5 Reasons for Jets Fans to be Optimistic: Number 4

Back to the countdown of five reasons for Jets fans to be optimistic for the 2012 season. For anyone who missed number five, you can read it by clicking here.

Now for number 4, in no particular order:

DAVE DEGUGLIELMO

So, why is an offensive line coach a reason to be optimistic? I will tell you.

The Jets had a force of an offensive line in 2009 and 2010 before it fell apart last year. Bill Callahan was the coach, and there were rumors that he was losing interest in his job.

Maybe he was already putting feelers out on the offensive coordinator position with Dallas. Maybe he was so uncomfortable with the locker room situation that he wanted out. It’s hard to say, but clearly something changed last season.

No matter what happened during his tenure with the Jets, from playoff runs to late season collapses (see 2008), the offensive line was a strong point, until 2011. That is the mark of a coach that has given up, and is not getting the most out of his players, and it was time for a change.

In DeGuglielmo, you have a guy that is motivated to do the job here. If you read how he is talked, his fire is very Rex Ryan like, and that means he will get all he can out of his players, including Wayne Hunter.

Turn the page, and we will talk about the history of these two coaches.

Bill Callahan is a great coach, there is no denying that. Any coach that has taken his team to a Super Bowl is deserving of that distinction.

But, is he the right guy for an offensive line? Take a look at his history, as a player and coach.

He was a quarterback in college. Through his coaching career, Callahan has coached tight ends, offensive line, quarterbacks and special teams. He has been a head coach as well as an offensive coordinator. My point? He is not concentrated in one spot, he has done a lot of work with different positions.

Now take a look at DeGuglielmo. He was an offensive lineman, and a good one. He has spent his career coaching offensive linemen, aside from a period where worked with tackles and tight ends. He is a lifer with the offensive line.

He will be able to go into more depth with technique, and strategy, and what goes into a lineman’s head. Linemen can relate to coaches that have done what they do. They get excited to play for coaches like that, and will play to the best of their abilities.

Bill Callahan is a great coach, and did great things for the New York Jets. But clearly, he was ready to move on to another job.

Dave DeGuglielmo is ready and excited to coach this offensive line up. With his history, he will get the most out of this line, and is a definite reason to be optimistic this year.