Most Jets fans were clear about their desire for the team to go from 0 to 16 once it became clear that the 2020 season was going nowhere. They dreamed of the No. 1 pick in the draft and Clemson star Trevor Lawrence. Then, the Jets got a shocking 23-20 victory over the Rams on December 20 and the No. 1 pick was in Jacksonville.
Celebrated players and coaches. The fans smoked. But what about CEO Joe Douglas, who would have been the one to make that selection for Lawrence?
“I was happy for these guys,” Douglas said Tuesday. “These guys never backed down. The week before we had flown to Seattle and it was a bad thing. Your thought process was: how will these guys respond? Flying to the west coast, playing a great team at the LA Rams and basically leading from start to finish, I was very proud of the way these guys fought. They never backed down. I know how to be in the locker room with how much joy and excitement there was in these guys. There was no one on this team, no one in this organization who wanted to go from 0 to 16 and have that scarlet letter on their resume for the rest of their career. “
This win makes Douglas ’job harder this offseason. Instead of the easy decision to make Lawrence, he now has to think about whether to take a quarterback at No. 2 like Justin Fields or Zach Wilson or continue with Sam Darnold.
Jets president and president Christopher Johnson said Monday that the team is looking for a coach to lead the entire team, a “CEO” type coach. But what if that coach also wants to control the staff? This is currently Douglas’ domain.
“I think that’s a good question to ask Christopher,” Douglas said. “Ultimately, I think we are looking for a great partner who gets here, who works hand in hand. Let’s close our arms and try to turn this thing around. I think that’s the quality we’re looking for. “
Johnson said Monday that the team would consider changing its organizational structure to get the new coach report to GM instead of having them equal to the property.
“For me, it’s about the person,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. I just want to attract the right person, the right leader for the job. “
Douglas said the team wants to regain the safety of Marcus Maye, who may become a free agent in March. Douglas said it is a priority.
Douglas said he has not spoken to LB CJ Mosley, who chose not to participate this season, but has four years left on the contract he signed with the Jets in 2019. Douglas said he will bill Mosley soon.
Douglas on whether he regrets negotiating Jamal Adams’ safety with the Seahawks: “I’m glad Jamal has a chance to compete in the playoffs. I wish you success. I would say we didn’t look in the rearview mirror once we made the decision about Jamal and we are excited about what we were able to receive for him. Now it’s up to us to find the right players with the resources we have acquired in the trade “.