Most Jets fans were clear about their desire for the team to go 0-16 once it was clear that the 2020 season would go nowhere. They dream of the No. 1 pick in the draft and Clemson star Trevor Lawrence. Then, on Dec. 20, the Jets scored a shocking 23-20 victory over the Rams, and the No. 1 pick was to Jacksonville.
Players and coaches celebrated. Fans smoked. But what about general manager Joe Douglas, who would be Lawrence’s choice?
“I was happy for these guys,” Douglas said Tuesday. “These guys never stood back. The week before we had flown to Seattle and it was bad. Your thought process was: how are these guys going to react? When I flew back to the West Coast, played a good team in the LA Rams and basically led from start to finish, I was so proud of the way these guys fought. They never stood back. I just know being in the locker room how much joy and excitement there was in these guys. There was no one in this team, no one in this organization who wanted to be 0-16 for the rest of their careers and wanted that scarlet letter on their resume. ”
That win makes Douglas’ task more difficult this season. Instead of the easy decision to take Lawrence, he now has to consider whether he will take a quarterback at number 2 like Justin Fields or Zach Wilson or stick with Sam Darnold.
Jets CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson said Monday the team is looking for a coach to manage the entire team, a “CEO” coach. But what if the coach also wants control over staff? This is currently the domain of Douglas.
“I think it’s a good question to ask Christopher,” Douglas said. “Ultimately, I think we are looking for a good partner who will come in hand in hand. We’re going to close arms and we’ll try to twist this thing together. I think this is the quality we are looking for. ”
Johnson said Monday that the team will consider changing their organizational structure to report the new coach to the GM, rather than reporting it to ownership.
“For me, it’s about the person,” he said. “It does not matter to me. I just want to hopefully attract the right person, the right leader, into this job. ”
Douglas said the team wants to bring back security Marcus Maye, who could become a free agent in March. Douglas said it is a priority.
Douglas said he has not yet spoken to LB CJ Mosley, who has been selected this season, but that he still has four years on the contract he signed with the Jets in 2019.
Douglas or he regrets Jamal Adams ‘safety to the Seahawks:’ I’m glad Jamal gets the chance to compete in the playoffs. I wish him success. I would say that we did not look in the rearview mirror once we decided on Jamal and we are excited about what we could receive in the trade for him. Now we have to go find the right players with the resources we have acquired in the trade. ”