Speaker 1: I'm Rett Lewis, and this is NFL in signed report.
Speaker 1: It's been a frustrating stretch of consistent losing for the
Speaker 1: football franchises in the New York, New Jersey area, both
Speaker 1: the Giants and Jets finishing with losing seasons once again,
Speaker 1: each a disappointing four and thirteen record this year. The
Speaker 1: Jets playoff drought extends now to eleven seasons for the Giants,
Speaker 1: five years without a postseason birth. And while the Jets
Speaker 1: are building something with GM Joe Douglas and head coach
Speaker 1: Robert Salo, the Giants are starting over for the third
Speaker 1: time now since Tom Coughlin left the organization, g M
Speaker 1: Dave Gentleman, retired head coach Joe Judge fire. But it
Speaker 1: is a good news bad news sort of situation. You
Speaker 1: now know the bad. Here's the bright side. Both teams
Speaker 1: have a pair of top ten picks in this year's
Speaker 1: draft to build with. So how they got here and
Speaker 1: how they get it right moving forward are the questions
Speaker 1: on today's podcast, as College Kim Jones, who expertly covers
Speaker 1: both franchises for US, joins today. Okay, Kim, here we
Speaker 1: are again with these New York Giants, and another blow
Speaker 1: up of the football decision making machine with GM who
Speaker 1: retired in Dave Gentleman, and just a couple of days later,
Speaker 1: the firing of head coach Joe Judge after two seasons,
Speaker 1: which has basically just been years of instability following Tom
Speaker 1: Coughlin's departure from the New York Giants. How would you
Speaker 1: describe how we found ourselves here once again with the Giants?
Speaker 1: You ask it in a very good way, which doesn't
Speaker 1: surprise me, rep but you ask it in a way
Speaker 1: that like opens the door to almost everything, right, So
Speaker 1: it opens the door for me to go back to
Speaker 1: Pat Shermer's tenure and September of that year they were
Speaker 1: going to play the Buffalo Bills. And I remember at
Speaker 1: a press conference we you said, you know, in person
Speaker 1: press conferences then, And I asked Pat Shermer what they
Speaker 1: thought of Josh Allen. That was, of course, you know,
Speaker 1: um a time when when the Giants were still looking
Speaker 1: for a quarterback, you know Eli you know, on on
Speaker 1: the way out and everything else, and he said, we
Speaker 1: thought he had a chance to be a starter. Well
Speaker 1: that immediately became you know, billboard material and on every
Speaker 1: message board in the Bills facility, and the Bills won
Speaker 1: that game by a couple of touchdowns that September. But
Speaker 1: the reason I bring that up, First of all, it's
Speaker 1: topical with with the Bills and Josh Allen, right, But secondly,
Speaker 1: I think it shows that for a while now, the
Speaker 1: New York Giants have needed some help when it comes
Speaker 1: to talent evaluation, when it comes to roster building, when
Speaker 1: it comes to being open minded about certain prospects, and listen,
Speaker 1: you could argue we saw that again in this past
Speaker 1: free agency. They signed Kenny Golladay seemingly um you know, betting,
Speaker 1: you know, a bidding against only themselves, seventy million dollar contractors.
Speaker 1: So he didn't score a touchdown this year, ratt, And
Speaker 1: you know, they moved back. Dave had never moved back.
Speaker 1: Someone in the room told me that Dave was bound
Speaker 1: and determined to move back because Dave Gettleman never had
Speaker 1: done that. He moved back where Shawn Slater was on
Speaker 1: the board. Boy, that would have helped the offensive line scenario.
Speaker 1: But he moves back and he takes Cadarius Tony, who
Speaker 1: also didn't score a touchdown during this his rookie season.
Speaker 1: So you know, when when you ask a question about
Speaker 1: the Giants, now, Rett, it does go back to as
Speaker 1: you noted, since Tom Coughlin, because it's been mistake after
Speaker 1: mistake after mistake, and now they're in another GM search
Speaker 1: that will be followed by a head coaching search, and
Speaker 1: the GM will pick the head coach with of course
Speaker 1: ownership's approval, but they've got a hope and maybe light
Speaker 1: a candle rat that they finally get it right this time. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's a great, great description of the frustration that has
Speaker 1: certainly been mounting in New York. As we mentioned since
Speaker 1: Tom Conflin's departure. Talent evaluation is obviously, you know, is
Speaker 1: the biggest part. Picking the right head coach to develop
Speaker 1: that talent is also a big part of that. UM.
Speaker 1: And when it comes to the man in charge of
Speaker 1: the talent evaluation, UM, you know, we've gone. We've seen
Speaker 1: you know, Jerry Reese has gone uh and now we
Speaker 1: you know, we see Dave Dave Gettleman gone. It felt
Speaker 1: like that was gonna happen one way or another. Is
Speaker 1: that kind of why the Giants have moved so quickly,
Speaker 1: so briskly with their GM interviews with the names that
Speaker 1: they wanted and the interview I mean, the interviews were
Speaker 1: coming in, you know, fast and furious. I know they're
Speaker 1: they're virtual, so that kind of allowed some of that, right, right.
