Report Misses Key Facts About Jets' Front Office
Is there a power struggle going on inside the halls of 1 Jets Drive?
Tony Pauline's latest report on Sportskeeda pulled back the curtain even more surrounding the New York Jets front office that first began two weeks ago in a scathing story by The Athletic.
In a different twist to The Athletic's reporting, Pauline cited sources outside the organization that stressed concern regarding Jets general manager Joe Douglas being "too nice for his own good" and claiming he "acquiesces to the wants of (head coach) Robert Saleh too much."
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While Pauline does target Saleh's struggles as a head coach, Sportskeeda's report dives more into the struggles Douglas had with former assistant general manager Rex Hogan, and deflecting to owner Woody Johnson when the latter makes his appearance in everyday football conversations.
On the Jake Asman Show Friday afternoon, hours after his piece was publicized, Pauline made it clear that while Johnson is not a hands-on owner like Jerry Jones, the issues the Jets have currently lead many around the league to think of them as a dysfunctional group.
"It's an organization situation," Pauline said. "It's not just one person. It starts at the top. I go back to, the Jets turned it around in 1997 by bringing Bill Parcells in and he cleaned everything out. They had instant success. When you talk to people around the league, it's just an entire organizational mess."
Those people around the league may be missing the entire point when discussing the Jets, though. In one of the key points from Pauline's article, the belief was that Douglas defers to Saleh when it comes to roster construction at times.
This is not uncommon across NFL circles, and to think it is missing key points in how championship teams are built. In every draft process, head coaches SHOULD have a large opinion taken on players they want their team to draft. While not always possible, the general manager can use their suggestions to great effect.
When Kyle Shanahan has a player he really likes in the draft or free agency, it's not outlandish to think San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch listens to him. The same goes for other GM-head coach partnerships in Philadelphia, Dallas, Kansas City, and other major markets.
What makes Saleh having that relationship with Douglas wrong, then?
This isn't the only instance from Pauline's sources that leaves some confused. Another instance is the highlight of team President Hymie Elhai being a "coffee boy" to the Johnson family and behind the hiring of both Douglas and Saleh.
Pauline's sources say that Elhai being a member of the Jets for 25 years and being promoted was a bad thing. The team should've hired a "football person" to be president.
This isn't Major League Baseball, though. A fact that these sources tend to forget. Most presidents of football franchises do not have much say in the day-to-day processes of roster construction. An example of this is Philadelphia Eagles president Don Smolenski - former CFO of the team before being promoted in 2012.
Smolenski did not have a "football" background similar to Elhai.
Why is it suddenly an issue that a team's president needs to be a part of the everyday football operations? That's just not how most organizations work in this league. Even with the report that Elhai was instrumental in bringing in Douglas and Saleh - NFL sources seem to have trouble with hindsight in the hiring process back in 2019 and 2021.
At the time of both Douglas' and Saleh's hiring, most NFL circles were commending both selections by New York. Douglas came from a scouting and executive background with top franchises like Philadelphia and Baltimore. Saleh was in charge of one of the best modern defenses in football and was considered an excellent leader of men.
To say that Elhai's decision to push the Douglas-Saleh is a sign of a non-football decision-maker missing on key hirings is a convenient re-write of history.
That's where many are left with Pauline's well-written piece. This is not to question the validity of the reporter's sources. The Draft expert cited on Asman's show Friday that he had to re-write his story and get new sources following the Athletic's piece in January.
But just because there are those outside and inside organizations that are upset over the structure the Jets currently have, doesn't mean those sources are correct.
Does New York need to address the offensive line once again this offseason, and the fact that we are five years into the Douglas tenure with the same concerns is bad? Of course. But does that mean the Jets have a poor process when it comes to the draft or coaching search? That remains to be seen.
It's not uncommon for a general manager to work hand in hand with a head coach - that's the most important relationship behind the quarterback-play-caller on offense for a franchise. It's also wrong to assume "football minds" must only have major executive positions including president.
There are several reasons why the Jets have not made the playoffs in Douglas or Saleh's tenure. As Pauline correctly states, it's not just one reason or person that is at the forefront of those concerns.
But to think that a 7-10 team cannot fix the necessary needs in a league that sees turnarounds happen for bad teams every year, it's odd to assume that the structure of the organization is the biggest problem.
