Joe Douglas hemmed and hawed his method 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 like 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 cross 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 group ought to stub its toe out of the gate with out Reddick.
Through which case Jets followers would immediately 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 immediately 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 workers can be awaiting paydays, ought to do himself a favor and decide up the telephone and make each try to resolve this deadlock.
“I believe this may all get resolved,” Douglas stated.
Douglas threw his Hail Aaron cross 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 decide 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 predict he may 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:
“Now we have a very deep room with a variety 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 group reveals 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 group of individuals as I’ve been round in 24 years. I believe 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 stated.
Douglas has constructed an skilled, veteran offensive line in entrance of Rodgers to raised shield him so he doesn’t miss.
“I’m excited to see the O-line on the market,” Douglas stated.
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 believe Will’s had an outstanding camp,” Douglas stated. “Will’s coming in on a mission. His expertise are simple. I really feel like can deliver some elite athleticism off the sting.”
Douglas and Saleh have been a group for 4 seasons.
“He’s actually grown into this wonderful chief — he was at all times a tremendous chief when he got here in right here,” Douglas stated. “Simply the best way he can talk with individuals and the power he brings each day. He’s an ideal particular person and an ideal coach.”
The nice particular person is an 18-33 coach.
Douglas is 27-56 as a GM.
Does Douglas need Reddick on the sector? In fact he does. Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers are gone.
Reddick is probably not the one one taking part in with hearth.
