I got to take a break from this board. The things ya'll bitch about Is wild. We are seriously complaining about Sauce and Garrett Wilson now? Yeah.. I'll see you guys this offseason. Jesus.
I'm on the fence right now. Not super comfortable giving a letter grade. Its year three, and he has assembled a 7 win team. Its hard for me to look past that. Ultimately, you're judged on wins and losses. His record as Jets GM is not good. If you want to put the lionshare of the blame on coaching, that is JDs responsibility as well. On the other hand, if you told me before the season the Jets would have 7 wins, I'd have been very surprised, and probably would have considered it a success. Looking at the season now, its hard to consider it successful. His 2022 draft has yielded at least two elite players in Sauce and G. Wilson. If Breece comes back healthy thats a third. If he can build upon that in 2023, I think the sky is the limit for this team.
after the performances of garrett wilson, breece, JJ, sauce, and mitchell. it's hard not to give him an A
Haha - I have to agree; Sauce and Wilson were the two best draft picks the Jets have had since the draft they got Brick & Mangold. He’s fleeced a few teams on trades for draft capital that has been key as well. The Zach Wilson pick wasn’t great - but he’s done more than enough good we’re he’s part of the solution and not the problem. The coaching staff, however, I’d be fine to clean house there. And I know that JD picked Salah.
Upon further reflection I changed my grade to C/C+. Yes, the team is much better than it was when he arrived, and the talent has been upgraded, but there are still big holes, especially regarding the OL, LB, and of course QB. These are too big to ignore or accept as something we fans need to show patience for. While I was happy he took Wilson at #2 that pick has not worked out, nor does it look like it will any time soon. Although I was sure Zach would succeed - and still believe he might one day - my assessment was based upon the data, knowledge, and experience that an ordinary fan possesses. I have nowhere near the level of those things that a GM with years of NFL experience in personnel matters has, nor did I have any say in who they hired as HC and the rest of CS. Douglas did. He had hired a defensive minded guy who had never been a HC at any level, and allowed him to pick an OC with no prior experience in that job, and then went ahead and selected a QB with a very high ceiling, but also a low floor if he wasn't developed properly. And here we are. Douglas can't simply wash his hands of that. Moreover, he's responsible for hiring very limited backup talent behind Wilson thus forcing him to start before he was anywhere near ready. If he didn't know how to development a young, raw QB, he should've traded the pick for a bundle. He didn't. That's on him. Also, the OL is still a mess. How can that be when Joe himself played OL in college and has years of experience evaluating talent? Yes there were injuries that couldn't be predicted, and other factors, but the bottom line is the OL is still a major problem. That's on him. When I objectively weigh all of this, to me he's at best a C+, maybe a C-. Not necessarily a firing grade, but he'd better make some major improvements in these areas by next year or then he should be gone.
Totals W=20, L= 45 ... winning % lowest .125 to highest .438 4 years, frm 2019. Grade F To be fair, talent wise, we can say he has improved the team. He did say that they should be playing meaninful games in dec and for the most part they have BUT his selection of this CS is now causing him consternation to the point where, I believe, his seat is now warm.... As others have stated he has wiffed on QB. For all his efforts the OL is still a mess and since 7-2 this CS is proving that they are failing to kept players motivated... i.r., team has come out flat in two straight games, one of which was for a PO spot....NOT GOOD! Unless Woody gets one of the big two and cleans house, I am afaird that this CS - OC/DC will remaing and some of the positions coaches will go. gents if the latter happens, 2023 will be another .438 season if we are lucky.
The thing that strikes me, reading the comments on all these polls, is how little people understand the roles of the GM, & the coordinators. JD's blamed for Zach, and yes, since he's the Kahuna, if Zach ultimately fails it's on him. But in reality, JD's job is to get MLF & Saleh the players they want, & they were big on Zach... the decision was a collective decision. If ya watch "Flight 2021" on YT, you see MLF & Saleh discussing Zach b4 the draft, b4 the pick, & after the pick... they were delirious about his fit for their scheme, his accuracy, etc. As for coordinators, so many don't get that MLF is responsible for a lot more than scheme, gameplan, & playcalling. He's responsible for developing players, especially high draft picks; getting the players to execute his scheme, while also adjusting his scheme to players' skills, & adjusting the scheme if players' continue to have problems executing said scheme. So, MLF was hot on Zach, & failed to coordinate the development of Zach, as well as not tailoring his scheme around Zach's skills. You watch Zach in college, on Pro-day etc, & you see him brimming with confidence. Now, he's been beaten down, & while so many love to bash the 23-yr-old kid as a failure, I see an organization that failed him. Which gets me back to JD. My problem with JD is not that he drafted Zach, as he was doing his job, but that he allowed an inexperienced, somewhat questionable bunch of characters, to lead the team forward. Ok, you hired Saleh (I was a Daboll guy) & he chose MLF. You invest your prized #2 pick on Zach. And after the one experienced QB guy on the team, unfortunately died, you were ok with leaving his development to a bunch of inexperienced characters. THAT is JD's failure. So, while I'm generally happy with the trades, & talent he's brought to the team, & still ok with him to continue as GM, I need to see him force Saleh to bring in some experienced NFL brains, to teach/help his inexperienced HC, become a successful NFL HC. For anyone interested in hearing the organization's thought process in drafting Zach, here's an interesting read, with some links to "Flight 2021" on YT... https://heavy.com/sports/new-york-jets/flight2021-why-jets-drafted-zach-wilson/ .
