Sunday marks 660 days since the Jets hired Joe Douglas as general manager.
As of June 7, 2019, Douglas has made major changes to the list, but he still feels that he has not yet put his stamp on the Jets. In some ways, he still feels like he’s new to work. The biggest move so far has been a drop, not an addition: the trade with Jamal Adams last summer.
That is about to change.
It becomes clear that Douglas is about to take BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with general election no. 2 in this year’s NFL draft and pass from Sam Darnold.
It’s a move that will strongly dictate how the next few years – and possibly more – will go for Jete. It is a move that will define Douglas’ mandate. It is a move that comes with a lot of risk and will have devastating effects on the Jets and Douglas if he makes a mistake.
That six-year contract he received two years ago is not a lifelong meeting. At some point, the Jets have to win at Douglas. I’m 9-23 in his two years with the team. At that time, former GM Mike Maccagnan and former coach Adam Gase were most to blame for that record from fans and the media. However, those days were approaching. Maccagnan’s influence on the list will be felt for another year. Gase was replaced by Robert Saleh, who was chosen by Douglas.
Now, it looks like he’s going to recruit his defender. It is possible, of course, for the Jets to decide to stay with Darnold, but all indications are that they are ready to move on. That’s what people in the whole league have been whispering for weeks. Douglas, Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur made the trip to Provo, Utah, on Friday to watch Wilson throw during BYU’s professional day, in a presentation of how serious they are about the defender.
Then the 49ers and Eagles made trades that indicated they knew the Jets were going to take Wilson to No. 2. San Francisco rose to No. 3 and apparently didn’t even make them a Jets offer, probably because knew the Jets’ plans are already set. The Eagles would have moved to 3rd place, but only to recruit Wilson. Philadelphia has decided to return at 12, probably knowing that Wilson will not be there after the Jets pick.
The 49ers and Eagles are two teams with close ties to the Jets Brass. Saleh and LaFleur just spent four years with the 49ers. Douglas was an executive at the Eagles before taking on the Jets job. Those teams probably know what the Jets think better than most.
If the choice is Wilson, the move comes with a higher risk than any other Douglas has done here. He was usually satisfied with basic and double shots, but this is a swing for fences. If it works, he’ll be Babe Ruth. If he fails, he will look younger than Dr. Ruth.
Wilson, 21, is not a slam dunk. A year ago, it would have been ridiculous to think of him as number 2. Wilson had 11 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions in his 2019 season and entered a competition for the starting position last year. . But after dropping 33 landing passes and being intercepted three times in 2020, he launched sketches. There are questions about the level of competition he has faced and has already undergone shoulder surgery.
As the Jets saw when they recruited Darnold in 2018, it is embarrassing to choose the wrong defender. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson proved to be better players than Darnold in the first three seasons. The Jets, in Wilson’s choice, would risk Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones becoming stars.
Then there’s Darnold. If he goes to another team and the potential we’ve seen takes a look at the full production, Douglas could be red.
The first two years of Douglas’ tenure felt like they were building at this point, when he could make his own Jets lists. The next two years will be defined by how this decision works.