Speaker 1: The virtual nature of it allowed them to do multiple
Speaker 1: interviews in a day, so they've been able to cycle
Speaker 1: through those interviews fairly quickly, as you noted. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1: I John Marraw was asked on the Zoom call he
Speaker 1: did last week that I was on. Um, this was
Speaker 1: not my question, but it was from another reporter about
Speaker 1: why not let get Dave go sooner because then you
Speaker 1: could have started on the interviews. Well, I thought it
Speaker 1: was interesting. John Morris said, all of our candidates for
Speaker 1: GM are currently working. Why did you let Dave Gentleman
Speaker 1: retired instead of firing him later in the season to
Speaker 1: get a head start on them. Well, it would not
Speaker 1: necessarily have given me a head start. The only people
Speaker 1: I would have been allowed to speak to would be
Speaker 1: people who are on the street right now. And you know,
Speaker 1: quite frankly, my our top candidates are people that who
Speaker 1: are all employed right now, So it really would not
Speaker 1: have given us any advantage. And um, I didn't see
Speaker 1: any any need to do that earlier than when he
Speaker 1: announced his retirement, So it's not as if they could
Speaker 1: have gotten ahead. So right there gave you a bit
Speaker 1: of a tell that the New York Giants are trying
Speaker 1: to look forward, are trying to perhaps find some new ideas,
Speaker 1: you know, a certainly a new leader as GM, and
Speaker 1: they're trying to be I think, open minded and looking
Speaker 1: at the guys who truly have had success in the
Speaker 1: really near future, because the Giants understand that when you
Speaker 1: all has reached to the past, it certainly doesn't always
Speaker 1: work out. I think that's a great point because obviously
Speaker 1: Dave Gettleman had history in New York and you know,
Speaker 1: had built winners in his tenures as a GM in Carolina. Um,
Speaker 1: you know clearly, you know, going to the Super Bowl,
Speaker 1: you know, a few years back. And does it feel
Speaker 1: like this will be a departure from what has been
Speaker 1: the norm for the Giants ownership group? Is that? Is
Speaker 1: that what you've seen in some of the names that
Speaker 1: have been interviewing for the GM position. Yes, because for
Speaker 1: one thing, not one of them is an inside candidate.
Speaker 1: And could that be completely unfair to someone in that
Speaker 1: facility who you know, has the makings of a great
Speaker 1: GM probably, but you know that person, whoever he may be,
Speaker 1: UM has Dave geentleman, But thanks for that. This was
Speaker 1: a disaster. It was an absolute disaster. Nineteen wins in
Speaker 1: four years. Lots have told just those to the media
Speaker 1: that panned out exactly the opposite way. UM, just again
Speaker 1: reaching for for certain players, discounting other players for reasons
Speaker 1: that are you know, anyone's gas? Um, it was just
Speaker 1: a very much like by the seat of your pants
Speaker 1: operation and read. While there's probably some charm in that,
Speaker 1: and sometimes those become storybooks that it doesn't work really
Speaker 1: in today's NFL, when so many organizations are are miles
Speaker 1: and miles ahead of of an operation that's doing it
Speaker 1: sort of the old fashioned way. See today that the
Speaker 1: Giants are conducting a second interview with Bill's assistant GM.
Speaker 1: Joe Shane seems to be a popular name out there. Um,
Speaker 1: is is there a reason for that? Do do you
Speaker 1: feel like the Giants are looking at the model? You know,
Speaker 1: even going back to your Pat Shermer comments about Josh
Speaker 1: Allen seeing the success and the way they've built that franchise. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and listen, you know Josh Allen said the other day, Um,
Speaker 1: you know it's all right in front of us here,
Speaker 1: and who knows how long we're all going to be
Speaker 1: together again. I'm sitting there in the third fourth quarter,
Speaker 1: and just like you know, Stable and Leslie, I know
Speaker 1: that they've got some opportunities coming up here right now,
Speaker 1: and um, thanks to be different. It's it's an opportunity
Speaker 1: right in front of us right now. So, um, we're
Speaker 1: gonna bet everybody going forward, guys pulling in one one direction,
Speaker 1: and we gotta put together a good a good game
Speaker 1: plan and have a really good week of preparation and
Speaker 1: go out there and try to expert again. You know,
Speaker 1: I think a lot of us thought that Brian day
Speaker 1: Ball might get a head coaching job last year. It
Speaker 1: didn't work out, in part because you know, the Bills
Speaker 1: kind of sort of played too long, you know, for
Speaker 1: for maybe some folks to wait this time around, I
Speaker 1: have to think, you look at what Brian day Ball
Speaker 1: has done, and you have to be wild by it.
