Florham Park – Of course Adam Gase wants to win his Jets debut to get off to a good start as Gang Green’s head coach.

But he should be extra motivated to face off against Sean McDermott’s Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Why? Because the last time Gase squared off against that coach, and that team, he got his butt kicked, in a 42-17 Buffalo win over Miami in Week 17. Gase was fired shortly after that game.

While Gase is now coaching a different team, this game is likely still sticking in his craw. After all, it was the last time he coached a regular season game.

“We just got drummed,” Gase said after that game.

Of course Gase is highly-motivated to win the Jets’ home-opener and get off on the right foot with his new club, and that should be his main motive.

But he’s also not going to want to be out-coached like he was in Week 17 last year by McDermott.

Gase has way too much pride for that.

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*September 3, 2019 – The New York Jets announce today that Avocados from Peru is now a partner of the New York Jets. The partnership will provide Avocados from Peru with branding opportunities throughout MetLife Stadium, digitally and at sponsored events, in addition to several unique Avocado themed activations.

“Avocados from Peru will provide a very unique experience for our fans at MetLife Stadium,” said Ian Lasher, New York Jets SVP, Corporate Partnerships. “We enjoy partnering with brands that offer fun and different elements on gameday for our fans to partake in.”

As a partner of the New York Jets, the Jets and Avocados from Peru, will make a record-breaking bowl of guacamole weighing in at over 9,000 pounds before the home opener at MetLife Stadium on September 8th. Through their ripening center, Wakefern will provide whole ripe avocados for the record-breaking bowl. The record will be certified by the World Avocado Association. To help feed the community, The New York Jets intend to donate the large batch of guacamole will be donated to local food banks via Rock and Wrap It Up!

Avocados from Peru will enhance Jets fans’ food experience throughout MetLife Stadium on Thursday, August 29 and on Sunday, September 8. Avocados from Peru will be providing fans with free avocado toppings at all Taco’s Raqueros concessions (MetLife Central, 117, Toyota Club, United Rentals Club, 313) and all (19) FRANKS hot dogs stands throughout the stadium, bringing the AvoDog to MetLife Stadium for the first time.

The agreement incorporates, Avocados from Peru into Jets Cooking School, where season ticket holders and alumni come together to learn the newest tailgate cooking trends from professionals. On August 15, when the Jets took on the Falcons, the Jets Cooking School hosted its first class of the season with an avocado-themed menu at Bin37 within the ShopRite of Greater Morristown with Jets Legend Tony Richardson in attendance. Guests learned avocado infused recipes including, “Jets Guacamole,” and a “Falcon Brunch.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the New York Jets and ShopRite to demo delicious Avocados from Peru,” said Xavier Equihua, CEO and President of the Peruvian Avocado Commission. “This unique event will allow consumers to taste the official guacamole recipe of the New York Jets, made with their favorite superfood, Avocados from Peru.”

Additionally, the Avocados from Peru brand will be integrated into various levels of the fan experience throughout MetLife Stadium during the 2019 season.

*Press Release

*Florham Park, NJ (September 3, 2019) – The New York Jets announced today that Hymie Elhai, the team’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel, has been named President and that Brian Friedman, the team’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Elhai succeeds Neil Glat who, as announced this past Friday by the team, is transitioning to a new role as Senior Advisor.

Currently entering his 20th year with the Jets, Elhai will report to Chairman and CEO, Christopher Johnson and oversee all team business operations. Elhai will also work with Head Coach Adam Gase and General Manager Joe Douglas to integrate football and business operations.

“For over 20 years Hymie has developed a deep level of respect from both sides of the building,” said Mr. Johnson. “Over that time, he has grown to be an invaluable and trusted confidant for many, including, in recent years, myself. Specifically, I witnessed first-hand, his leadership, communication and organizational acumen during our recent head coach and general manager searches. I expect Hymie to be a key unifier, working alongside Adam and Joe, for our organization moving forward.”

“I am honored to be given this opportunity and thankful to The Johnson Family for entrusting me with the responsibility and all that comes along with it,” said Elhai. “I have a deep appreciation and respect for this franchise, what it means to our fans, the communities we serve, as well as our business partners.”

Elhai began his professional career as an intern with the Jets and was hired full-time in 2002 as the manager of legal affairs and business development. He recently completed his fifth season as senior vice president, business affairs and general counsel where he was responsible for all legal aspects of the team, including sponsorship, licensing, event, digital media, production and broadcasting agreements, and all employment related matters. For the past couple of seasons, Elhai has also provided counsel and guidance to football administration on all planning initiatives. In 2016, Elhai was a Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree.

