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Honestly, while the bloodless coup was . . .
. . . a bad look, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Jets. Maccagnan, who is a heck of nice guy, but might not have been an ideal fit for the position personality-wise.
So while what Gase did might be considered Machiavellian by some, perhaps in the long run it will work out okay for the Jets.
As long as they pick the right GM, and he’s not selected by the MBA’s in the building.
Sometimes you get the sense that some people in the building don’t really want a strong GM, an alpha dog, because he won’t be as easy to work with, so they pick certain types they feel they can get along with easier and aren’t as intimidating. The proof is in the pudding. The last two GM’s were intellectual-types who didn’t have forceful personalities.
But let me say this about Gase, I truly believe he’s an extremely bright football guy with a fertile strategic mind.
I believe he is a more erudite football coach than the Jets previous two coaches – Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles. I’m not saying Ryan and Bowles aren’t smart men. I’m just surmising Gase is smarter.
They just have to make sure they hire the right GM candidate – not just a good judge a talent, but an alpha dog who commands a room.
And somebody who can get along with Gase, who is one of these guys, where he doesn’t respect you, he can’t fake it. We just saw that problem play out right before our very eyes.
After Dolphins beat the Jets at MetLife Stadium last year I was in the Miami locker room interviewing players, and wide receiver Albert Wilson didn’t hold back his feeling about Gase.
“He is an offensive genius,” Wilson said in reference to the creative formations the Dolphins were using that often baffled the Jets.
After the Jets fired Maccagnan, I was doing a radio show at SiriusXM, and we had Gil Brandt on. I asked him off the air, what do you think of Gase.
“I like the guy,” Brandt said. “I’ve known him since he was an assistant for Nick Saban at Michigan State.”
I’ve known Gil a long time. He’s a straight-shooter. He doesn’t say things for the heck of it. I asked about Joe Douglas, and he gave an honest answer that it’s hard for him to tell what moves Joe was responsible for in Philly because Howie Roseman runs the show and does a great job.
Gase is really smart, and regardless of who the GM is, I truly believe that when the Jets take the field for real games in September, they will have really good game plans, and will be well-prepared mentally.
I have said this before – the Jets three-headed monster of Gase (offense), Gregg Williams (defense) and Brant Boyer (special teams) are as good a strategic troika as you will find in the NFL.
So while some people are trashing the Jets now for being a joke, let’s see how this plays out.
If they can a great GM, with alpha dog qualities, who can get along with Gase, the Jets might be okay.
The coup wasn’t necessarily something that is going to impact the Jets negatively in the long-term.
And while he can be hard for some to get along with sometimes, the head coaching is a really smart cat.
May 24, 2019
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