Speaker 1: And if you can bring someone you know with him,
Speaker 1: or or he can bring someone with with him. In
Speaker 1: the terms of Shane actually making it being the first
Speaker 1: higher conceivably and then bringing day Ball along, I mean
Speaker 1: I think that that is one two moves UH day
Speaker 1: Ball in particular though, because we see what he does
Speaker 1: every Sunday, right, So I think that that would be
Speaker 1: a move very much applauded UH. And even if the
Speaker 1: fans are a little cautious to buy in, I do
Speaker 1: think they could buy into that kind of an arrangement.
Speaker 1: And that doesn't discount the other candidates. I think there's
Speaker 1: some other really good candidates as well. And so as
Speaker 1: we're talking about priorities here for the Giants with this
Speaker 1: new GM, who then will hire this new head coach?
Speaker 1: I imagine it will be some sort of collaborative decision
Speaker 1: on what to do with two very high profile draft
Speaker 1: picks of the Dave Gentleman era, of course, se Kuon
Speaker 1: Barkley number two overall pick a couple of years ago
Speaker 1: at running back, and then Daniel Jones following year number
Speaker 1: six overall at quarterback. How do you feel those decisions
Speaker 1: will come to be for this franchise. I think it's
Speaker 1: a fascinating scenario right with both players for different reasons.
Speaker 1: You know, um John Mara did make clear that the
Speaker 1: GM and head coach will make those determinations on u
Speaker 1: K's future immediate future with the Giants as well as
Speaker 1: Daniel Jones is um will the will the new general
Speaker 1: manager of full authority to hire whichever head coach he
Speaker 1: wants without any stay from you and will you have
Speaker 1: full authority to you whatever you want to Daniel Jones
Speaker 1: without any to say for you. He he will lead
Speaker 1: to the general that he will lead the search for
Speaker 1: a head coach. But those decisions always are subject to
Speaker 1: final approval by ownership. Um. You know in terms of
Speaker 1: Daniel or say Kwan or anyone else you want to
Speaker 1: ask me, that's going to be between the general manager
Speaker 1: and the head coach. Listen With Daniel Jones, I think
Speaker 1: it's actually more complicated. He's a player who can wow you. Um.
Speaker 1: He can also confound you time and time again between
Speaker 1: the wows. Frankly, Um, he doesn't play every game of
Speaker 1: every season. That is his history now at this point. Um,
Speaker 1: you know you've got to be on the field to
Speaker 1: make an impact. UM. And I do think with Daniel, Um,
Speaker 1: I've thought this since the beginning. Ret So I might
Speaker 1: have said it to you in the past, or I
Speaker 1: know I've said it in the past. You know, there's
Speaker 1: a pocket presence awareness there that you know, I think
Speaker 1: we've like really yet to see and it ended the
Speaker 1: seen NFL folks about that, you know, And I know
Speaker 1: fans like react when I say this, but they're truly
Speaker 1: torn on whether you can learn that you know, to
Speaker 1: some degree either have it or you don't. Now, can
Speaker 1: you learn and get better at almost everything? Yes? And
Speaker 1: I'd be hypocritical not to not to agree with that,
Speaker 1: because when I started, you know, in TV in particular,
Speaker 1: all this horrendous. So and maybe there have been some
Speaker 1: baby steps along the ways, I wonder, um, you know,
Speaker 1: so for Daniel, I think there's some fundamental questions there. Uh,
Speaker 1: certainly you would have to believe the quote unquote backup
Speaker 1: quarterback for the Giants will have to be a competitor, right,
Speaker 1: someone who they say, you know, we're not handing this
Speaker 1: job to anyone. And then take Kuan is on the
Speaker 1: books for the fifth year option I think at seven
Speaker 1: point two million, which is less than he made this
Speaker 1: past season. That's our rookie contracts, you know, work that
Speaker 1: and this one does. Um. I've said this since about
Speaker 1: mid season, Rhett, I don't think we saw Sake Juan
Speaker 1: healthy except for that New Orleans game. This year when
Speaker 1: he had a great game and the next next week
Speaker 1: he stepped on the foot of how Boys player Jordan
Speaker 1: Lewis in an incredibly unlucky, you know, great deal, exact
Speaker 1: thank you, and UM never has been the same. UM.
Speaker 1: And I say that with pretty much with authority that
Speaker 1: I think next year he will come back much healthier
Speaker 1: and much readier to you know, more equipped to help
Speaker 1: carry this offense. UM, I would think a GM would
Speaker 1: would stick with stake one for the year. Obviously, I
Speaker 1: don't think there would be an extension forthcoming by any means,
Speaker 1: But to me, say, kwe probably makes makes sense. I
Speaker 1: think Daniel mostly does too. But certainly you want other
Speaker 1: players there for depth, particularly at the backup quarterback spot.
