IMO JD has been a mixed bag. His trade deals have been his best quality so far, and that's a good one to have. What is alarming me is that his team building has basically stunk. Starting with free agency. Last year he promised Sam he was going to get him the tools to succeed. That translated into replacing Anderson with Perriman at WR, bringing in Frank Gore at RB, and Andrews, Van Roten, and McGovern on OL. Plus we left 12 million in the bank. Basically this was a monumental failure and our offense was worse then ever. We had a bounty of cash to spend in FA this season, almost the most in the league, and the return we got was underwhelming. We had the cash to bring in at least 3 top players. What we got was mostly under achievers who we hope break through and live up to their draft potential. Again, I cant judge until we see it in action but I'm not super pumped about the results of our FA splurge this season. Drafting. Sure its a little early to fully evaluate last years draft but on the surface it was nothing spectacular. Everyone knew we needed to go o-line first and WR second, but I cant say for sure we got the best players. Yes we all love Becton's size but the reality is Wirfs had a much better season. Becton was good in the run game but he often struggled in pass protection which isn't good for the blindside guy. Add in Becton's missed games and WIrfs looks like the much better pick. Its only one year so maybe that will change but...? Same goes for Mims. JD traded down 10 spots before taking Mims. This caused us to miss out on Chase Claypool who looked like a developing stud in 2020. (We'd end up getting James Morgan and Cameron Clark in return.) Mims missed most of the season so maybe he will rebound and become a star. That's what we hope. But so far Claypool looks like the much better pick. Don't get me wrong, its too early to complain about these picks but the early returns are average, not the work of some wizard talent evaluation team, like some around here act like we got. The biggest issue with me, and to be fair maybe I'm wrong here, is that he seriously screwed up our rebuild by not trading the #2 pick and instead is using our biggest piece of gold since 1996 to reach for a QB. Wee dont have a single pro bowler and yet we are reaching for a QB, and then telling ourselves we'll be able to help him with rookie draft picks, mostly low rounders. This is an entire topic to itself, but IMO its his biggest mistake so far. IMO its so big that I cant bring myself to say, "In JD I trust" anymore. One draft and two FAs later I look at our team and the only anchors I see are still Q and Maye, and hopefully Becton. There is no core on this team yet and what solid pieces we have were mostly put there by Mac, not JD. So we move on. It could break good and it could break badly. But until it breaks good I'm no longer just accepting "I trust JD" as a valid argument. I agree with Royal, its becoming time for accountability, especially if we stink next season. I really hope we score some top talent in this draft.
Yeah, pretty on point ... Trades: I agree his trades have been good in that we didn’t get screwed like we used to when Bradway was bending over back in the day...he was the worst. I think JD has gotten good value in trades. Draft: I agree with your view on the draft class...I thought it was a solid B/B+...it was really only Becton who shined, and there is concern with injury time...everyone else is potential...Mims MAY be really good, Hall MAY be really good...Davis I don’t see it yet but he has raw talent so he may also develop. Perine to me was a wasted pick. Yes we got Morgan and Clark in that trade down but neither played a down so they may develop or they may be wasted picks. So to me, we’ll see, but I wasn’t overly impressed with his first draft class...certainly not a home run to me by any stretch. Solid? OK. Great? Not so much. But we’ll see what this year brings. Free Agency: not really sure about last year as to what his intent was. Looking back, it looks as if he punted on the season before it ever began, as his signings were pretty much all shit outside of Fant. To me, I think he was clearly in tear down mode rather than build up mode....no long deals, 2nd/3rd tier type guys, etc. it’s like he punted on the rebuild for one year. This year it was different...I get his approach in signing younger guys who are still on the upswing with potential. He didn’t go with Mac’s approach of signing high priced guys to try and swing for the fences. This is a GM with time on his side who wanted to tear it down first, acquire picks, and then build it up, as evidenced by his radically different approaches to free agency from last year to this year. Ok fair enough. So we’ll see how this class does. Looking at it all, it’s really like the rebuild starts now. Everything he’s done has been leading up to this. Treading water up until now. So let’s see how we do starting in two days. you can question the approach....the biggest asset is that 2nd overall pick, so I think either approach would have been valid: (a) keep the pick and use it on a QB, reset the QB salary clock, trade Darnold, and build around the new QB, or (b) keep Darnold, trade the pick for a bounty, and build the team while giving Darnold a shot and then take the QB next year of Darnold doesn’t work. I don’t think either approach as a strategy is necessarily better than the other. They both have their merits and their risks. What if the rookie QB busts? What if Darnold continues to struggle? What about the cap ramifications? Lots of balls to juggle. But I think the decision is a bit easier as we also have several high picks next year too...we can still take the QB and still have a bunch of high draft capital next year as well... So it’ll come down to execution...obviously he’s already chosen option (a), so it’s a moot point now, and it’ll come down to picking the right QB and then maximizing the remaining picks. can’t wait for Thursday! But it does feel like ok, you got the first year or two as a mulligan, and the shit really starts now...
