Entering his fourth season as general manager of the New York Jets, Joe Douglas has put in the work with overhauling the roster. Now’s the time, however, for results where it matters most.
Forget about the 3-0 preseason, it’s time for football where the games count. For the Jets, it’s the beginning of the next chapter in the Douglas regime.
The first year as general manager was the evaluation phase for Douglas. His next two seasons were about laying the foundation and doubling down on the team’s culture. Now, with an influx of young talent brought in — led by their second-year head coach Robert Saleh –, the time for talk is over.
No, the Jets are not a championship contender yet. There are still more bricks to lay in that foundation before we have that conversation. What the Jets are, however, are a team with enough talent where they should have their fan base justified in believing the franchise is ready for the next step.
For this type of talk to even become worthy of your September and October Monday morning water cooler talk, the Jets must first position themselves for meaningful games in November and December.
Douglas is aware of this and, therefore, the goal is clear.
“The goal is to play meaningful games down the stretch,” Douglas told the media Wednesday.
Playoffs… Playoffs??…
Coming off a 4-13 season, there’s still work to be done before entering the postseason chat room. It’ll be difficult, but not impossible.
This means the last two draft classes for Douglas, 2021 and 2022, must take significant steps forward this season. It starts with the No. 2 overall pick of the 21’ draft, quarterback Zach Wilson.
When Wilson returns from the injured list, Week 1 is still up in the air, the pressure will be on for him to show he’s ready to lead the Jets towards meeting their goal.
When Douglas picked Wilson to be his franchise quarterback, it was equivalent to pushing all the chips to the center of the table. The Jets are all-in on Wilson, their hopes of becoming a playoff team hinge on his development.
The pieces placed around Wilson indicate the time is now for the Jets to take the next step.
The run game features second-year Michael Carter and rookie Breece Hall at running back. The passing game projects to feature second-year wide receiver Elijah Wilson and rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Additionally, cornerback Sauce Gardner and edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and Michael Clemons are rookies Douglas and Saleh are banking on to bring meaningful impact to the defense.
If the Jets are to reach their goal this season of playing meaningful football down the stretch, the future is now.
Anthony Rushing is on Twitter @TonyRushingNY
Baseline Sports NY is on Twitter @Baseline_NY