Speaker 1: How do we get here from a head coaching perspective,
Speaker 1: because it sounded like, you know, like, while Joe Judge
Speaker 1: has certainly had his missteps in his first two years,
Speaker 1: they were, you know, somewhat surprisingly almost a playoff team
Speaker 1: a year ago in his first year. Right as as
Speaker 1: crazy as that sounded, with the record that they had,
Speaker 1: that was the state of the NFC East. UM and
Speaker 1: then you know, gosh, there was just there didn't seem
Speaker 1: to be all this momentum towards a change until you
Speaker 1: know what these last few weeks, is that kind of
Speaker 1: what you've been I mean the eleven minute address that
Speaker 1: changed the Giants world, it was do you feel like
Speaker 1: that had a big dent? Listen Joe Judge. In that
Speaker 1: address for those maybe not as familiar with it, he
Speaker 1: talked about how former players still reach out to him, saying, boy,
Speaker 1: you know, coach, I wish I were still a Giant.
Speaker 1: I said, we got more players here who are free
Speaker 1: agents next year, all right, who're in my office every
Speaker 1: day begging to come back. I know that, Okay, I
Speaker 1: know that players that we coach last year they still
Speaker 1: call me twice a week talking about, you know, how
Speaker 1: much they wish they were still here and they're getting
Speaker 1: paid more somewhere else. That's only a couple of players, right,
Speaker 1: because Joe Judge hasn't been a head coach for a
Speaker 1: really long time. So if he was trying to out
Speaker 1: Dalvin Tomlinson who signed with the Vikings and free agents
Speaker 1: see or Kevin Zeitler who went to the Ravens, and
Speaker 1: it's a really good offensive lineman by the way through
Speaker 1: the Giants cut, I mean I'm not convinced those two
Speaker 1: guys were reaching out to Joe Judge, by the way,
Speaker 1: but they're like two of the only ones who could
Speaker 1: possibly have been on that list that Joe was so
Speaker 1: proud of. You know, I had a lot of hope
Speaker 1: for Joe. I like Joe, which doesn't really matter, um,
Speaker 1: but uh here it wasn't meltdown scenario rat um, and
Speaker 1: it was public, you know, and behind closed doors. You
Speaker 1: know that that may have been something we never heard
Speaker 1: of or we only heard you know, oh, you know,
Speaker 1: their emotions are high at the Giants. He did it
Speaker 1: to the media, you know, he would have been better
Speaker 1: off saving it for inside and showing creation that way,
Speaker 1: and maybe he'd still be head coach of the Giants
Speaker 1: right now. But um, you know, I also thought when
Speaker 1: he took on the Washington football team saying, you know,
Speaker 1: our guys aren't punching each other. Well, two things about that.
Speaker 1: Number One, as Ron Rivera noted, you know, Washington had
Speaker 1: a a really devastating stretch to end the season in
Speaker 1: terms of the personal lives of some of their players,
Speaker 1: which was just obviously tragic. And you know, Ron Rivera
Speaker 1: also like didn't really deserve to have to, you know,
Speaker 1: justify himself to a guy who in training camp the
Speaker 1: New York Giants had that brawl, right of course, we
Speaker 1: had a brawl where Daniel Jones was on the bottom
Speaker 1: of a pile. Like football is an emotional game, whether
Speaker 1: it's on the sidelines, whether it's brother to brother, as
Speaker 1: players would tell you that you know they're brothers on
Speaker 1: these teams, or or whether it's um, you know, an opponent.
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, emotions run high. So I do
Speaker 1: think those eleven minutes are the reason that we are
Speaker 1: talking at least about part of this. They were going
Speaker 1: to have to wear a GM regardless, but I think
Speaker 1: John Mara came to the conclusion that asking a new
Speaker 1: GM for whom there will be a lot of high
Speaker 1: hopes and a lot of power given, if you will,
Speaker 1: asking him to then take on this head coach was
Speaker 1: just too much. It's a great way to put it.
Speaker 1: And then lastly, here just just from an ownership uh perspective,
Speaker 1: with Steve tissue John Mara and the frustration and the
Speaker 1: embarrassment that we've heard now what three times three separate
Speaker 1: times since the I mean it's certainly been more times
Speaker 1: than that, but you know, based on games and performance,
Speaker 1: but just on the blowing up of a of a
Speaker 1: head coach GM sort of situation. Again, UM, in your
Speaker 1: time covering this team, like, is this is this rock bottom?
