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As the Jets GM search comes down the home stretch, a few things to consider . . .
As you now by now, Adam Gase cancelled the third day of Jets mandatory mini-camp for a player outing to promote bonding.
Three thoughts on this before I get to the GM stuff:
1)NFL coaches often complain about the limited access they have to players under the CBA signed in 2011, that cut back a great deal on off-season work. So with that being said, why give up a day on the field?
2)The Jets only have access to the centerpiece of their offense, Le’Veon Bell, for three days this off-season, because he chose to skip the rest of the team’s off-season workouts to train in Florida. So why would you give up one of three days you have him on the field? At the very least, he certainly needs timing work with Sam Darnold in the passing game, which Bell will be a big part of.
3)Why do a bonding event with 90 guys when almost half of them won’t even be on the team when the season starts after they cut to 53?
But to be fair to the Jets and Gase in regards to this decision – a lot of teams do this, so they have a lot of company.
Now to the GM search.
Jason La Canfora of CBS announced yesterday, “Every expectation remains that Joe Douglas will be the Jets next GM. Hearing the sides discussing financials over budget for $$ to pay his staff as he reshapes the front office. As long as it doesn’t fall apart over that then announcement could come this week.”
A lot of this stuff often comes from CAA, which represents half of the world, so I totally buy it.
As we mentioned yesterday, Ira Axselrad was at the practice yesterday and walked off the field with Christopher Johnson. He is the Johnson’s money manager.
So he clearly will be involved in these budget talks.
And one bit of fly in the ointment related to Douglas and his staff budget is that the Jets had some big buyouts recently with some of firings, like Mike Maccagnan and Brian Heimderdinger. I don’t know Heimerdinger’s exact contract terms, but Maccagnan had two years left on his deal.
Also, Maccagnan just hired a new college scouting director this off-season – Jon Carr. He was at Wednesday’s practice. That is him pictured above watching the practice.
Usually, when a new GM is hired, he brings in his own college scouting director. So Carr might not be long for the Jets, but they will clearly will owe him money because he just got hired a few months ago.
Maybe the new GM likes him and will keep him in some capacity, but it would be surprising if he’s the college scouting director for the new GM.
So the Jets will be paying off some big contract over the next few years. And let’s not forget Todd Bowles had two years left on his contract. While he’s getting paid in Tampa Bay so there is likely an off-set, he’s not making as much as a DC, so the Jets are writing him checks as well.
This will probably impact the new GM’s budget, the fact that the Johnson’s are writing some big checks to people no longer in the building.
June 6, 2019
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