Good post. This is why I always have given JD a pass on that 2020 draft. That was Gase’s system and his input. Obviously Zach hurts 21 but there were still some good picks there and 22 looks like a home run. I do have to question the wisdom of hiring a defensive coach and having a barely 30 OC with zero play calling experience when you knew you were likely selecting a qb though.
GM is a funny business. If JD hits on the Zach pick and misses a good portion of the rest, he could still cop an "A-". But, if he misses on Zach and hits on most of the rest, he can take home a "C-" and end up hearing all kinds of shit from his old school old man. Far from being a final grade, JD deserves a solid "B" at this juncture. Assembling a competent QB/OL playoff combo could propel JD onto the illustrious Jets honor roll. Asking the question: Will Zach be the hill JD's grade dies on? Don't think so. JD has positioned enough reinforcements to absorb what is, more and more, looking like a Zach misfire, which all Jet fans are accustomed to by now.
I'd love to hear JD's thinking in why he hired Saleh. It was interesting seeing how much MLF & Saleh (& the scouts) loved Zach, in those "Flight 2021" videos... yet failed to implement any developmental plan for him.
The jets organization did not "fail" Zach Wilson. The jets organization, i.e. Douglas, failed to understand how one year (and only one year) of college success against a creampuff schedule would translate into the NFL for a short, fifteen year old look alike QB who can't read a defense or throw an accurate slant pass at less than 100mph. What is not being mentioned is that Douglas messed up TWO consecutive number 1 picks in a row (out of three total) How is the WORLD Douglas could/did not foresee Bechton's weight and Zach's (lack of) competition (during his ONLY decent year) in college as red flags is beyond me. Oh, and he was only given a few MONTHS to prepare for those drafts and several million to make the decisions.
B plus Douglas put together a good team this season. Breece and AVT going down shifted everything, but he did what he was suppose to do. We were just unfortunate, outplayed, and severely outcoached down the stretch. Joe D better fix this QB situation though. Another year of this musical chairs shit at this position won't be tolerated. And get a damn edge rusher.
At least read my post, before just repeating what you imagine. I repeat, the GM's job is to give the HC the players he wants. The entire organization.. the HC, the OC, & all the scouts, ALL wanted Zach. JD did his job, & gave them what they wanted. MLF mentions in the video Zach's quick decision-making, etc. Then after Greg Knapp died, he failed, by not insisting his HC hire an experienced QB coach to mentor Zach. .
The results from the rookies this year, I'll give Joe an A. Crazy that Garrett Wilson has 1,000 yards his rookie season. Sauce was amazing for a rookie. And I'm sure Breece could have been a 1,000 yard rusher if he didn't get hurt. If you add up all the other Seasons, then his career is C+ at best.
Jet roster is light years better. He needs to improve on that. Lots of work to do but he is the best GM we have had in a while.
I appreciate your insight, but, frankly, not sure I understand it. You seem to absolve Douglas from the total disaster of a pick (Zach at number 2 overall) because, according to you, the HC and everyone else in the jets organization wanted Zach Wilson to be the choice. Is that right? Well, I always understood the GM was the top of the food chain and had the final say over the draft choices. Your theory that the GM is supposed to just listen to the coach and his minions on who THEY want and draft accordingly is new to me. Makes my wonder why the jets are paying Douglas millions if he is just supposed to ask the coach/staff who they prefer on draft day. No offense, but that is NOT my understanding of a GM's job, and gives immunity to any GM making a poor choice (like Douglas did on Becton and Zach in consecutive years). Not saying Douglas should be fired now, but based upon the Becton and Zach Wilson picks, and some free agent busts like Laken Tomlinson ($40M), I would NOT give Douglas an extension when his contract runs out. IMO that foolish Zach Wilson pick at #2 overall has/will set the jets back BIG TIME. SOJAZ, Ouchy, and I posted repeatedly before the 2021 draft NOT to take Zach Wilson. We could have secured a bonanza of picks for that draft slot, and now we got SQUAT! Nothing but Zach who we couldn't GIVE away now, and his cap hit which will hurt us even further if we cut/move him (which we should). A TERRIBLE PICK BY DOUGLAS THE YEAR AFTER HE MADE A TERRIBLE PICK ON BECTON!!!!! And, yes, they were HIS picks, since he is paid to make the decision.
Both the Sauce and Wilson points are silly. Wilson profiles like Justin Jefferson but isn’t a big bodied receiver. Do you not want a Justin Jefferson type? Receiver is now a premium NFL position. Same with corner. We got two studs. Otherwise, we shouldn’t have traded up. The Jermaine Johnson one really irks me.
I don't know why anyone would take a marketing puff piece from the Jets organization as any type of validation for the poor decisions that have been made. Of course the team will not be preparing a follow up post mortem on why Flight 2021 went down in flames but the simple failure to recognize Wilson's inability to make timely accurate reads and deliver the ball on target was at its root. I'm not the only one here who questioned that primary facet of quarterbacking but why didn't the professionals? It's almost as if the guy someone important wanted was selected then the justification was created to draft him; kind of like in the movies when the cops zero in on a suspect and then do everything they can do convict him while any evidence pointing elsewhere is ignored.
If the Jets were "severely outcoached," which I believe they were, that's on Joe Douglas - he doesn't get a pass on the staff that he put in place and left virtually unchanged since they got here.