Speaker 1: Has this? We are we here? Well? John Mara actually
Speaker 1: answered that for us the other day when he said
Speaker 1: this is the most embarrassed he's been. Hey, Joe, curious,
Speaker 1: is this your lowest moment in your associated station with
Speaker 1: the Giants? And is this is this embarrassed that you've
Speaker 1: been about the franchise. Honestly, I would have to say, yes, yes,
Speaker 1: it is. Um. I kept thinking during the season that
Speaker 1: we had hit rock bottom and then each week had
Speaker 1: got a little worse. So honestly, I'm not proud of
Speaker 1: saying this, but if I'm gonna be honest, I would
Speaker 1: have to say that into a yes. Now, obviously there's
Speaker 1: a recentcy bias to that, truly, but I have to
Speaker 1: believe nineteen wins in four years, UM in this NFL,
Speaker 1: UM would would definitely rank Like. It's not like when
Speaker 1: John said that, I said, I thought to myself, Oh,
Speaker 1: come on, John, let's talk about these other three things.
Speaker 1: You know, I kind of like, I think I probably
Speaker 1: nodded because I think it's you know, it's understandable, and
Speaker 1: it just never got better. And the one thing that
Speaker 1: John said, John Marras said on that call was he
Speaker 1: kept thinking like this is rock bottom, he said, and
Speaker 1: then every week it got worse, meaning the performance on
Speaker 1: the field, um, and obviously the way he felt about it,
Speaker 1: and a couple of things briefly about that htt you know,
Speaker 1: Joe Judge wanted Mike Glennon to be his backup quarterback.
Speaker 1: They had Colt McCoy last season. They beat Seattle with
Speaker 1: Colt McCoy. It was Joe Judge who wanted Mike Glennon,
Speaker 1: the big armed Mike Glennon, to be the backup this year.
Speaker 1: That's a decision he obviously paid for. In November, after
Speaker 1: losing to the Bucks, he fired Jason Garrett, who, um,
Speaker 1: I think everyone agrees is a is a really good guy,
Speaker 1: uh and a nice guy and certainly has ties to
Speaker 1: the Giants organization. It got no better, by the way
Speaker 1: without Jason Garrett, literally no better exactly. And you know,
Speaker 1: I just think that when John looks at something, looked
Speaker 1: at some of those things, he truly couldn't risk putting
Speaker 1: up with it for even another year or you know,
Speaker 1: possibly part of a year, and then you really have
Speaker 1: a disaster on your hands. So it's a fresh start
Speaker 1: that I'm sure that they're hoping, uh, you know, reigns
Speaker 1: a little bit of optimism in the Inn East Rutherford
Speaker 1: and at the Giants facility. Fresh start I mean literally
Speaker 1: starting from scratch, which of course is where the New
Speaker 1: York Jets have been in the last year or two
Speaker 1: as well. But it does feel like they are at
Speaker 1: least trending in a more positive direction based on the
Speaker 1: play of their number two overall pick, Zach Wilson at
Speaker 1: quarterback a year ago, and now armed with a pair
Speaker 1: of first round top ten picks themselves, the direction of
Speaker 1: the Jets when we come back al right back here
Speaker 1: on NFL Inside Report, are Kim Jones still here with
Speaker 1: us as we shift from the Giants to the Jets.
Speaker 1: Similarly disappointing, but for different reasons for this New York
Speaker 1: Jets franchise. They're at the beginning of what seems like
Speaker 1: a steady build, a steady climb for GM Joe Douglas
Speaker 1: and now going into his second year's head coach and
Speaker 1: Robert Salom how would you describe the progress that you
Speaker 1: saw from this Jets team, particularly down the stretch where
Speaker 1: it felt like there were some moments to build on. Kim, Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think you just put that really well, Red, because
Speaker 1: I the progress seemed slow, right, It seems slow, And
Speaker 1: if you want to say slow and steady, I would
Speaker 1: mostly agree with that if you go back to the
Speaker 1: beginning of the season. But if you go to say,
Speaker 1: I don't know, Thanksgiving ish one, I think that there
Speaker 1: was more progress. And you saw Zack Wilson, you do
Speaker 1: not throw an interception, and I believe five games his
Speaker 1: last five games. So you look at that and you say, well,
Speaker 1: the better judgment better neck up right, and probably better
Speaker 1: neck down too, in terms of fundamentals and and choices
Speaker 1: that he's making in the moment and that sort of thing.
Speaker 1: So you would certainly rather have that than the opposite. Right,
Speaker 1: kid comes out on fire and in September people are
Speaker 1: saying he's Rookie of the Year, and then he continues
Speaker 1: to faith faith faith. He did literally the opposite. I
Speaker 1: think what people very concerned about him early on, hence
Speaker 1: Mike White, you know, and that kind of thing, and
Speaker 1: he battled a little bit of an injury and he
Speaker 1: came back from that. But I think the quarterback in
Speaker 1: particular gives them hope. And I also think for the Jets, listen,
Speaker 1: they still have a lot of um salary cap money
Speaker 1: at their disposal. They can start. Yes, we will certainly
Speaker 1: hope that Karl Lawson, who was lost in that you
Speaker 1: know training, can't practice in Green Bay with the torn achilles.