Friedman, who is entering his 11th season with the team, will now take on more operational responsibilities, including revenue generating and business growth opportunities for the team and MetLife Stadium. He will continue to oversee finances for the organization. Prior to joining the Jets, Friedman was the Chief Financial Officer for Bliss. Prior to joining Bliss, he was senior director of finance for the Columbia House Company and held finance roles at Polo Ralph Lauren.

*Press Release

Florham Park – The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Before being released over the weekend, former Jets defensive end Jachai Polite was fined more than $100,000 for lateness and other team violations. The announcement was made by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

Considering Polite, who was picked in the third round of the 2019 draft, came to the Jets with questions about his attitude (that he was well aware of), it’s surprising that he couldn’t even behave properly right out of the gate with the team that took a chance on him.

It shows you that it’s hard to change human nature.

Jets coach Adam Gase was asked about the fines today, and didn’t want to comment on them.

“It is something we would like to keep in house,” Gase said.

Too late, it was already leaked to Florio.

Polite now has a chance to start over in Seattle, where he is currently on their practice squad.

The Seahawks hope his second chance at starting over goes better than his first.

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*Florham Park, NJ (August 30, 2019) — Jets President Neil Glat will be stepping down as Team President and transitioning to a new role as Senior Advisor, it was announced today by the organization.

Glat’s move comes after more than seven years with the team in which he oversaw all off-the-field activities. During Glat’s tenure, the Jets had many business and community accomplishments, including designing and unveiling a new uniform, launching Jets 360 (an Emmy award-winning content platform), implementing the Jets Rewards program and digital ticketing solutions, executing a groundbreaking deal with MGM in the gaming space, putting in place innovative partnerships with Def Jam Recordings, Marvel, and WWE, expanding the year-round fan engagement calendar with numerous new events, and advancing efforts to combat bullying in schools and elsewhere. The Jets also received numerous industry accolades during this time, including recently being recognized as “The Most Innovative Sports Team” by a leading sports and technology publication.

“Neil spearheaded the implementation of many successful new initiatives and fan-friendly offerings during his time with us,” said New York Jets Chairman and CEO, Christopher Johnson. “He also worked tirelessly on behalf of the organization and for the fans. I greatly appreciate and thank him for his significant contributions and omnipresent professionalism. He will be missed.”

“I want to thank The Johnson Family for giving me an amazing opportunity to be part of their truly special organization. Woody and Christopher are terrific leaders, and were outstanding mentors to me. I am extremely grateful to the both of them. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to all the outstanding people who are part of the Jets family. There’s never a good time to leave, but it’s the right time for me to take on new challenges.” Glat said.

In the coming days, the team will announce its intended organizational next steps.

*Press Release

Jets coach Adam Gase does feel the fourth preseason game does serve a purpose.

It’s like a job’s fair.

“There’s a lot of guys that are going to be playing for their job here, but they’re also putting on film for the rest of the league,” Gase said. “There’s a lot of guys that are going to get released here over the next five days or so and other teams might have interest in somebody so it’s just about putting out the right film.”

So the players taking the field on Thursday night when the Jets square off against the Philadelphia Eagles, are not only auditioning for their current teams, but for the rest of the league, along with the new league – the XFL, which will debut in 2020, with eight teams looking to fill rosters.

So while a lot of people find the fourth preseason game boring, which is understandable, it provides bubble players with a chance to show their wares, and get some game film for their resumes.

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Florham Park – For rabid Jets fans, Thursday night’s preseason game should be must-watch TV.

Say what? The fourth preseason game, which will be a thing of the past in the new CBA deal, is usually awful football to watch.

But this particular match-up should intrigue Jets fans. Why?

Because they’re playing the Philadelphia Eagles. Jets GM Joe Douglas spent the last three years in the Eagles’ front office, and was with them for most of the 2019 off-season player personnel process, leaving in early June. He was very involved in stocking their 90-man roster this off-season. He knows that roster as well as he knows the Jets’ current roster.

Who plays in the fourth preseason? Back-up players. Which players are going are going to be cut on Saturday – back-up players. Don’t assume all players who are cut are bad. Not true. A lot of times teams release guys they don’t want to, but when it comes to getting down to 53, they have no choice but to move on from a few reluctantly. Douglas will know who the Eagles are reluctantly cutting more than anyone else in the league. He was in a ton of personnel meetings in the spring talking to GM Howie Roseman and company about most of these guys.

So while the fourth preseason game historically can be brutal, considering where the Jets’ current GM came from, this should make this game a little more interesting for Jets fans.

Because a couple of the Eagles’ players you see in this game might soon be Jets.

