Content available exclusively for subscribers
You really need to give yourself some wiggle room with this stuff.
The idea of attacking Joe Douglas now, with no idea how this is going to turn out, is probably a little unfair.
And if you hold back from attacking him, that doesn’t make you an apologist.
It makes you somebody who doesn’t own a crystal ball or play fantasy football, where people are obsessed with big names.
Talking about Manish Mehta taking Joe Douglas to task for his approach this off-season.
Sometimes you need to give plans time to see how they work (in games), and not deal in absolutes this time of year.
On January 9, 2020, Mehta wrote a story praising the Jets for hiring Adam Gase.
Headline – “Relax Jets fans, why Adam Gase is a brilliant coaching hire.”
“He’s smart confident and doesn’t put up with any B.S. He realizes that a rotten culture will destroy everything. He’s got no time for knuckleheads. The Jets hit a home run by hiring Adam Gase to be their head coach.”
Now, Mehta thinks he’s a bad coach, and it didn’t start now, he was trashing him throughout his first season.
I understand it’s all about getting clicks now, but to go after Douglas in April of his first full off-season as Jets GM, for his work over the last three weeks in free agency, is way premature.
“Dig up Wonder Woman to lass the truth out of Joe Douglas,” wrote Mehta.
I have to be honest, I find him a lot more forthcoming in his press conferences then the prior four GM’s. Of course there are things he’s not going to tell us, but for the most part, he’s a lot more transparent than anyone who’s been in that seat in quite some time.
“Only those downing Kool-Aid by the pitcher would believe the current state of affairs is close to good enough,” Mehta wrote.
Who said they were? Is fairness and waiting to see how this plan turns out during the 2020 season a case of drinking Kool-Aid? If so, I’m guilty.
“Douglas let Robby Anderson, an ascending player who has developed a chemistry with Darnold walk out the door. He replaced him with another possible one-and-done player (Breshad Perriman),” Mehta wrote.
He might have been an “ascending player,” but how come no team seemed willing to give him a lucractive long-term deal? He is new team, the Carolina Panthers didn’t do that. His two arrests, and other issues in the past, clearly scared teams from going long term. including the Jets.
And perhaps Perriman will be just as good as Anderson. He has similar 4.3 speed and was picked in the first round for a reason. We shall see. I have no idea, so I’m going to temper my opinion right now. If that makes me a Kool-Aid drinker, I please guilty.
“Even the biggest Gotham Green homer will admit Darnold’s supporting cast isn’t scaring anyone,” Mehta wrote.
Well first of all, this is a fantasy football player’s view of the world – where are big names!
Let’s not forget, the Jets tight end situation could be better ones in football with the tandem of Chris Herndon and Ryan Griffin. Daniel Brown, Trevon Wesco and Ross Travis could also contribute.
Jamison Crowder was very impressive in his first year as the Jets’ slot receiver, and Perriman isn’t a slouch. There are a bunch of other guys in the receiving room who could really surprise people (not the fantasy football crowd), who we’ll get into tomorrow.
Also let’s not forget Le’Veon Bell is one of the best receiving backs in football, so he’s a major factor in the passing game.
And clearly the Jets are going to add a receiver or two in the draft.
But don’t leave out a very important point that the fantasy football players will ignore. It’s not just about the line and the weapons. Some of this is on Darnold. He needs to read defenses better. He needs to go through his progressions better. He needs to manipulate defensive backs with his eyes better. So many teams have loaded up on weapons for their quarterback thinking it’s like a magic wand. But if they don’t read defenses and go through their progressive scans effectively, often adding a ton of weapons is fools good.
Let’s see how this looks in September. It’s way premature to attack Douglas, just like some might argue, it was premature to call Gase, “a brilliant hire,” last January. And that isn’t a rip on Gase. The jury is still out on him.
And with Douglas the jury hasn’t even started meeting yet.
April 2, 2020
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Thursday.