Speaker 1: They will certainly hope he comes back and and the
Speaker 1: big one And this might be a separate question, and
Speaker 1: if it is, I'm all for it. You know, this
Speaker 1: is an enormous off season. I'm not looking at next season.
Speaker 1: I am saying this is an enormous off season for
Speaker 1: Mackay Beckton because they have to have Joe Douglas drafted him.
Speaker 1: Robert Salo wasn't here yet, but everyone in that Jets
Speaker 1: facility in Flora Park is very much tied into the
Speaker 1: idea this guy has to work out. He's gotta be,
Speaker 1: you know, a left tackle for us. You know, you
Speaker 1: want to say, a right tackle for for whatever reason,
Speaker 1: I don't know that they would, you know, go crazy
Speaker 1: quibbling about that, but they've drafted him to be their
Speaker 1: left tackle for a decade. And this offseason, Mackay I
Speaker 1: think has to you know, take it upon himself to
Speaker 1: control everything he can control and to be that player
Speaker 1: for the New York Jets, you know, beginning when they start, uh,
Speaker 1: you know next year. I'm not gonna date on I
Speaker 1: don't think, you know, the first conditioning program. He has
Speaker 1: to be ready to play tackle. You don't play tackle
Speaker 1: during conditioning recently, has to be in some better shape. Yeah,
Speaker 1: And I think that's important. I mean, this was the
Speaker 1: guy that was limited to what one game this year? Um,
Speaker 1: and it didn't feel like at first glance at that
Speaker 1: was going to be an injury that was a fifteen
Speaker 1: week injury or sixteen week injury. And I think that's
Speaker 1: that's important to note here for a guy who was
Speaker 1: the eleventh overall pick of the draft in a tackle
Speaker 1: heavy class. Uh. And I think everybody looking at that
Speaker 1: tackle class now in hindsight is like, boy, Tristan Worth
Speaker 1: sure did look good for the Tampa Bay Bucks these
Speaker 1: last two years. And and you know, like, and while
Speaker 1: it's not fair, I mean that'll be something that McKay
Speaker 1: Beckton and the Jets will will some in one some way,
Speaker 1: shape or form fight moving forward if this works out
Speaker 1: or doesn't, So that is DEBI I mean, I don't
Speaker 1: think you you can understate the importance of finding and
Speaker 1: keeping him as that cornerstone and getting him so, I mean,
Speaker 1: because he's certainly showing the flashes, more so obviously as
Speaker 1: a rookie. Um, how then would you place the price
Speaker 1: plarity list for Joe Douglas in this team moving forward
Speaker 1: this offseason? I do think offensive line remains a priority.
Speaker 1: I also think, um, and stop me when you heard
Speaker 1: this before. You know, playmakers for Zach Braxton, Barrios was
Speaker 1: his most reliable and seemed to be the receiver he
Speaker 1: was certainly most comfortable with this season. Um, he's a
Speaker 1: free agent. I have to believe, Um, Joe Douglas is
Speaker 1: at least, you know, heavily considering the idea we got
Speaker 1: to bring their action Barrios back. He's our quarterbacks. You know,
Speaker 1: he's really the guy that that he has most comfort with.
Speaker 1: Touched off us Corey Davis, you hope has a better
Speaker 1: year next year? Probably say, you know, you can certainly
Speaker 1: see some ways that the Jets might part part ways
Speaker 1: I should say, with with some other players on offense.
Speaker 1: But I do think that you have to make sure
Speaker 1: at every level, you know, at tight end, at offensive line,
Speaker 1: certainly at receiver. UM and I think they really really
Speaker 1: like their now now now not a rookie running back
Speaker 1: Michael Carter, So I think they feel good about him
Speaker 1: for very good reason. But you know, on offense they
Speaker 1: need help across the board. And then and then you
Speaker 1: look at the defense, and again, part of you is hoping.
Speaker 1: Part of you, if you're the Jets or a Jets fan,
Speaker 1: is hoping they just come back healthy. But you can
Speaker 1: also see some areas where they're gonna have decisions to make.