OUCHY/J79... I am with you esp trading the #2 pick for more picks and rebuilding the team. Other posters disagree and state we need a FQB well yea but we need "competent" players surrounding him. I believe he made the right decision on HC and cleaning up FO.... I know JD has a plan but I am with you on his FA and Drafting... we'll see
With all the picks he's accumulated for this draft and next year he really needs to hit on those picks or its all for naught. If he hits he'll likely be here for a while. If he sh*ts the bed like other Jets GM's he could be shown the door with a few years left on this contract. All we can do now it hope its the former. I think this is the best coach / GM combo I've seen here. It's time to prove it.
With his first draft, he had 4-5 rookies with good participation or very significant contributors. Not a bad start considering Gase was in charge and would not play rookies unless he was absolutely desperate.
When word got out that the renowned evaluators on the famous The Gang Green were upset with Joe Douglas with some calling for his removal, 31 owners of different teams contacted Woody Johnson the same day the story broke to see if this was true and wanting to make an offer for Joe's services.
JD knows 100x more about football and football players than I do but I know 100x more about the Jets and The Curse than he does. I hope we meet in the middle somewhere.
His FA MO seems to be young underachievers and hope they turn things around here. Amazing when it works but so far it hasn't. Davis scares me. Lawson is the only blue chip piece he's added since being here, imo. I put Gore on Gase not JD
They already have a ton of picks. They believe in Wilson, even if you don’t. Wouldn’t been insanely dumb to NOT pick the QB you believe in there.
Anyone who says that Wilson is a spoiled rich kid is clueless and has no idea what they're talking about.
If this is true, then imo JD made a big mistake here. I understand wanting to make sure that Wilson's shoulder is OK, but turning down SF's #1 pick for Sam was nuts. The Jets needed to move on from Sam regardless. IMO JD should have made that trade, then signed Tyrod Taylor or CJ Beathard to start and be insurance if Wilson's shoulder didn't turn out sound. In that way he had his starting QB for 2021, and Wilson could have let Wilson sit and learn this year, or if Wilson's shoulder wasn't sound, he'd still have had his starter this year, Morgan as backup, and could have drafted a QB in 2022 or 2023. That's what happens when you like a player too much as a person and aren't realistic with how he plays. It's not a fatal mistake, but certainly hurts and is not good. With #2, #12 and #23 The Jets could have taken Wilson, a great OL, great WR at #12, then a CB at #23, and could have taken a LB or RB at #34.
I agree with all but the bold, and I don't think we'll ever agree there. IMO rolling with Sam was ever a good option from a playing perspective or the perspective of his contract. You can't pay a QB $23 million (or whatever the correct latest figure is) who has been bad the first 3 years of his career and you're having to rebuild your team pretty much from scratch. Yes the rookie QB can bust, but it's more likely that Sam would not make appreciable improvement, and then you're going to be looking at having to trade up for a QB in a year or two and that would cost a LOT. Sitting there at #2 with a very good, if not great QB draft class, it would have been totally foolish and irresponsible to have rolled with Sam and then drafted a position player at #2 or traded down for picks. Starting with a new CS, it was the right time to get the new QB and design the offense around him and build around him when we have a lot of draft picks this year and next. Keeping Sam would have been like putting lipstick on a pig or a bandaid on terminal cancer. The risks were much greater from every perspective rolling with Sam. IMO JD's mind should have been made up on Sam by the time last season ended. His having to get consensus on everything is a weakness imo. It either shows lack of confidence in his own decision-making or is admitting that he doesn't know what to do, or is trying to cover his ass if the decision goes sideways. I really like JD, have loved most of his moves, and trust him, but this draft will determine whether I continue to trust and like him or not. IMO it will truly show who he is and will make or break him and this team. He finally made the right decision to move on from Sam, and it appears that he is making the right decision to take Wilson. Now we see how he handles the rest of the draft and whether he fixes the OL and focuses on the offense to give Wilson the best chance to succeed, or if he goes a traditional Jets route, and drafts as much, if not more defense than offense.
You can imagine Gase saying to JD, we'll sign Gore and he can tutor the young RB's, he will get the odd rush here and there but I want to focus on Perine *silently in his head 'that you drafted behind my back' Gase to Gore, I'll get you to that 16k total mate, I've got your back, you can repay me 2 yards at a time. Sigh, FU Gase FU
This is not a weakness but good management. You have a new coaching staff you want them to have input and feel like they are part of the team. You get buy in everybody works harder because they feel empowered and have a vested interest in the success of the player.
Bring in a RB that is going to help us have the second worst record and get the #2 pick. Good management indeed.
