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Jets GM Darren Mougey addressed the media today.
This is rather unusual at Jets camp in recent years – a GM talking to the media at the beginning of camp.
It’s usually just the coach.
Why did he do it? Don’t know, but it would certainly lead some to speculate it plays into the narrative that he was given more power this year.
Remember the Mike Francesa scoop from March – “(Aaron) Glenn was clearly the voice and the power of the whole thing, and you can see now, if you’re paying attention, that has shifted dramatically there,” Francesa said. “(Darren) Mougey’s now in charge and clearly, my understanding is Woody made a decision that Mougey’s in charge.”
Francesa doubled down on this scoop last week on his podcast.
The beat writers who cover the team are ignoring this scoop and narrative. Don’t take this as a judgment of the beat writers. I’m just stating a fact.
The only beat reporter who addressed this report is SNY’s Connor Hughes, who announced on March 17, “There has been zero change to the Jets organizational power structure this offseason, according to sources.”
Ever since Hughes’ announcement, it’s been crickets on Francesa’s report.
Once again, my position on this is clear – I can’t verify there has been a change. Francesa has his source, Hughes has his, and I’m not taking sides.
Once I can get to the bottom of this on my own, I’m maintaining neutrality.
But Mougey taking to the podium today, which you rarely see a Jets GM do on the first day of camp, and answering questions about the state of the team, will certainly make some conspiracy theorists say this is evidence of Mougey’s increased power . . .
I did ask Mougey one question – for his thoughts on nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat entering camp on NFI, and for his take on the player’s past conditioning issues- and he made it clear that the hamstring issue the player has is not related to conditioning and they are happy with his current weight . . .
The passing offense was underwhelming on the first day of camp. I’m not sure what the stat crew discerned, nor do I care, because stats don’t matter this time of year, but just saying it was rusty. This is totally understandable on the first day of camp.
The best pass play of the day might have been a crossing route over the middle from Brady Cook to tight end Jeremy Ruckert. Nice throw and catch in a congestion by Ruckert.
As we sit here right now, despite the hype, there is no evidence from the spring or summer that Cade Klubnik is better than Cook. Perhaps we will see in that time as the cream usually rises to the top. Just saying at this point. Klubnik might have more talent, but let’s put away the anointing oil with him at this point. He has a lot to prove . . .
Speaking of anointing oil, if there is none being used in relation to the ILB job next to Demario Davis, it should be a wide-open competition, and not just handed to Jamien Sherwood.
“He was awful,” film junky Brett Kollmann of Bootleg Football said of Sherwood’s 2025 season.
Yes, it was a rough one for Sherwood last year. Great guy, very hard-worker, but the film was not stellar for the Auburn product last season.
So, to me, every LB in the building right now should be in play for that spot next to Davis. So with that being said, two LB plays that stood out today – veteran LB Mychal Walker had a nice stop in the backfield on a running back, and rookie LB Chase Wilson had a nice PD in pass coverage in a 7-on-7 drill, reading the QB’s eyes and breaking on the ball nicely. To be honest, I never saw Wilson play at Colorado State or West Virginia, but watching him in the spring and today, he seems to have good instincts . . .
Karl Dunbar has forgotten more about defensive line play than I will ever know, but watching 6-6 defensive lineman Darrell Jackson in the spring and summer, I continue to wonder how the veteran D-Line coach is going to be able to help the kid lower his pad level with his tall, upright build.
Two plays today; his high pad level was an issue.
First on a run up the middle, squatty powerful guard Xavier Newman won the leverage game, locking up Jackson, on a nice run by Braelon Allen up the middle. Then late in practice, veteran tackle Chuk Okorafor locked him up on a play where his pad level was very high.
Look, I’m not picking on the player who is tough as boot leather and plays hard – just saying right now he plays with a very high pad level, and it’s hard to win in the trenches that way.
July 29, 2026
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