Content available exclusively for subscribers
I blogged about this today, but I want to expound on it in the premium section . . .
Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars hired a football czar who both their head coach and GM report to. His name is Tom Coughlin.
Perhaps it’s time for the Jets do the same.
I don’t think the organizational structure on their football side is ideal.
The way the Jets are set-up is, the GM, Head coach, and President are all on equal football, and all report to the owner.
I like Woody and Christopher Johnson personally. They have always been very nice and courteous to me, but I don’t think this is a good structure.
And this isn’t the first time I’ve written this.
Let’s focus on the current owner, Christopher, who is currently in charge.
Christopher, who is a wonderful man, has admitted on more than one occasion, “I’m not yet Jerry Jones.”
Basically what he is saying with that statement is he doesn’t like to meddle in football matters.
On paper, that isn’t a bad thing. Why meddle in something that’s not in your wheelhouse. Christopher is a smart man, but he’s not a player personnel or X’s and O’s guru.
But the problem is if the head coach is really stubborn, and won’t make need changes, to let’s say the starting lineup or defensive strategy, who is going to force him to?
Christopher won’t, and Maccagnan doesn’t have the power to do this, so if the head coach has a blind spot, or is very stubborn, who’s going to force him to make necessary changes?
As Jon Mertz, one of the Top 100 thought leaders in trustworthy business points out, “Stubbornness is never a good leadership trait or virtue.”
I’ve heard the word “stubborn” used more than once to describe Bowles.
Like, shouldn’t he change his approach, a tad, in press conferences? Surely, but who is going to force him to do that?
But more important, when it comes to football matters, I’m sorry if this offends some, but Bowles needs a “football” boss? Currently, he doesn’t have one.
Hey, the team went 5-11 in back-to-back seasons. The proof is in the pudding.
Whose decision was it to start Brian Winters last year for two months with a torn groin? The player said this off-season he was playing on one leg. What is the point of Winters playing on one leg, when you have healthy players like Dakota Dozier, Jon Harrison and Brent Qvale in reserve? What’s up with that?
You need a football czar to step in here and say, “We are shutting him down – he’s giving it his best shot, but he’s hurting us on the field.”
There is no doubt in my mind the Jets need a football czar.
Either that, or Mike Maccagnan needs to be given the power to oversee the entire football operation.
I was critical of Maccagnan his first couple of years as GM, but I think he’s really starting to grow in the job. In 2017-18, I’ve seen great growth from the GM.
But the bottom line is the current set-up where the GM, coach and president are all on the same level can lead to dysfunction.
Because this means, that Ira Axselrad, who manages the Johnson Company, is probably advising Christopher on football matters. Because if the GM, Coach and president really can’t analyze each other, then it has to be Ira.
Ira is a brilliant business and law mind, but he’s not a football guru.
It’s time for a change.
September 25, 2018
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Wednesday.