Joe Douglas hemmed and hawed his manner via the inevitable Haason Reddick inquisition. That is his story and he’s sticking to it — no regrets making the commerce and no regrets making it with out getting a signature on the dotted line.
A brand new Jets season is about to start, and it’s about to start with out Haason Reddick.
And so there was Douglas, sending out a message to Reddick on Thursday that sounded very very similar to this:
We would like you.
However we don’t want you.
For his sake, he higher be proper.
Douglas has the leverage for now over an elite go rusher who will flip 30 on Sept. 22 and can’t afford profession suicide in determined pursuit of an extension within the neighborhood of $25 million per season.
However nobody will care about his leverage if his crew ought to stub its toe out of the gate with out Reddick.
By which case Jets followers would abruptly care that for all his speak about clear and direct communication earlier than and instantly after the commerce with the Eagles with Staff Reddick, Douglas spent each waking hour since April 1 opting to not talk with him.
Jets followers won’t abruptly care about Reddick reneging on any verbal settlement and blowing off OTAs and coaching camp.
It’s why Douglas, who understandably should weigh the truth that a few of his different staff will likely be awaiting paydays, ought to do himself a favor and choose up the cellphone and make each try to resolve this deadlock.
“I feel this can all get resolved,” Douglas mentioned.
Douglas threw his Hail Aaron go final 12 months and it fell incomplete, and he’s lucky he will get to throw it once more this 12 months.
Aaron Rodgers, the 40-year-old future first-ballot Corridor of Famer with the rehabilitated 40-year-old Achilles, has the destiny of the Jets regime resting on his 40-year-old proper arm that appears extra like a 30-year-old proper arm within the eyes of head coach Robert Saleh.
Douglas finds himself on the win-or-else sizzling seat as a result of he whiffed twice on Zach Wilson — utilizing the second-overall choose within the 2021 NFL draft on him after which designating him the backup to the 39-year-old future first-ballot Corridor of Famer.
Three strikes and yer out!
We would like you:
“We expect he might help us win video games.”
“We’re gonna be excited to have him when he decides to reach.”
“Everybody right here is gonna welcome him with open arms.”
We don’t want you:
“We now have a very deep room with a number of good gamers. … We nonetheless really feel nice about our D-line depth as a complete.”
“The locker room’s in an outstanding place. Coaching camp was unbelievable. The power, the fervour, the togetherness that the crew exhibits has been fairly outstanding.”
“I really feel like this has been a outstanding coaching camp. I really feel like it is a nice assortment of expertise and character, nearly as good of a set of individuals as I’ve been round in 24 years. I feel it is a nice group to lock arms and journey with.”
Hail Aaron.
“There’s days the place he simply goes on the market and doesn’t miss,” Douglas mentioned.
Douglas has constructed an skilled, veteran offensive line in entrance of Rodgers to raised defend him so he doesn’t miss.
“I’m excited to see the O-line on the market,” Douglas mentioned.
With out Reddick, Douglas will want Will McDonald to take that second-year leap that Jermaine Johnson took a 12 months in the past.
“I feel Will’s had an outstanding camp,” Douglas mentioned. “Will’s coming in on a mission. His expertise are simple. I really feel like can carry some elite athleticism off the sting.”
Douglas and Saleh have been a crew for 4 seasons.
“He’s actually grown into this wonderful chief — he was at all times an incredible chief when he got here in right here,” Douglas mentioned. “Simply the way in which he can talk with individuals and the power he brings every single day. He’s an excellent particular person and an excellent coach.”
The good particular person is an 18-33 coach.
Douglas is 27-56 as a GM.
Does Douglas need Reddick on the sector? After all he does. Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers are gone.
Reddick might not be the one one taking part in with hearth.
