It was a tough season – this draft should help

Interesting quote . . .

“I want to add something, not to embarrass Robert (Saleh) here, but what we asked our coaching staff to do last year, we were at least one or two most rookie snaps in the league,” said Jets GM Joe Douglas. “That’s a hard thing for a coaching staff to do with so many young players, I think we all realize that. No one dipped their toe in the water, they cannonballed in, they attacked it, the entire staff developed these young players and the whole plan for that is to benefit the future. So, now we have a group of young players that have played a lot of snaps, a lot of quality NFL snaps. When they’re called on to help us again, they’re going to be ready. We’ve added even more players. What Coach and his staff did, I can’t say enough positive things about that.”

Before I continue, I want to preface it by saying Douglas is probably the best GM the Jets have had in a long time. It’s pretty obvious in the last two drafts, last year with Alijah Vera-Tucker, Elijah Moore and RB Michael Carter, and then this year with what looks like quite a haul.

“This is one of the greatest drafts I’ve ever seen,” said college football game analyst Dusty Dvoracek on ESPNU Radio. “That is four starters in the first 36. [Joe Douglas] has knocked this out of the park.”

But as Bill Parcells always said, “You are what your record says it is.” The Jets went 4-13 last year.

Who they are playing, whether they are young or old, all I can do is judge them on their record, because the NFL isn’t a developmental league. They have very high ticket prices. Much higher than a developmental league. Fans want a winning team.

As Herman Edwards famously said, “You play to win the game.”

But when Douglas said about last season, “The whole plan was to benefit the future,” how are we supposed to view that in terms of last year’s record?

Since they had the most rookie snaps in the league, as an analyst, should I grade them on a curve?

Douglas said he can’t say “enough positive things” about what the coaching staff did last year.

But they finished 4-13, and had a (-11) point differential in games, meaning they lost quite a few blowouts. Their defense finished 32nd in the NFL.

Was the coaching staff dealt the best hand? Of course not. It was a very young roster.

But that was an organizational decision.

Look, this could be a very good coaching staff, I’m not being critical of any coaches. I’m just saying, let’s just move on from last year, and stop putting lipstick on it.

The Jets just had what looks like a tremendous draft, perhaps one for the ages, which should help them a great deal moving forward.

So perhaps we can turn the page on the 2021-22 season.

It was a rough season for all involved.

May 4, 2022

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