Speaker 1: For instance, safety Marcus May who ended up with I
Speaker 1: believe it was the torn Achilles and um, you know,
Speaker 1: as a free agent, really good player and good leader,
Speaker 1: what do they do there? So Joe Douglas will have
Speaker 1: some difficult decisions that the plus with him for him,
Speaker 1: As you noted Red, you know they've at least got
Speaker 1: some money to work with where you can see the
Speaker 1: Jets targeting positions and players, you know, making it happen,
Speaker 1: you know, to at least some degree. You might not
Speaker 1: be a thousand, but making it happen to some degree,
Speaker 1: and then being able to say as they go into
Speaker 1: next season, we truly should be a better team team
Speaker 1: because they would be a better team next year. I
Speaker 1: think you hit the nail on the head there, and
Speaker 1: and just to to kind of back all that up,
Speaker 1: if you say, if you say and if they figure
Speaker 1: out a way where McKay Beckton is the cornerstone at
Speaker 1: left tackle, I think you got your left guard and
Speaker 1: Elijah Vera Tucker and so then from center over you've
Speaker 1: got the opportunity to improve this team. Even though what
Speaker 1: Morgan Moses played pretty well for this team down the stretcher,
Speaker 1: right back and left George Fan Yeah, yeah, so maybe
Speaker 1: you've got some depth pieces there. The certainly would love
Speaker 1: to invigorate that right side with some youth um if
Speaker 1: if possible, with maybe with one or a couple of
Speaker 1: those early round picks. And then it feel like Corey
Speaker 1: Davis was really good when he was healthy. Um feels
Speaker 1: more like a number two to me. And I know
Speaker 1: Denzel Denzel Mims hasn't exactly panned out the way they
Speaker 1: would have liked as a physical receiver, So maybe that's
Speaker 1: on the priority list in terms of, you know, trying
Speaker 1: to fill out that wide receiver group because you got
Speaker 1: Elijah More when he's healthy, he's gonna be stuck. And
Speaker 1: the only thing that gives you pause about Elijah and
Speaker 1: I'm telling you, watching him in training camp, I would
Speaker 1: have bet you and Nickel because I'm not a better
Speaker 1: I would have bet you a Nickel he was gonna
Speaker 1: be offensive rookie of the year. I mean in training
Speaker 1: camp he was fantastic. I get where the fan out
Speaker 1: there says it was training camp and rolls his or
Speaker 1: her eyes. I completely understand that, but I knew what
Speaker 1: I was seeing and I wasn't the only one seeing it.
Speaker 1: So yes, for Elijah More. Um, and I don't know
Speaker 1: obviously the extent of injuries, and that's kind of thing
Speaker 1: we just don't always have a feel for that, especially
Speaker 1: with a player that you know, you've never really met,
Speaker 1: haven't been the opportunity to without a lot, plus the
Speaker 1: COVID situations hampled. But but um, you know, I've heard
Speaker 1: all good things about him. I think you're looking for
Speaker 1: a major, major step forward from Elijah More next year.
Speaker 1: The last two questions here, and we go back to
Speaker 1: Zach Wilson on this one, because I mean, let's let's
Speaker 1: not forget that the Jets organization also one that dealt
Speaker 1: with major tragedy before the season even started with Greg Knapp. Um,
Speaker 1: you know, who was going to be there to help
Speaker 1: tutor and bring along Zach Wilson in michaela Flour's offense,
Speaker 1: and and just they didn't have that. It didn't you know,
Speaker 1: didn't have that voice. I know they brought in his
Speaker 1: quarterback coach to help get John Beck. Um is that going?
Speaker 1: Do we know whether that that's going to continue into
Speaker 1: next season? Were of the It sounds like the situation
Speaker 1: is John Beck has gone back to California. I believe
Speaker 1: it's California. Um, you know, all of his training and
Speaker 1: everyone and that can obviously work with him as long
Speaker 1: as he wants this offseason, you know, and and and
Speaker 1: that will continue. You know. It's um interesting that you
Speaker 1: brought up Greg Nap. You know, I do sports talk
Speaker 1: radio here in New York where obviously it's just more
Speaker 1: free flow and it's more like this, you know radio,
Speaker 1: so you can talk a lot. But um, you know,
Speaker 1: and I've made the point several times because people have
Speaker 1: either said on other programs here, sports talk radio programs here,
Speaker 1: you know, they didn't have a mentor they didn't have
Speaker 1: anyone for a second. They did, and it was going
Speaker 1: to be Greg Knapp, who everyone who knows knew him
Speaker 1: raves about, including the entire staff of Joe Douglas and
Speaker 1: Robert sala Um. They were, you know, obviously devastated at
Speaker 1: his passing, which was so tragic. You know that that
Speaker 1: the bike accident, um being hit by car while riding
Speaker 1: his bike. Um, but it And that's why I would
Speaker 1: almost stand up for the Jets a little bit, if
Speaker 1: you will, because they had a plan. It's not like
Speaker 1: they said, bring the kid in, will wing it. You know,
Speaker 1: they had a plan and it was tragically taken away
Speaker 1: from from everyone, you know. So I do think that
Speaker 1: to reset next year as we go to a football sense,
Speaker 1: I'm not trying to be insensitive, but as they resource here,
Speaker 1: they'll obviously have to address all of that when it
Speaker 1: comes to a quarterback. And I also think that, you know,
Speaker 1: regarding his early struggles, you know, we we maybe should
Speaker 1: look back and take into account that Zack Wilson got
Speaker 1: very used to hearing Greg nap in his ear at
Speaker 1: practices and at O T A S and all of
Speaker 1: that stuff. And he's a young man, you know, at
Speaker 1: his age, you know, maybe you haven't had many folks
Speaker 1: close to you pass. You know, in any capacity, I
Speaker 1: tend to go to the heart strands a lot. But
Speaker 1: you know, we don't know the effect that has. I
Speaker 1: just know that, Um, that Greg Knapp for the short
Speaker 1: time he was with the Jets, like with every program
Speaker 1: he was with, he left quite an imprint. And my
Speaker 1: sense is that Zack years down the road, well will
Speaker 1: will certainly know that and remember it and and at
Speaker 1: times perhaps even mention it because of the impact he made.
