Douglas previously worked with Gase in '15 when both were with the Bears organizationGETTY IMAGES
Eagles VP/Player Personnel Joe Douglas is "considered to be the favorite to land" the Jets GM position, after the team yesterday fired Mike Maccagnan and appointed coach Adam Gase interim GM, according to Brian Costello of the N.Y. POST. Some sources have said that it is a "done deal and Douglas will be hired as soon as the Jets comply with the Rooney Rule and interview a minority candidate" (N.Y. POST, 5/16). In N.Y., David Waldstein writes Maccagnan's dismissal yesterday "brought to an abrupt halt the slow buildup of credibility the Jets had enjoyed over the last few months." Jets Chair & CEO Christopher Johnson "gave no specific reasons for firing Maccagnan" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/16).
TAKING YOUR TIME: Johnson said that he "decided to immerse himself much more deeply in the franchise's football operations starting late last season." He added, "I understood more fully Mike's role in this building and what I'm hoping for in a future GM. And it was a decision that evolved and it took a while and maybe I was slow at that decision. But I finally came to it in the last few days" (Bergen RECORD, 5/16). ESPN's Louis Riddick said of Johnson, "Didn't you do a deep dive into your organization at the end of the season when you decided to fire head coach Todd Bowles and keep Mike Maccagnan? ... What this sounds like is just another case of the Jets spinning their wheels" ("Get Up," ESPN, 5/16).The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Andrew Beaton writes the Maccagnan firing was "somehow both stunning and overdue." A history of "failed draft picks -- not to mention a 24-40 record during his four-year tenure -- made his departure a long-awaited moment for fans" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/16).
OIL & WATER: On Long Island, Bob Glauber notes reports of "friction between Gase and Maccagnan surfaced shortly before the draft, but Maccagnan tamped down suggestions the problems were anything more than the usual give-and-take" between a coach and a GM. However, "behind the scenes, Gase clearly was unhappy and making it known that his differences with Maccagnan over personnel issues were more than garden variety disagreements" (NEWSDAY, 5/16). The POST's Costello notes there have been "reports and whispers for weeks about Gase and Maccagnan not getting along." Sources said that the decision "had more to do with Maccagnan's indecisiveness." There was a "feeling inside the organization that Maccagnan took too long to make personnel decisions." Sources said that it was "clear from the start that Maccagnan and Gase were two very different personalities who could clash" (N.Y. POST, 5/16). ESPN's Pablo Torre said of Gase's involvement with Maccagnan's firing, "The guy he hired got him fired. That is a new low" ("High Noon," ESPN, 5/15).
FUNDAMENTALLY UNSOUND: ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said, "It seems to me that this is something that's not football related because if it were, why would you do it now? It makes no sense." ESPN's Will Cain added the move "reeks of dysfunction, it reeks of personal animus" ("First Take," ESPN, 5/15). Johnson said the "'synergy" between Maccagnan and Gase "was not everything I was hoping for." NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported yesterday that Gase "disagreed with Maccagnan on paying" RB Le'Veon Bell and LB C.J. Mosley "so heavily" (NFL.com, 5/15). FS1's Mark Schlereth said of Gase being promoted to interim GM, "I wonder if this is the power play of him saying, 'This is not going to work, you cannot give me players that don't want to play football'" ("Speak for Yourself," FS1, 5/15). SNY's Ralph Vacchiano wrote one thing that is "clear is that if Gase was really on the same page as Maccagnan, if they managed to get along, this move would never have been made" (SNY.tv, 5/15).
PASSING THE TORCH: In N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes, "This is what you must take away from one of the most ridiculous days in a Jets history that is almost relentlessly riddled with ridiculousness: they have no longer taken a mere flier on Gase." The Jets have "now made him the face of the franchise" (N.Y. POST, 5/16). ESPN's Adam Schefter said this was a "power play" by Gase, there is "no doubt." He said, "[Gase] wanted this organization run his way, with his people" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 5/15). However, THE ATHLETIC's Michael Lombardi wrote this was "not a power play by Gase," but it was the "right move for the Jets to finally make" (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/15). ESPN's Jeff Darlington said Gase "got his first win" with the Jets, and he "did it before Week 1." Darlington: "This is a situation where very clearly Gase wanted his own guys in there" ("NFL Live," ESPN, 5/15).
RIGHT MOVE, WRONG TIME? The AP's Dennis Waszak Jr. wrote Maccagnan has "long been on the hot seat, so the move itself isn't necessarily a shocker." However, the timing of it is "particularly surprising because Maccagnan ran the Jets' draft less than three weeks ago" (AP, 5/15). USA TODAY's Nate Davis writes in a "fair world," Maccagnan would have "gotten requisite time to see if his latest decisions paid off," after taking DT Quinnen Williams with the third overall pick and signing players like Bell and Mosley in free agency (USA TODAY, 5/16). NFL.com's Judy Battista wrote the "problem with Maccagnan's firing is not that it happened," but that it "happened now, after all of the most significant offseason personnel moves have already been made" (NFL.com, 5/15). ESPN's Mike Greenberg said, "Maccagnan deserved to go but the timing and circumstances are beyond bizarre" ("Get Up," ESPN, 5/16).In N.Y., Manish Mehta writes the Jets' "timing is troubling." Now, the next GM will "inherit players acquired by the previous regime, increasing the likelihood of greater roster turnover in the near future" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/16). In New Jersey, Andy Vasquez writes the timing of this decision is "baffling," and the "message it sends is much worse." Vasquez: "Once again, the Jets come off looking like a dysfunctional, bumbling mess" (Bergen RECORD, 5/16). ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said the Jets have "narrowed" their pool of GM candidates "because of the timing of this move" ("Get Up," ESPN, 5/16).
SAME OLD JETS: In Newark, Steve Politi writes Maccagnan's firing "speaks to a level of dysfunction that goes directly to the top." Johnson "looked like a refreshing change from his brother," Jets Owner Woody Johnson, who "handed over control of the franchise when he went to London to become an ambassador." But "clearly, Christopher Johnson has the same bloodlines" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 5/16). In N.Y., Steve Serby writes there is "never a worse time to make a decision like this." Christopher Johnson is a "good guy," but "forgive Jets fans today if they view him warily wearing a red bulbous nose and floppy shoes" (N.Y. POST, 5/16). The DAILY NEWS' Mehta writes this was a "nonsensical decision." Mehta: "How many other owners would give their GM autonomy to run a head coaching search only to fire him before that head coach ran his first practice, let alone play in a single game?" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/16).
TROUBLE UP TOP: ESPN.com's Rich Cimini wrote the Jets "dusted off their old dunce cap and shocked the NFL" with this move, which "raises serious questions about the leadership of the franchise" (ESPN.com, 5/15). YAHOO SPORTS' Kimberley Martin wrote the Jets "always insist they're acting in the best interest of the franchise," and yet at "every turn, management finds a new way to submarine a potentially good thing" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/15). SNY's Vacchiano wrote this move just "adds to the feeling of a rudderless ship, swaying from whim to whim" (SNY.tv, 5/15).
