The Jets the last two seasons, gave too much freedom to Aaron Rodgers, seemingly letting him take control of (and arguably ruin) their roster. The Jets brought in his guys, his coaching, and let him run the show.
This obviously did not work in the slightest, so there needed to be major changes. New general manager Darren Mougey realized that, and he went out there and got the guys he knew would work well together.
The Jets implemented a crucial culture shift
Over the last few years, it seems like the Jets’ front office workers made it their main priority to employ Rodgers’ handpicked guys. This idea did make sense at the time, trying to bring in familiar and comfortable players to work with the Hall of Fame talent.
However, many of the players were aged veterans, and the experiment failed. The same can be said about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. He used to coach Rodgers and was brought in to facilitate the offense. Rodgers took over and seemingly single-handedly controlled the Jets’ offense instead.
This year, the Jets’ front office and coaching staff have strong, high-powered individuals who have their own plan in place. They are not going to let the players have the ultimate power, and will be able to run what they want. They obviously will listen to considerations and ideas, but there is a strategy behind it.
Bringing in a young offensive coordinator like Tanner Engstrand is a brilliant move. He will be able to work with Justin Fields and incorporate his strongest qualities into the offense. They will try and build a sustainable offense, and the same could be said about the defense.
Defensively, new head coach Aaron Glenn will have a major role. He has experience playing, so he can understand the viewpoints of all of his players. He has also put together a great coaching staff that can get the ideas from players, helping the defense run seamlessly.
The Jets are implementing a new draft philosophy
This season, we saw the new regime have its first opportunity to select its own players. Starting with Armand Membou, they proved which style of team they will have.
High intensity on every play, looking for every player to just do their job. Membou, and a bunch of other players that they selected, bring just that.
The Jets front office is highly equipped with talented professionals, many with a lot of experience. Their drafts over the past few years have been very good, and I think with Mougey in office, they could get even better.
I really did like their first class, and I expect next year to be similar. Drafting players that the team needs, who are talented, but who also fit the team’s schemes and identity, over players that we’d have to switch our team around.
A lot of players they selected fit right into their scheme, and that is something that I take into serious consideration when looking at draft fits.
Aaron Glenn is building a culture of competition
There will be no handouts this offseason, training camp, or leading up to the regular season for the Jets. If there is a player working hard, proving to the coaches that he belongs, then he will play.
Competition will be at the forefront this upcoming summer, with a lot of players battling for positions on the roster.
Glenn said that there will be high expectations for all players, and that everyone should come prepared to work every day, and that this season will be different from previous years. The Jets will shock some teams, and it isn’t just about the play on the field. The mentality of the New York Jets has changed.
