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After Jets CEO Chris Johnson and general manager Mike Maccagnan spoke with the media earlier in the week at the NFL owners meetings, head coach Adam Gase had his chance today.
Here are some of the highlights.
Le’Veon Bell has expressed concern in the past about being overused with the Steelers.
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) March 26, 2019
Jets HC Adam Gase said he will be mindful of Bell’s usage: “This is not going to be where we’re going to burn him out in the first six months.”
Adam Gase on Rob Gronkowski’s retirement: “I’ll believe it when I see it.... If he’s really retired, he was a great player in the league. A Hall of Fame player.”
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) March 26, 2019
Gase says Jamison Crowder has “an explosiveness after the catch that you don’t see ... We’ve never had a guy who can juice it up like he can.” #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
Gase says Crowder and Bell can play off each other in the passing game and create favorable matchups. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
Adam Gase at NFL meetings said Jets were "shocked" when C.J. Mosley was available in free agency, and called him "a culture changer."
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) March 26, 2019
Gase obviously is happy Jets landed Bell and Mosley. He said they got "on the offensive side a game changer" and defensively it was "a culture-changing type move."
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) March 26, 2019
Gase on whether it’s fair to expect a playoff berth: “If we stay healthy, I think we’ll be in the right spot at the end of the year. ... We should be in the conversation in December.” #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
The offensive line is a “work in progress,” per Gase. They need a center. He said they need to add bodies to create competition. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
Gase on Enunwa: “We just have to get him the ball.” Wants to create a diverse role for him. Has a “unique ability” to gain YAC. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
Gase on Darnold’s improvement at the end of the year: “He had a different feel.” Says his pocket presence was better, knew when to escape pocket. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
Gase says the “door is never closed” with a player like Josh McCown. Says Trevor Siemian understands his role as No. 2. Gase says he feels “really good” about Siemian as a backup. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
Adam Gase on what Mosley addition means for Darron Lee: “They play different positions.”
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 26, 2019
Gase on the importance of getting an edge rusher (he was around Von Miller and Cam Wake): “You have to find the guys who can rush the passer right.” Says it’s not necessarily about finding one stud rusher. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 26, 2019
As always, have fun reading whichever tea leaves you choose to read.
As for me, it’s good to hear an acknowledgment that the offensive line still needs some work. Perhaps that will calm some of the nerves in the fanbase that came from Mike Maccagnan’s probably untruthful comment from yesterday that the team feels comfortable starting Jonotthan Harrison at center.
The comments on Bell are about as genuine of an insight as you will get from a press conference like this. It sounds like the plan might be to have the back on a pitch count earl in the season, which seems pretty logical.
I don’t really buy the McCown stuff. The door seems pretty clearly shut on him returning as a player. Maybe he will get an entry level coaching or scouting job or something.
The rest of the stuff was mainly coachspeak talking up his guys.