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*August 21, 2019 – The New York Jets and M&T Bank are entering the second year of the helmet replacement and reconditioning program with North Jersey Pop Warner through the donation of over 200 new helmets to teams throughout the youth football league. In addition, the Jets and M&T Bank will cover the reconditioning costs of over 750 helmets. This donation marks the continuing commitment to North Jersey Pop Warner to supply new helmets to players of every team and age level over the next three years.

The Jets and M&T Bank have provided 2,500 tickets to North Jersey Pop Warner for the Jets vs. New Orleans Saints preseason game on Saturday, August 24th. Before the game, there will be a check presentation to recognize the support of North Jersey Pop Warner. A player from each team in the North Jersey Pop Warner league will be invited on stage to showcase his team’s new helmet. Representatives from M&T Bank, North Jersey Pop Warner and the New York Jets will speak at the presentation to commemorate the partnership.

*Press Release

Q)Do you have any regrets about playing LB Avery Williamson into the second quarter against Atlanta (he hurt his knee)?

Adam Gase: Yes, I do. We had him in a new position compared to what he played in the past, him and Neville (Hewitt) were together, you know, the thought process was getting Neville’s feet wet, as far as playing MIKE linebacker, he’s playing a different position, wanted Avery to be in there because Neville would be with a guy that’s a starter and just looking back on it, hindsight is 20/20. I wish I would have gotten him out of there a series earlier but I’ve talked with him and it’s on me. I’m the one that has to make that call and get him out of there but we didn’t and that’s a shame because he was having a good camp.

Q)What was your conversation with Williamson like?

Gase: He’s as positive as you can get right now. I know it’s going to be some ups and downs but I told him we’re going to need him to help these young guys and we’re going to need him around the building, we’re going to need him around everybody and we talked about plan once he gets on his feet as far as what we want to do with him, with meetings and trying to help him keep learning as a football player.

Q)Did you share a similar message with Williamson?

Gase: Yeah, I did.

Q)Will Hewitt fill in for Williamson?

Gase: Yeah, I mean we’re just going to be working all those guys in there.

Q)Did Williamson’s injury have an impact on you decision not to play Bell in the preseason?

Gase: Like I said, I was about 99.9% sure what we were going to do, that probably made it 100%.

East Rutherford – Jets head coach Adam Gase was spotted having a chat with him on the sideline at Sunday night’s practice.

It went on for several minutes.

And then they continued their talk walking down the sideline.

Talking about injured inside linebacker Harvey Langi.

With the season-ending injury to starting inside linebacker Avery Williamson, the Jets are looking to fill the void.

Neville Hewitt is a possible replacement, but don’t forget about Langi.

He was having a strong camp before suffering an injury, but he will be back at practice this week.

And he should be in the mix to either start at ILB next to C.J. Mosley or get a lot of playing time.

The former New England Patriot is mobile (runs 4.6), tough, smart and plays with a lot of passion.

Don’t forget this guy in the Jets’ ILB picture.

Clearly Gase hasn’t.

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Atlanta – Jets nickel back Brian Poole returns to Atlanta where he played for the Falcons the last three years. Why did they let him go?

The Falcons didn’t want to let him go. People act like they dumped them. It’s not true.

The Falcons didn’t want to lose him, but had cap issues, and also had a talented, cheaper nickel back option in the building (Damontae Kazee).

Last summer, Poole competed with Kazee for the nickel spot. Poole won, but Kazee ended up starting at strong safety after Keanu Neal blew out his knee in Week One. Kazee had a great year, ending the 2018 campaign with seven picks. But at 5-10, 184, Kazee is a much better fit at nickel back then at safety, so the Falcons want to move this talented ball-hawk back to his more natural nickel spot. Also Neal is coming back, so they don’t need Kazee at strong safety, but they want him on the field. Also, Falcons starting cornerback Dez Trufant is good in the slot.

The Falcons didn’t want to pay Poole a first or second-round tender. The first-round tender was $2.9 million and the second-round tender, $2.1 million. Poole made $630,000 last year, so when the Jets offered him a one-year deal for $3.5 million, the Falcons let him walk.

So while the Falcons liked Poole, they didn’t want to pay him what the Jets did.

The nickel back spot was problematic for the Jets the last few years. The Jets need better route-recognition, diagnostic ability and anticipation at this position, so Poole is just what the doctor ordered.

Poole has sophisticated coverage eyes and top-shelf instincts.

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What went into kicker Chandler Cantanzaro’s decision to retire last weekend? Here is what Jets special team’s coach Brant Boyer had to say:

“[Chandler] walked in in the morning, text me that night and said, ‘Can I talk to you in the morning.’, I said, ‘Sure.’ And he was waiting for me when I got in. When I saw him, he sat down and said, ‘I just don’t feel like I’ve got anymore, I don’t want to put you guys in a tough situation.’

