NFL insider notes on Jets GM Joe Douglas' tenure: ”Disastrous” draft, rift with Woody Johnson, and more
The New York Jets continue to do what they do best: make dysfunction look normal. As the franchise closes out Year 15 of their three-year rebuilding plan, they announced the firing of Joe Douglas on Tuesday. This of course comes on the heels of the firing of head coach Robert Saleh, who was let go six weeks ago. So what’s next for Gang Green? And will it make a difference?
When Douglas was hired by Woody Johnson in 2019, hopes were high. A former offensive lineman at the University of Richmond, Douglas was reared by a very successful Baltimore Ravens organization, spending 15 years with the franchise as a scout beginning in 2000. After a short stint with the Chicago Bears, he joined another great franchise, the Philadelphia Eagles, working under then-executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman. Douglas won Super Bowl rings with both teams, two with the Ravens in 2001 and 2013 and one with the Eagles in 2018.
Douglas was hired by the Jets in 2019 after the team fired then-general manager Mike Maccagnan barely 10 days after the draft that year. Hence hopes were high for Douglas with such an impressive resume.
Yet his run was anything but successful.
While the 2022 draft was a special one, as Douglas selected stars like Sauce Gardner, Garrett Willson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall, the other drafts, like many of his free-agent signings, waffled from hit and miss to outright disastrous.
His first draft as Jets general manager in 2020 resulted in next to nothing. Mekhi Becton, the 11th pick of the draft that year, never panned out after a terrific rookie season and was in Robert Salah’s doghouse from Day 1. Denzel Mims, the second-round choice, was run out of town. The next year, Douglas took Zach Wilson with the second pick of the draft, a selection that turned into a complete embarrassment.
There were some hits along the way. Offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, selected with the 14th pick in 2021, is a good player when healthy. Will McDonald, a surprise first-round pick a year later, was having a dominant season this year until he was slowed by a shoulder injury.
Running back Braelon Allen and linebacker Jamien Sherwood, as well as defensive backs Michael Carter and Brandin Echols, were all quality Day 3 picks.
Yet the bottom line is the New York Jets never had a winning record during Douglas’ tenure, and he leaves with a cumulative mark of 30-64.
So what path will owner Woody Johnson take next?
As mentioned soon after Johnson fired Saleh, the hot name already circulating for a general manager job this offseason is Mike Borgonzi, presently assistant general manager with the Kansas City Chiefs. Borgonzi has been with the Chiefs for 16 years, initially starting with the franchise as college scouting administrator back in 2009.
The other name league insiders say to keep an eye on is Trey Brown, presently senior personnel executive with the Cincinnati Bengals. Brown interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders for their open general manager position last year and was also on the New England Patriots’ short list of names for the same position. Ironically Brown, who played defensive back at UCLA, worked for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2018, and Joe Douglas was with the franchise during part of that time.
Yet will hiring a new general manager change anything in Florham Park? As someone who has followed the Jets closely for more than 40 years, my answer is a resounding no.
As well as his fanbase, Johnson is not well-liked in many areas of the league, and people continue to tell me he’s out of his element making football moves and compounds one fateful decision after another. Johnson told reporters he believed interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich would spark the Jets the day he fired Robert Saleh. The team is 1-5 since Ulbrich took over. For several years now people have told me Joe Douglas was telling people behind the scenes he was not a fan of Woody Johnson.
Somehow Johnson keeps offensive line coach Keith Carter on the staff. I reported from Shrine Bowl practices in 2023, a lot of eyebrows were raised when the Jets hired Carter in January of that year. One league source told me at the time that Saleh and Douglas had a “death wish” when they hired Carter, who does not have the greatest of reputation amongst players. There were rumors Carter would be fired after last season, but the Jets kept him around. And despite an early first-round pick used at offensive tackle and free-agent signings this past offseason, the offensive line is still a trainwreck.
The Johnsons have made several blunders at the top of the franchise, which is why the team continues to be in disarray. And as I reported this past February, most point to the hiring of Hymie Elhai as the club’s president as a large part of the problem. The Johnsons went the comfort route, hiring Elhai who’s been with the organization for almost a quarter-century and was elevated to the position of after holding numerous jobs with the Jets. As one source told me about Elhai, who was largely involved in the hiring of Douglas and Saleh, “The Johnsons hired their coffee boy. Rather than bringing in a football person from the outside who would make the difficult decisions or say what needed to be said, no matter how uncomfortable it may sound, they hired someone who would tell them exactly what they wanted to hear.” It’s not a coincidence the Jets record since Elhai took over as team president is the same as Douglas, 30-64.
In an article just a few weeks ago, I mentioned the overwhelming belief in the league is that Johnson must cede power and bring in someone who will push back against his wishes and whim and run the entire show; and no one believes that’s going to happen.
The Jets need a complete housecleaning, and few believe starting over with just a new general manager will change the fortunes of the New York Jets in the near future.