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I got a e-mail from a very frustrated Jets fan . . .
“I realize that injuries have mounted, what gives with this team? Is it coaching, the players not executing or are we finally seeing what years of poor drafting finally manifest itself? I want to be positive and optimistic but given our history, nothing is giving me the confidence that this owner will turn this around. Jets fans are loyal to a fault but deserve better. What can we do as fans? I’m at a loss.” – Steve.
First off, injuries are no excuse. Every team has injuries. The Chiefs keep rolling along without left tackle Eric Fisher, #1 receiver Tyreek Hill and starting running back Damien Williams. Check out the Los Angeles Chargers injury list. I might be easier to tell you who the healthy guys are.
And while Sam Darnold’s mono wasn’t helpful to the Jets, let not pretend they lost Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson. That is a little far-fetched. Darnold has tremendous potential, but he’s still a work-in-progress as you saw in the opener, and the 2018 season-finale in New England.
As for the fan saying, “Nothing is giving me the confidence that this owner will turn this around,” I had a simple response to this – “I would say two people who can give you a little hope are Joe Douglas and Phil Savage. Those are two extremely smart personnel guys with a lot of experience. They have not been with the Jets long. I think over time they will improve this roster, but just got to Florham Park in June.”
Look, Douglas made some mistakes early in his tenure like signing the kicker he used in the opener, but he’s a rookie GM, and it’s unfair to expect zero growing pains. Like anybody in a particular role for the first time, there will be some snafus.
But the combination of Douglas and senior executive Phil Savage puts the Jets personnel department in very good hands. This is one of the better one-two punches the Jets have had in their personnel departments in quite some time.
One of the Jets’ biggest problems right now is their cornerback position. But honestly, there is was almost nothing Douglas could do about this entering the building in June. You aren’t going to find “answers” at cornerback in the spring and summer. It ain’t happening. The cornerbacks market dries up very quickly when free agency starts in June, and obviously when you take over in June, you can’t address the position the draft.
The Jets made the Nate Hairston trade in August, and while he has some talent, do you think any team is going to trade a top-shelf cornerback in the summer? We saw against New England that Hairston still has a lot of work do.
Another big problem for the Jets is their pedestrian pass rush. Once again, like cornerback, elite pass rushers are hard to find, and you certainly aren’t going to find “game-wreckers” in June, July and August.
I think eventually Douglas and Savage will improve this roster.
And they are the Jets best hope to turn things around.
As for the coach, he’s got to get going here. If you believe in that old say, “First impressions are lasting ones,” then it’s hard to have a strong impression of Gase thus far after those first three games.
But Jets fans should have faith in the tag-team of Douglas and Savage.
September 30, 2019
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