New York Jets GM Joe Douglas endorses Adam Gase: 'Everything I’ve seen has been outstanding'
Adam Gase received a vote of confidence from New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas on Monday, the embattled head coach seemingly with the support of management ahead of the start of training camp.
In a Monday afternoon conference call with the media, Douglas heaped praise upon Gase, who led the Jets to a 7-9 record in 2019, his first season with the organization. Jamal Adams, traded by the Jets this past weekend, criticized Gase last Friday as being out of touch and aloof.
“I especially believe in coach Gase, I feel he’s the right coach to lead this team,” Douglas said on a conference call with the media on Monday afternoon. “Having watched him work last year, having seen him and his staff overcame a 1-7 start and finish the way we did. I feel really good about where we are with him and his leadership.”
Douglas also praised a team that “is ready to care the momentum from a 6-2 finish into 2020.”
Part of the criticism from Adams a week ago stems from Gase’s intense personality which has had its fair share of critics over the years in his other stops as a head coach and as an offensive coordinator. He was instantly an unpopular hire last offseason among Jets fans given that he wasn’t a big name and that he had limited success as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in his previous coaching stop.
None of that seems to matter much to Douglas who appears to be on-board with the direction of the Jets, again noting the team’s character and development in overcoming a slow start to have a solid finish to the season.
“I’ve seen Adam go through a 1-7 start, a coach who never lost patience, who never wavered from his beliefs,” Douglas said. “A guy who would get up and have the tough conversations with players if he had to. Who would get up and have great communication with players in meetings. Everything I’ve seen, I’ve witnessed in my year here with Adam, I’ve been impressed by. I can’t speak for other people but everything I’ve seen has been outstanding.”
JETS NOTES
--> On the Jets trade of All-Pro safety Jamal Adams this past Saturday, Douglas said that a number of teams in addition to the Seattle Seahawks were interested in the player. He praised general manager John Schneider in pushing the deal across the finish line.
The Jets sent Adams and a fourth round pick in 2022 to the Seahawks for starting safety Bradley McDouglad, a 2021 first round pick, a 2021 third round pick and a 2022 first round pick.
“They were aggressive in their pursuit of him. The conversations with John were first class, the communication was great,” Douglas said. “We were able to work it all out.”
--> One sticking point from the Adams saga clearly rubbed Douglas the wrong way. Before opening up to questions on the conference call, Douglas made several remarks and ended with a defense of his handling of Adams and the contract situation.
Adams, in the fourth year of his five-year rookie contract, had said that the Jets failed to make him a new contract offer after supposedly promising at the end of the season that they would do so this offseason.
“I never promised an offer to Jamal or his agent,” Douglas said. “Nor was I ever dishonest or ambiguous with their camp.”
