Content available exclusively for subscribers
It you think most of these decisions are cut-and-dried, you’re kidding yourself.
Saturday, August 31, the day the Jets need to cut their roster from 90 to 53 could be loaded with familiar names.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear, I have my own opinions about players. I hear from people who say things to me like about certain players, “You are the only one who feels that way about that player.”
I swear to you, I’m not sure what some other practice observers are looking at.
I read some assessments and wonder if I’m watching the same thing. Some are kind of new to the NFL.
So I will continue to do what I do. Go over practices and games with a fine tooth comb and tell you what I see.
I’m not acting like a know it all. What I’m saying is there is some bizarro commentary on players out there right now.
With all that being said, August 31 could be a bloodbath.
Some of the players you assume are safe, aren’t.
This GM and this coach have little allegiance to most of the players on this roster. They didn’t sign or draft most of them, and I’m even talking about this year. This is a very unique situation where they guys making the final cuts at the end of August will less agendas then we are used to seeing around here. And how unusual is it to have a GM and coach who really didn’t pick the players this year. Obviously Quinnen Williams is safe, and probably Jachai Polite and Chuma Edoga, but after that, all bets are off.
This could be one of the most interesting final cut down we have seen in Jetsland in a long time.
Some people are writing that most of the roster is set. I disagree.
Not only do Douglas, Gase and let’s throw in new assistant GM Rex Hogan and senior adviser Phil Savage have little allegiance to most of the players on the roster, but they have strong connections to other organizations where they were involved with picking players – Douglas (Philadelphia), Gase (Miami) and Hogan (Indianapolis). If some players they liked from their previous stop get cut, you don’t think they will push hard to bring them to Florham Park?
Also, Savage, ran the Senior Bowl from 2012-18. If there is a player he fell in love with at the Senior Bowl, who is cut by another team, he might push for that player to join the Jets. Also, Savage was the GM of the Arizona Hotshots in the AAF. Around 50 players from the AAF signed with NFL teams. If a few of those guys are cut, and Savage liked one or two of them a great deal, he will likely suggest Douglas kick the tires on them.
I’m telling you right now, there are going to be names on the cut list, where Jets fans will say, “Whoa.”
And that is they way it should be.
The object is assemble the best 53-man roster and 10-man practice squad you can, sans agendas.
In the past at One Jets Drive, there have been too many agendas, not always driven by won-loss records.
This year, there is going to be a football purity to the final cut down we haven’t seen in a while.
Circle August 31 on your calendar. It should be quite an interesting day.
June 21, 2019
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Monday.