Joe Douglas Update

The Jets are officially looking for GM. We knew they would be, but the search got off to a slow start. They are now lining up candidates, and it is no surprise that Joe Douglas is one of them.

The #Jets have added two more names to their GM request list: #Vikings assistant GM George Paton and #Seahawks Co-Director of Player Personnel Scott Fitterer were requested, source said. They join Joe Douglas (#Eagles) and Champ Kelly (#Bears) on NYJ’s list so far.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 26, 2019

Adding to a report @RapSheet the #Jets have asked for permission to talk with #Eagles VP of player personel for their GM opening. I’m told unless Jets give Douglas final say on players the Eagles would not let him go and Joe Douglas would not take the job. @SportsRadioWIP

— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) May 24, 2019

Should the Jets want Douglas? Should he want the Jets?

Douglas is a respected scout and personnel executive. He has never run his own show, but he’s learned under a variety of good executives so he is likely as ready as he’ll ever be. Some team will take a chance on him in the near future if the Jets don’t now.

As for the Jets job, that is a complicated subject. If Douglas and I were to sit down to have some PBRs and Funyons, I would offer him this simple advice. Do you trust Jets ownership? If so, take the job. If not, stay put.

Jeffrey Lurie may not be perfect, but he gives his coaches and executives every chance to succeed. They can have big staffs. They can use whatever technology they want. No expense is spared. No stone is left unturned.

If you don’t have strong ownership, you are fighting an uphill battle. You can have some short term success, but you won’t sustain it. Would any GM candidate with a good resume want to go work for Daniel Snyder? He’s an extreme example, but Douglas has to really think long and hard about Jets ownership.

Will they give him a real chance to succeed?

Plenty of owners have their own ideas of how a team should be built or what moves need to be made. The good ones trust their coaches and executives and just offer their opinions. The bad ones use their authority to push their ideas. Douglas has seen the good side of things in Baltimore and Philly. I just don’t know if the Jets would be the same way.

I don’t expect this to drag out too long. Just going off my gut feel right now, I’m thinking Douglas stays in Philly. Something just feels off about the Jets situation and Douglas has a strong enough reputation that he will get other offers in the future. He’s not just a Flavor of the Month guy.

*****

Jimmy Bama wrote about the Eagles who are over 30 or older.

There was a time when Joe Banner’s head would have exploded if you told him the Eagles had 9 guys 30 or older on the roster.

But football has changed. Players take better care of their bodies. Teams do amazing things with Sports Science to keep players playing longer.

Still, you don’t want too many old guys. Football is a young man’s game. Jason Peters is 37 and is likely playing his final season. The other players are mostly 30 and 31. That’s not a big deal in today’s NFL.

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