[ad_1]
The Jets introduced Rex Ryan as their head coach 12 years ago on January 21, 2009. It was the day after a presidential inauguration. He wondered if he was going to leave his quarterback.
Twelve years later, the Jets will introduce Robert Saleh as head coach Thursday at 2 p.m. ET. It’s the day after another grand opening, and Saleh will be answering questions about his quarterback plan.
Ryan won the press conference that day. He said the Jets would meet with newly-elected President Obama soon, and Ryan breathed life into an organization and fan base that was turned off by his predecessor, Eric Mangini.
Saleh has a chance to do the same on Thursday. Jets fans and the organization are hungry for change after two years of loss under Adam Gase, who lost his introductory press conference. Saleh has a chance to energize the Jets universe on Thursday.
Like everything else in these times, it will be different. Saleh will not speak to a room full of reporters. Instead, it will speak on a Zoom call, looking at a computer screen. Still, it’s an important day for Saleh and the Jets. Here are the questions we would like answers to:
Questions to Saleh
What is your assessment of Sam Darnold?
The question of the quarterback will dominate the offseason. Saleh is believed to be a fan of Darnold, but the team must decide if it would be smarter to move on. Expect Saleh to speak in praise of Darnold, but don’t make any promises.
Will you call the defense?
How far are the Jets from being a competitor?
The fans have lost patience. It’s been 10 years without the playoffs and five consecutive losing seasons. Saleh needs to deliver his plan and vision for how he’s going to get the franchise out of this funk and how fast he can do it.
The Jets set out to find a CEO coach who would oversee the entire team. They felt that Gase was too invested in his offense and ignored the defense. Can Saleh be that CEO coach and still make the defensive calls, or will he drop calls to an assistant coach? It’s a balancing act for a coordinator promoted to head coach. The reason Saleh became a head coach candidate was his defensive prowess. But a head coach has to oversee everything.
Questions for CEO / Chairman Christopher Johnson
Will the organizational structure change?
The Jets have had their head coach and GM both reporting to the owner since 2015, rather than having the head coach under the GM. It seems to be driving fans crazy for some reason. Johnson said they would consider changing it. Now we’ll find out if they will.
Why will this time be any different?
This will be the seventh head coach the Johnsons have hired since purchasing the team 21 years ago. Some, like Ryan and Herm Edwards, have had modest success. Others, like Gase and Todd Bowles, have been failures. Why should fans believe they got it right this time? What differentiates Saleh from their previous hires?
When is Woody Johnson coming back to the team?
Woody Johnson has spent the last few days saying goodbye to the UK on Twitter. His tenure as US ambassador to the UK ended on Wednesday when the new administration was sworn in. But no one around the Jets has said how quickly he will take over the team. Will we have that answer on Thursday?
Questions to GM Joe Douglas
What’s your plan for the quarterback?
This is the biggest question Douglas faces, but don’t expect a straightforward answer. He can’t talk about Deshaun Watson, who is under contract with the Texans. He won’t talk about draft picks. Expect him to praise Darnold and dance around whatever is final.
How much will Saleh weigh on the staff?
When the search for a coach began, Douglas said he wanted a partner. This means Saleh should have a say in the team members. It will be a collaborative effort, with Douglas keeping the final say on the 53-player roster.
How aggressive will you be in free will?
The Jets are expected to have over $ 70 million in salary space. The team has holes all over the list. Douglas was a Conservative last year in Free Will. Will he be more of a free spender this year? Saleh is in desperate need of an improvement in his talents if he is to be more successful than Gase.
[ad_2]
Source link