Speaker 1: The shame of it, as you and I talk now,
Speaker 1: is you know, it just wasn't available to zach Um
Speaker 1: this season. And I do think that was significant, I
Speaker 1: really do. Yeah, no, no question, um, no question, And
Speaker 1: uh man, it's just it is a shame. Is is
Speaker 1: is a good way to put it, unfortunately. Um. And
Speaker 1: then you know, moving to the top of the chain
Speaker 1: on the on the coaching staff with Robert sala Um,
Speaker 1: his progress is ahead. Do you feel like he dealt
Speaker 1: with some of the adversity that that the Jets were
Speaker 1: dealing with moving forward? It always seems like he's a
Speaker 1: guy that deals with everything kind of head on and
Speaker 1: with that aggressive mentality. Um, didn't seem like he was
Speaker 1: you know, overwhelmed at points this season. Felt like he
Speaker 1: dealt with things pretty well. What was your take on it? Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think head on it is a good way to
Speaker 1: look at it. Like even when he came in, you know,
Speaker 1: to talk to reporters in the media room, UM, you
Speaker 1: just got direct guye contact and straight answers you know. Um,
Speaker 1: And I mean, you know, answering exactly what was asked
Speaker 1: is what I mean when I say straight answers. It
Speaker 1: wasn't like he meandered around and you know, look to
Speaker 1: get out of the room. I mean, he's been very
Speaker 1: impressive that way. UM. I do think he would tell
Speaker 1: you that he learned a lot this season. UM. But
Speaker 1: I think with Robert Salo, one thing that seemed to
Speaker 1: me to be very apparent is the respect he garnered
Speaker 1: all along from his players, and that's so important in
Speaker 1: this league. I don't think they had moments, um. Maybe
Speaker 1: individually because I wouldn't know that, but generally speaking, I
Speaker 1: can't imagine there were many moments where players were shaking
Speaker 1: their heads saying, what's this guy doing what we're doing
Speaker 1: or what's that message? I'm unclear on this, you know,
Speaker 1: I felt like he was a really decisive UM person
Speaker 1: for the most part. I'm not saying every play call
Speaker 1: was perfect. I'm not saying every you know, challenge flag
Speaker 1: was was perfect. But I felt like he um you know,
Speaker 1: operated with a tone the whole no gas, no break,
Speaker 1: no no all gas, no breaks. Yeah, okays, no break.
Speaker 1: And I thought that he came across actually as much
Speaker 1: more nuanced than that, you know, which I think has
Speaker 1: to help, especially for a head coach in today's NFL.
Speaker 1: That's a great point, and I can't wait to see
Speaker 1: the progress that this team makes stunt only in the
Speaker 1: in the off season in trying to reinforce this roster,
Speaker 1: but in on the field and seeing some of those results,
Speaker 1: because it does feel like they are at least trending
Speaker 1: in the right direction, where their counterparts over in East
Speaker 1: Rutherford are starting from scratch once again, State of the
Speaker 1: Giants and the Jets with Kim Jones, nobody better to
Speaker 1: do it. Kim, Thank you, and we'll finish this episode
Speaker 1: of NFL Inside Report on a real high note. For
Speaker 1: fans of football in New York, particularly Western New York,
Speaker 1: the Bills with one of the most decisive playoff victories
Speaker 1: and one of the best playoff performances by a quarterback
Speaker 1: we've seen in recent NFL history. Got a forty seven
Speaker 1: sevent win over division rival the New England Patriots, Josh
Speaker 1: Allen leading the way with five touchdowns in this game.
Speaker 1: And now the Bills are onto the Divisional round of
Speaker 1: the playoffs for a rematch with the team that knocked
Speaker 1: them out of the postseason a year ago. They get
Speaker 1: to travel to Arrowhead Stadium and take on the Kansas
Speaker 1: City Chiefs on Sunday night of Divisional Round weekend. And
Speaker 1: that's gonna do it for this episode of NFL Inside Report.
Speaker 1: As a reminder, please download, rate, review our show on
Speaker 1: I Heart Radio, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
Speaker 1: your pods. We greatly appreciate it. For producers Thomas Warren
Speaker 1: and Tim Peratica. I'm your host, Rerehd Lewis. We'll catch
Speaker 1: you next time. NFL Inside Report is the production of
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