Who’s the one running Jets?
The latest edition of the Jets Mailbag includes a closer look at who really has the leverage in the Joe Douglas-Adam Gase marriage, a potential scapegoat on the coaching staff, the smart pick in the draft, Le’Veon Bell’s future and more.
Since the HC basically had the GM hired, can there be a true evaluation of the HC’s performance? — @solarwood52
It’s a fair question given that Adam Gase and his camp were floating Joe Douglas’ name through back channels during the draft (when Mike Maccagnan was still the general manager).
There’s no denying that Douglas was Gase handpicked guy. Sure, CEO Christopher Johnson technically had to sign off on the hire (after meeting with a few candidates during the interview process) and owner Woody Johnson had to green light all that money for the former Eagles executive (about $20 million over six years). But anyone who pushes back on the notion this was a Gase Production is trying to sell you a fairytale.
That being said, Douglas leveraged his position as a coveted candidate in the eyes of the head coach — and popular choice among the fanbase — to a lucrative six-year deal. The length of the contract, in effect, gives the general manager the upper hand in the DouglasGase relationship.
Douglas was complimentary of Gase in his season-ending media session a couple weeks ago, but don’t think for a second that he’s going to be a yes man for the head coach. That’s not going to happen. Douglas has contractual control of the 53-man roster. In other words, a tie goes to Douglas. He’ll take a collaborative approach — it would be foolish not to — but he’s going to make the tough decisions on personnel. He won’t be Gase’s lackey.
The true test will come after the 2020 season. If Gase is producing, no worries. If he’s not, Douglas isn’t simply going down with the ship. He’ll act accordingly. Woody Johnson will be calling the shots again very soon.
Any way you see an upgrade from the worst offensive line coach in football (Frank Pollack)? — @sportsnarrative
I’m always fascinated by how head coaches assemble their staffs. Gase brought over some trusted assistants from Miami, but he took a leap of faith with Pollack. The two men had never worked together. Truth be told, Gase’s best option from a purely football perspective would have been Chris Foerster, who was on his staff in Miami when he was hired in 2016. Foerster has a reputation in league circles as a very good teacher. Unfortunately, he also had some demons (see: snorting white powder incident in 2017) that obviously made it impossible for Gase to bring him aboard.
So, Gase leaned on Falcons quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp’s recommendation to hire Pollack. Knapp was Denver’s quarterbacks coach when Gase was the offensive coordinator for two seasons. Knapp was the Raiders offensive coordinator in 2012 when Pollack was in charge of their offensive line. That was the connection. So, Gase trusted Knapp.
Getting inside Gase’s head is a frightening proposition, but he said the day after the season that no staff changes were on the horizon. Of course, that could change at a moment’s notice with this head coach.
I didn’t get a sense that Pollack was the problem with the line’s issues this season. His teaching was fine. He was hardly negligent. But you never truly know what Gase is thinking. He’s always on the hunt to absolve himself of blame. And Pollack would be a convenient scapegoat.
Do you take Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy or the top available offensive lineman at No. 11? — @grandoner
Jeudy certainly would be a tempting option if he fell to the Jets, but Douglas is committed to improving the line to better protect Sam Darnold. It’s too early to know whether the consensus top few linemen will make it out of the Top 10, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Douglas would happily grab Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, Alabama tackle Jedrick Wills or Georgia tackle Andrew Thomas if any of them were available at No. 11.
There are too many variables at play between now and the draft to definitively know who will be the pick. Plenty can change in the next three months. Which free agents will be signed? Will Douglas trade up or down?
Jeudy and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb sure would look good in Gotham Green, but this promises to be a receiver-rich draft. Douglas & Co. could land a differencemaking pass catcher on Days Two or Three.
Oh, and I have serious doubts that Jeudy would even make it to No. 11.
If you had to predict, what is the future of Le’Veon Bell on this team? — @bigronhfd67
If Gase had his druthers, Bell would be gone since he never wanted him in the first place. However, Bell’s contract will make it challenging to move him without the Jets eating a sizeable portion of the $13.5 million due him in 2020. So, it appears he’ll be back.
Remember this: Gase is impulsive and erratic. He changes his mind on players constantly and without warning. Maybe he wakes up one morning and demands that Bell be traded. He did that in Miami. There’s no reason to think that it couldn’t happen with the Jets.