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What a smart move!
The Jets’ decision to hire Phil Savage as a senior football adviser is a flat-out brilliant decision for several reasons.
The Jets’ interest in Savage was first reported in this premium section a couple of weeks ago.
Remember at the time, we told you that Daniel Jeremiah was out of the running for a job due to his excessive financial demands. A league source told us he asked for $2 million-a-year.
But while Jeremiah is a smart personnel guy, Savage might be an even better fit for the role of Savage’s right-hand man because he is 13 years older (more experience) and has been a GM before. Jeremiah never rose above scout in the NFL before embarking on a broadcast career.
Let’s talk about Savage a little bit and why this was such a smart move:
First off, he has a keen eye for talent and a tremendous amount of experience in the player personnel world.
He was the GM of the Browns from 2005-08 and director of college scouting for the Baltimore Ravens before that. He also worked for the Philadelphia Eagles as a consultant.
From 2012-18 he ran the Senior Bowl in his hometown of Mobile, AL. He picked the players for that game, so when you think of that window – 2012-18, a lot of those players he picked to practice and play in the Senior Bowl are scattered around the NFL, so he knows a ton about those guys if they hit the waiver wire; he can give Douglas great insight when he decides who to claim.
He was also the radio color man for Alabama Crimson Tide football from 2009-18, so he was around the SEC, the best conference for football talent in the country the last decade. That allowed him to absorb so much about the players in that conference, many who are in the league now. Once again, a big help if they hit the waiver wire.
What a great right-hand man for Douglas a first-time GM; a man with a ton of experience in the world of player personnel and also with NFL GM experience. What a great sounding board for Douglas!
One of the things that probably hurt Mike Maccagnan was having a right-hand man with so little experience in Brian Heimerdinger who was hired at 28. Savage is 54 with a world of experience.
The man who took over for Savage at the Senior Bowl was Jim Nagy who tweeted today:
“Congrats to @PhilSavage on being named senior advisor with the @nyjets. His experience as G.M. of the @Browns and executive director of the @seniorbowl will be invaluable to Joe Douglas.”
This isn’t just a a guy saying a nice thing on social media about a friend getting a job. It’s true.
What a great decision by Douglas to bring in Savage. He’s the perfect “bench coach” to borrow a baseball term.
There isn’t much in the world of football player personnel that Savage hasn’t seen.
Heck, the guy was just a GM in the defunct Alliance of American Football, so he knows all the players in that league in case the Jets have interest in somebody from that league who signed in the NFL and hits the waiver wire (the best players in that league signed all over the NFL once the AAF folded).
Excellent move by Douglas adding Savage.
June 19, 2019
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