Jets GM Fallout: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Adam Gase was not on board with many of the Jets’ key offseason moves, both in free agency and the draft.  Now, he’s the coach and the GM.  How can this possibly end well?

This whole recent GM mess makes these 2019 Jets seem like the “same old Jets.”   At least the Maccagnan-Bowles error endured four seasons.  And the previous Idzik-Ryan fiasco two years.  This Macagnan-Gase shotgun marriage imploded after four months, with Magic Mike stabbed in the back in a textbook passive-aggressive power-play.

Manish Mehta wrote a great piece describing the GM bungling the team’s head coaching search.  Baylor’s Matt Rhule wanted to hire his own coordinators.  But Maccagnan’s awkward plan was to surround the rookie coach with veterans, hand-picking Gass as offensive coordinator and Gregg Williams as DC.  Rhule was correct to flee the building — he would’ve been backstabbed too.

One can’t feel good about recent press chatter — be it the courting of Peyton Manning (think he wanted a job in Florham Park?) or trading Le’Veon Bell.  And how can we trust any media reports when multiple reporters have complained that their own trusted inside sources at One Jets Drive lied to their faces?

This multi-page analysis addresses the Jets 2019: the good, the bad and the ugly.  Let’s begin with the ugly…

Next: The Ugly

The Ugly

The league’s 2015 Executive of the Year’s career went into freefall after that awful Week 16 loss to Rex Ryan’s Bills on the snowy shores of Lake Erie, to Fitz-tragically miss the playoffs.  In his final three seasons, the Jets won an anemic 14 games.

In reality, Maccagnan was an organizational neophyte in way over his head.  He was a bad blend of stiff, sheepish, secretive and passive-aggressive.  That wouldn’t be so bad had he not drafted so poorly, and pissed-away a quarter-billion, free-agent-dollars on Darrelle Revis, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Trumaine Johnson alone!

Over four seasons, neither Maccagnan nor Bowles distinguished themselves. But Bowles could never win without an elite QB, RB, WR, edge-rusher, O-linemen, or any roster depth.  Maccagnan’s draft answers to Bowles’ personnel needs included Christian Hackenberg, Dylan Donahue, Lorenzo Mauldin, Devin Smith, ArDarius Stewart, and Chad Hansen.

Two years ago, Bowles and his staff pleaded to take Alvin Kamara.  Maccagnan gave ’em Stewart.  The coach also pushed to re-sign Leonard Williams so the team wouldn’t be stuck in today’s ridiculous mess of needing nearly $20M per to retain the NFL’s 40th-ranked DE.

Bowles doesn’t look so bad now — at least he has allies and a job in Tampa Bay.  Whereas unless Charley Casserly can pull some more strings, Maccagnan’s NFL options, on any level, seem limited.

Next: The Bad

The Bad

Ownership has much to answer for.  But we will get few answers, as interim boss Christopher Johnson seems bamboozled to the point of brain lock.  So don’t expect that situation to improve anytime soon.

It’s stunning to ponder, but will this team be better off with the return of Trump UK Ambassador Woody Johnson?   In the meantime, CJ needs to stop staring at those new “bad-ass uniforms” and take care of business.  And now we learn the interim owner’s idea of being “deeply embedded” in the process was spending a week or two over the last four months in Florham Park, and the rest of his time skiing.  You can’t make these things up!

The Johnsons do not know football, so they rely on the opinions of others, which is how this franchise ended up with inexperienced non-players like Mike Tannenbaum, John Idzik and Mike Maccagnan running football operations.  And when you have no strong opinions of your own, others will make them for you — often with undesired results.

Now you understand how alpha-male Adam Gase now runs this show.

Next: The Good

The Good

There’s nothing to dislike about GM/HC Gase’s bold roster moves.  The last GM was so indecisive that he couldn’t pull the trigger on a Darron Lee trade over the minor value difference of a fifth or sixth-rounder in return.  Gase pounced all over the latter.

Because of how things went down, with Gase there will be no grey area; no honeymoon period.  Better believe that if this coach doesn’t at least make the playoffs this year, the MetLife fanbase will faster turn on this coach quicker than any Gang Green predecessors not named Rich Kotite.

Gase should be an upgrade over Bowles, right?  There’s no doubt that the 2019 on-field talent has markedly upgraded over 2018.  But very few teams ever win in spite of their coach.  This year will be a success if Darnold outshines the coach and any of this nonsense…

Here’s a crazy game-plan:  Let Adam Gase pick the new GM (hopefully, Joe Douglass).  Demand that Christopher Johnson step-up and run this operation.  Fumigate this front office and it’s dangerously leaky CYA culture.  Offer a golden parachute to team president Neil Glatt, who’s been the one constant of ineptitude dating back before Bill Belichick retired as “HC of the NYJ.”

Call this the calm before the storm.