“In my 12th year, I was there myself and I flew in to take a physical for the Giants and I didn’t have it anymore. I knew right where he was at, I totally understand, and I totally respect it and I wish him nothing but the best. I have a lot of great things to say about the young man, he’s a lifelong friend to me and I’m sorry to see him go. I really like him.

“It’s really tough. But when you finally [retire], every athlete knows when it’s time and it was his time, it was my time. Every athlete knows when it’s time and he felt good about his decision and I’m genuinely happy for him because when you know like that, it’s time to go. You wake up and you can’t do it anymore, you can’t mentally get yourself ready, you can’t physically get yourself ready anymore. If you feel like that, it is what it is, you can’t do it anymore.”

Florham Park – The Jets’ cornerback situation is far from ideal right now.

In Sunday’s practice, their #1 cornerback Trumaine Johnson, pulled his hamstring, and then in Monday’s practice, the man replacing him, Kyron Brown, tweaked his hamstring.

But you know what, the situation could be a lot worse.

On the injury scale, pulled hamstrings rank pretty low, and considering the season is around a month away, you would have to think Johnson and Brown should be back by then, unless they actually tore a hamstring, and that doesn’t seem to be the case.

And you know what, in training camp, it’s pretty common for teams to have corners get nicked, with all the running and hitting they do back there, over the course of a lengthy camp.

Think about it. The Jets waived CB Derrick Jones on Saturday, who wasn’t having a great camp, but he was picked up immediately by the Green Bay Packers. Why? Because they have injury issues at cornerback.

It happens.

So the Jets’ CB situation could be a lot worse when you consider there is a good chance both Johnson and Brown are ready for the regular season, and also, their #2 cornerback (Darryl Roberts) and nickel back (Brian Poole) are still out there.

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This player looks like more than a flash-in-the-pan and should be a big part of the Jets’ defensive plan this year.

Talking about linebacker Frankie Luvu, who tied for the team-lead in tackles with five against the Football Giants.

He flashed last summer, and at times last season, and this summer he has picked up where he left off, with a strong camp thus far, and a terrific preseason debut in the Jets-Giants game.

Two of his better plays against the Giants:

*On the last play of the first quarter, Luvu shot into the backfield and stopped the Giants runner Paul Perkins for no gain.

*Late in the second quarter, Luvu crushed Perkins after a catch, causing a fumble, recovered by LB Neville Hewitt, deep in Giants territory, leading to a Chandler Catanzaro field goal.

Luvu, a native of American Somoa who attended Washington State, is athletic, tough, instinctive and plays with great passion. Jets DC Gregg Williams, who loves to move pieces around, has to like Luvu’s ability to play inside and outside linebacker.

Luvu is no longer just a feel-good long shot story.

This guy is legit, and should be a boon to the Jets’ defense in 2019.

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No. Pos. Name
9 WR Jeff Smith
20 S Marcus Maye
26 RB Le’Veon Bell
29 RB Bilal Powell
37 CB Arthur Maulet
41 CB Bless Austin
44 LB Harvey Langi
55 C Ryan Kalil
76 T Calvin Anderson
79 OL Brent Qvale
92 DL Leonard Williams
99 DL Steve McLendon

The Jets need better play from this position than the last couple of years.

Talking about the cornerback position.

And we will get to see this group in action, the starters and reserves, in the Jets’ 2019 preseason debut tonight against the Football Giants.

What is Adam Gase looking for from his corners?

“Executing what’s called,” Gase said. “Whatever Gregg (Williams) decides to go with, whether it’s zone coverage, or we’re going to play man coverage”

That might sounds like an obvious answer, but it’s an important point to make, because there were too many blown coverages the last two seasons. Jets corners need to be more assignment-savvy in 2019.

Gase also wants guys getting their hands on as many passes as possible.

“How much are we around the ball? Gase asked. “How many times are we touching the ball? How are we tackling? Are we getting involved? Are we having ball production which is, hey, you’re either tackling, you’re intercepting, you’re breaking up a pass, getting around the football and being productive.”

The Jets’ starting corners, Trumaine Johnson and Daryl Roberts, have had pretty good camps, and nickel back Brian Poole has clearly upgraded that position for Gang Green. Let’s see what they do tonight working together in an actual football game.

Also, which reserves will shine, and start to stake their claims on the backup cornerback spots?

Keep an eye on rookie free agent Kyron Brown (Akron), who has flashed in camp with a nice combination of instincts and ball skills.

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