:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63842487/usa_today_10239880.0.jpg)
Jets CEO Chris Johnson spoke with the press this afternoon after the team fired general manager Mike Maccagnan today.
Here are some of the highlights with my thoughts.
Christopher Johnson: “There’s never a good time to make a decision like this.” #nyj
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) May 15, 2019
My Take: There might not be a good time to do this, but May after allowing the general manager to spend a record amount of money and run the Draft seems like an exceptionally poor time to do this.
Christopher Johnson: "This isn't a decision I could make at the end of the season." He said by "diving deeper" into the organization during the offseason, he realized a change needed to be made. #Jets
— Dennis Waszak Jr. (@DWAZ73) May 15, 2019
My Take: This is truly a remarkable statement. Chris Johnson is this team’s CEO. His job is to have a handle on the important issues facing this franchise at all times. His finger certainly should have been on the pulse enough to know whether he wanted to continue with a general manager BEFORE such a consequential offseason. This statement is essentially an admission he wasn’t doing his job during the 2018 season.
Christopher Johnson says he thinks the #Jets did “a great job” this offseason.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) May 15, 2019
“But this is more than Mike, more than Adam. This is about this team moving forward”
My Take: If the Jets did such a great job, Johnson has a lot of explaining to do about why the team made this change.
“This was not (Adam Gase) winning a power struggle.” Christopher Johnson says this was his decision.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) May 15, 2019
Adds Gase will be involved in picking the next GM. #jets
My Take: Seriously?
Johnson: “There’s going to be no change in the structure going forward.” meaning Gase will not have control of the 53. #nyj
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) May 15, 2019
My Take: That might be nominally true, but for all practical purposes Gase now has control of this franchise. The owner just put all applicants on notice that Gase being unhappy with personnel moves is grounds for termination.
Jets CEO Chris Johnson: "I think this is going to a really attractive job. I don't think we're going to find any trouble finding a GM. I think this is an excellent spot."
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) May 15, 2019
My Take: There are some attractive aspects of this job (Sam Darnold), but again the head coach having the ability to get you fired because he disagrees with moves seems like a major drawback, one that might limit the candidates to Adam Gase cronies.