One pitfall the Jets need to avoid as their GM search nears the end
The New York Jets entered this offseason with three of the four most important people a franchise needs to succeed as giant question marks. For any NFL franchise to find success, the owner, GM, head coach and quarterback all need to be at the top of their games. The Jets are already starting a man […]
The New York Jets entered this offseason with three of the four most important people a franchise needs to succeed as giant question marks. For any NFL franchise to find success, the owner, GM, head coach and quarterback all need to be at the top of their games. The Jets are already starting a man down in that regard with Woody Johnson, who I believe is a bottom five owner in the NFL. When it comes to their head coach, the Jets have found their man. Quarterback is a discussion that will need to be addressed soon, but I wouldn’t hold out hope for a savior riding in this year. Which just leaves general manager.
The New York Jets looked as if they were set to hire Lance Newmark, the assistant GM of the Washington Commanders alongside Aaron Glenn, but when Aaron Glenn was announced as the head coach, there was no mention of Newmark as the GM. Reports later surfaced that although they had a second interview with Newmark, more interviews were going to take place. The team informed some candidates Monday that they were moving in a different direction.
The Jets are now bringing in Denver Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey and Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown for a second interview.
Lance Newmark’s assention to the top of the Jets GM list screams “familiarity”. Newmark spent 26 seasons with the Detroit Lions and worked in the same building as Glenn for a few years. In this day and age of NFL football, entirely too much emphasis is put on “a good working relationship”.
I don’t care one bit about a good working relationship between a coach and a GM, at least when it comes to the hiring process. I want the best man for the job regardless of how much he has worked with the coach previously. The head coach and GM both have jobs to do, and the fact that they are familiar with each other prior to being hired for those jobs is irrelevant to me.
Yes, a GM and a head coach do need to work in tandem as they look to build a successful franchise, but a prior relationship should have zero bearing on who gets the job. The Jets need to hire the best person for the job, not the one who gets along with Aaron Glenn the best or the one who has known Aaron Glenn the longest. It is a pitfall the Jets have fallen into before when they brought in Joe Douglas because of his relationship with then head coach, Adam Gase.
The head coach’s job is to coach the players on the roster and the GM’s job is to construct the best possible team that coincides with the coach’s vision. Why would I want one to be good at his job and the other to be his buddy? I want the one that best coach on the field, and the best talent evaluator on the executive floors. It is their job to work together, regardless of a prior working relationship.
As the Jets get ready to make their hire for GM, I hope that they don’t forget that talent wins in the NFL, not relationships.
Potential New York Jets offensive coordinators for 2025 after decision to hire Aaron Glenn as their head coach
It’s an extremely important decision
