Over investing assets for Defense when you supposedly have a defensive genius as HC

I’ve been happy with the defense, but I can’t help think back tk a Mike Lombardi quote about Saleh years ago.

He said the scheme is outdated and can be beaten, however, if you have the better players by a decent amount, it’ll win. “There’s really nothing to it, just line up and play is all.”

Maybe he’s a Phil Jackson level coaching genius. “Just have the best players and they’ll think it’s you!”

 

You still need talented players

 

Part of it is opportunity, I am not sure who is available to spend assets on when it comes to offense. I hope if the opportunity arose to spend on offense they would, I think we can free up about 26m in cap with extensions anf restructures.

 

I haven't seen a sign that Saleh is a genius at anything.

There really isn't any good option left to restructure. The best would be JFM and Lazard. Both have already been restructured and both already have nightmare contracts that pay them well beyond this season. I really wouldn't want to owe either of these players more cap in the future. Lazard is a waste of money and we'll need to release JFM next offseason to save 11 million (and incur a 6.5 million dead cap).

 

Geniuses tend to innovate and Saleh is a rigid system guy. He can't even entertain the idea of traveling a corner that is far better suited for man coverage because it breaks his defense, at least in his mind. He's somebody very far down the coaching tree from the inception of this defense and he plays a very small role in its history.

For a guy like Saleh, this defense needs a lions share of Pro Bowl players to succeed, or at least what the Pro Bowl meant 20 years ago.

 

It's on both JD and Saleh. JD has always been a "build through the lines, win with defense and a running game" guy and his hiring of Saleh reflects that belief because Saleh is of the same general mindset.

 

Thanks for making this its own thread Brook! It's a topic that has needed more focus for years. Yes, it's mentioned sometimes, but it's only recently that I can recall seeing more than a few people really asking "What's up with the ignoring of offense with this team?".

And as you posed: "...how many first rounders we have in projected Defensive starters vs Offensive starters. Also the salary breakdown between offense and defense.", I would also love to see that. And I would love to see that data going back a few decades because it's been that long since the Jets have favored defense over offense in the mistaken belief that they could more easily build a winning team focusing on "D" rather than "O".

Yes, it is harder to find a FQB and to build a great offense than a great defense, but once built it tend to be a cornerstone of success (if maintained). TBF, I do think that Douglas has tried to build a good offense, unlike his predecessors, but he's failed. IDK why he's failed, IDK why he hasn't been able to identify a FQB, OL, etc., if it's because he doesn't have the ability, his scouting dept sucks, he tries to accomplish this on the cheap, or what, maybe a combination of all that, but he's clearly failed for over 5 years. Unless a miracle happens and the Jets get deep into the playoffs at least this year, he needs to be fired and for Woody to hire someone as a VP of Football Ops who really knows how to build a winning team and let him hire a GM and oversees the hiring of everyone else, focusing on assembling an organization that is committed to building offense-first.

This "Defense wins championships" myth has to die.

 

Based on everything I've seen from this organization since the day Woody took over-- Gase was his only indication that he would ever kind of consider building around offense, I'm gonna say it's on Woody. It's Joe D's job to make sure assets are allocated the way Woody wants-- that is not the same as "properly".

 

I don't give Woody that much credit for knowing either way what a defensive or offensive mindset would be. I think he relies on other people to tell him who to hire and he doesn't know even to know whether that advice is good or bad.

I do think with Douglas that Woody has come the closest to a good hire yet, but again he went for the "new and unproven" over the "tried and true" options. I think he needs to get a proven NFL winner to run the show and then let him run it.

 

I agree on all accounts. I think letting Huff go was a mistake, but JD should have extended him in 2022, and it would have been cheaper. We really couldn't afford to pay him what he wanted this year, and I think Huff didn't feel respected/appreciated since the Jets didn't see him as a potential starter, so he wanted to leave. Replacing his production with Riddick was a great move in an "all in" year, but it still raises the questional of continually putting the big assets into the D (aside from Rodgers). In this situation, I don't mind, because I was concerned that there would be a dropoff in the pass rush this season without Huff, and as a result our D would take a step or two back. I was also worried that JD might take an edge again at #10 or #72 rather than taking offensive players.

There needs to be a dramatic change in philosophy and allocation of assets. Unfortunately, it may take firing Saleh and hiring an offensive-minded HC for that to happen, and if the Jets have a winning season and/or make the playoffs, I think Woody will just bring everyone back again.

 

I agree, but after the FA he's had, JD may be going nowhere, especially if the key FAs stay healthy for most of the season and play up to their ability and if JD has a good-great draft, then the Jets will likely make the playoffs and win a game or two. I doubt that Woody would then clean house.

 

That's the problem with having the GM be the head football guy. Great GMs don't leave their teams until they retire, so there isn't usually an option to hire a "tried and true" experienced GM. That would mean Woody would have to hire a VP of Football Operations and let him run the show. At the moment, I don't know who that could be.

 

Saleh's "super power" is being rah rah, which is an extremely unnecessary trait in a professional league. I have no doubt that he would have more success at the college level but in the Pro's...not so much. It's obvious that he's not much of an X's and O's guy or he would have identified and exploited Sauce more appropriately. He's the worst kind of coach, he tries to shoe horn players into his idea of a system vs. adapting to the strengths of his personnel. I get it, he's a likeable guy. Over the top positivity coupled with a good dude vibe...but that simply doesn't win football games.

 

Douglas has to make sure that Saleh's side of the ball is stocked full of great players because he has shown absolutely no ability to fix the one area of the team that is his supposed area of "expertise", the O-line. With a shitty O-line, the defense has to play out of their minds every snap of every game to keep this team even remotely competitive. Wouldn't shock me the least bit if he takes another defensive player at 10 since I'm sure he's patting himself on the back thinking that he's "fixed" the O-line (and the WR room) by bringing in all of these older, injury-prone players.

Can't wait for January of 2025 when Woody blows this whole thing up and once again sells us the false optimism of a new HC and GM.

 

Pretty sweet celebrations on the sidelines when we get a big sack.

 

And given what we've seen from this regime, that probably makes him the most qualified football person in the building.

I'm sure Saleh will really be celebrating when Douglas drafts another D-Lineman at pick #10

 

But it seems the defensive players on this team overperform way more often than they underperform. This D staff gets the best out of these players. Quincy Williams was a nobody and they turned him into a huge asset. Bryce Huff was a UDFA and he turned into a top pass-rusher. DJ Reed, Michael Carter, etc.