad Bowles’ entire time. Now some of that might be the fault of Mike Maccagnan and Brian Heimerdinger, but Bowles deserves some blame as well.
No matter how some of these guys plays, he won’t bench them. Whether it was Antonio Cromartie in 2015, Darrelle Revis in 2016 and Buster Skrine in 2017, he just keeps rolling with guys who hurt the team’s results.
I asked him earlier in this season about making lineup changes, and he replied, “I have my starters.”
I don’t get that one at all. Talk about “loyal to the point of defiance” to borrow that line from Trevor Pryce about Rex Ryan.
If somebody is struggling, and perhaps gives up three touchdowns and commits three penalties in one game, it might be time to make a change.
So to me, until Bowles fixes the Jets’ pass defense, whether it’s down the stretch this year, or next season (as a lame-duck), I would be hesitant to pull the trigger on an extension.
November 16, 2017
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