Return may be up to Todd
YOU don’t need a PhD in Tasseography to read these tea leaves: There’s a strong belief on One Jets Drive that ownership wants Todd Bowles to continue to lead this rebuilding outfit. Nothing is officially official, but Woody and Christopher Johnson have put a premium on stability at head coach and general manager during this rebuilding process. However, there are important questions for Bowles to consider before anything is finalized. First and foremost, do the Jets have a smart plan to land a franchise quarterback?
Bowles, who is under contract for 2018, is a patient man, but how much longer does he have to patch together a squad unsettled at the most pivotal position in American team sports? He has fielded a pair of journeyman quarterbacks and been put in the unenviable position of defending a pair of developmental quarterbacks in his first three seasons.
Real talk: The Jets could — and perhaps, should — have beaten the playoff-bound Saints and potentially playoffbound Chargers the past two weeks with a better quarterback.
I wouldn’t wish this signal-caller mess on my worst enemy.
The Jets simply don’t have a chance to win with Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg. One year after a 41-3 Christmas Eve bloodbath in Foxborough, Bowles & Co. will likely ring in 2018 with another loss to the Evil Empire on Sunday.
Secondly, will the Jets crack open their projected $100 million vault to spend real cash on free agents to fill critical holes (including quarterback)?
GM Mike Maccagnan will have ample salary cap space to make necessary upgrades, but the Johnson brothers still sign the checks. Ownership sent the right message by setting realistic expectations in the wake of an offseason roster purge, but the bosses can’t stop there.
Maccagnan and Bowles should have the freedom to spend in free agency. The financial commitment from ownership will be critical to transition into the next phase of this rebuilding project.
Finally, does Maccagnan have a clear plan to accelerate this process?
The Jets GM wants to build through the draft, but it’s time to press his foot on the gas this offseason.
Take bigger chances. Get out of the grandma lane on the highway. Keep up with traffic. (Full disclosure: Maccagnan has tried to trade up for quarterbacks in the first round in the past, but the price tag was too steep. So, he’s not sitting on his hands like his predecessor).
The Jets have done a solid job setting a proper foundation necessary for sustainable success, but it’s time to speed it up a bit. Bowles, who should get a two-year extension, needs help from the front office and ownership if this is going to work. Whispers that other teams would be interested in Bowles if he somehow shakes free shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s a respected coach around the league. Surely, the Jets are aware of that regardless of the chatter from misguided Barcalounger wizards. Lombardi and Halas couldn’t weave magic with the Jets this season after the roster tear down last spring.
Bowles is the driving force behind a much-needed culture shift. Team chemistry is a vital intangible that doesn’t materialize with the snap of a finger.
Bowles has also done well conveying his no-nonsense message. His handling of Muhammad Wilkerson is clear evidence that he’s not messing around. If you repeatedly screw up, you’re done, no matter how good of a player you think you are or how much you can help. In other words, nonsense won’t be tolerated.
The team’s competitiveness despite roster deficiencies is another significant piece to this puzzle. The Jets, who are 2-3 against teams that have clinched a playoff berth, have been competitive in 13 of 15 games entering the season finale in Foxborough on Sunday. It’s foolish to marginalize that in this first rebuilding phase. Lesser teams would have crumbled.
Bowles has managed five wins with a roster that should undergo radical reconstruction this offseason. In the meantime, Bowles and his revamped staff have developed young pieces like Jamal Adams, Darron Lee, Marcus Maye, Jordan Jenkins, Robby Anderson, Austin SeferianJenkins and Brandon Shell. That hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Johnson brothers, according to people familiar with what the Johnson brothers have seen. Bowles has done a commendable job maximizing the talent on this roster (with a first-time offensive coordinator, by the way).
Nitpicking Bowles’ clock management is laughable. Andy Reid was lampooned for years for his game management. Bill Belichick, universally praised as the Grandmaster of Situational Football, would have been roasted for eternity for his decision not to call a timeout in the waning moments of Super Bowl XLIX before the single dumbest play-call in Super Bowl history turned Malcolm Butler into a hero … and preserved the Hoodie’s genius status.
Bowles is far from perfect — it’s fair to criticize the team’s fourth-quarter struggles — but it’s silly to think that the team should go out in search for the next Sean McVay … because McVay is a unicorn. Chasing the presumed next great young offensive mind often results in failure, discord and embarrassment. Just ask the Giants.
Bowles is the right leader for the Jets. They appear to want him back, but there are still important factors that he shoulder consider before it’s a done deal.