After a long period of uncertainty, the New York Jets have finally finalized their coaching staff. Robert Saleh is the new head coach of the Jets, replacing Rex Ryan. Saleh will succeed Ryan from the same position he held in 2014-2015, with the exception of William Marcum, who took over as the team’s defensive coordinator. Saleh has had a long career in coaching, taking over as the head football coach at Whitworth University in 2008. After three years, Saleh was let go and joined the New York Jets as an assistant to Ryan. This past season, Saleh guided the Jets defense to the ninth-ranked scoring defense in the NFL.
Amid the chaos of training camp, the New York Jets have had their moments of calm and order. One of those moments came on Thursday, when the team held their first round of interviews with players. The process has been a bit different than usual, as the Jets have only had two players in camp.
A look at our New York Jets blog, onlineinterviews.com, finds that we’re not a top rate blog, but we’re not a blog that would embarrass a high school journalism class either. We have some good work here, and some decent writers.. Read more about zach wilson and let us know what you think.
Take a peek at what’s going on with the New York Jets:
1. Blessings! Every NFL head coach’s job, particularly the HC of the New York Jets, includes crisis management. The Jets seem to have a lot of terrible luck for some reason. One ex-Jet contacted me after hearing about Carl Lawson’s injuries on Thursday: “Perhaps [Joe] Namath’s curse is genuine. Geezzz.”
Coach Robert Saleh, welcome to New York.
The season-ending Achilles injury suffered by Lawson is Saleh’s first major setback. Something terrible was going to happen, as it usually does in the NFL. We’ll start learning about this Jets team’s personality now. When asked in June about the team’s identity, Saleh replied he wouldn’t know until it faced hardship.
They’ve just lost their greatest pass-rusher, to be sure. Saleh now has the task of maintaining morale, adjusting staff, and tweaking the plan to compensate for Lawson’s absence.
“I’ve said it before: The NFL train stops for nobody,” Saleh remarked after his team’s 23-14 victory against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. “If someone falls off the train, it creates a chance for someone else to board. There are a lot of guys on this football club, particularly in the D-end position, who are chomping at the bit for a chance, and they got it.”
Saleh has traveled this path before.
He lost top pass-rusher Nick Bosa to a ruptured ACL in Week 2 (against the Jets) and many other starters during the season as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, yet the team still finished 17th in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed. He isn’t a huge fan of blitzing, yet he went against his beliefs by upping the blitz rate to keep the pressure on. Expect him to carry out the same strategy without Lawson. One of the things that drew the Jets to Saleh was his ability to overcome his injury problems last season.
Saleh expresses his sorrow for Lawson, stating, “You couldn’t ask for a more ideal big-money unrestricted free agent. Despite being compensated, he want more.”
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2. A lot of money, but no bang: Take a look at the Jets’ past three major free-agent defensive signings:
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Lawson (2021): $45 million over three years ($30 million guaranteed). He is unable to participate in his debut season.
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C.J. Mosley (2019): $57.5 million over five years ($43 million guaranteed). In two seasons, he only appears in two games.
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Trumaine Johnson (2018): $72.5 million over five years ($34 million guaranteed). Before being dismissed, he only played 17 games in two seasons.
Never before in Jets history has such a large sum of money been spent for such a little result.
3. Adams’ repercussions: safety “I love it for you dawg!” Marcus Maye said on his Instagram story, congratulating former teammate Jamal Adams on his four-year, $70 million deal extension with the Seattle Seahawks.
It will appeal to all safeties because it increases the financial threshold, which will affect the Jets’ ability to sign Maye to a long-term contract after the season.
Adams’ annual average ($17.5 million) significantly surpasses that of Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons ($15.25 million), thus the next set of safeties seeking for new contracts will be trying to profit. Apart from Maye, there’s Tyrann Mathieu of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jessie Bates III of the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Basically, [Adams] establishes a new bar for franchise players at the position,” said Over the Cap deal analyst Jason Fitzgerald.
Maye is on the franchise tag for $10.6 million after failing to reach an agreement with the Jets before the July 15 deadline. There’s a possibility he’ll get tagged at $12.7 million again if he has another strong season (120 percent of his current salary). I’m not certain that a long-term deal is in the best interests of both parties. Why would the Jets change their minds next year, when he’s 29 and his asking price is greater, if they were hesitant this year?
Given what Adams ($34.4 million) and Simmons ($32.1 million) make in their first two years, back-to-back tags would be a team-friendly scenario (two years, $23.3 million). Maye isn’t on the same level as them as a player, but the money discrepancy isn’t going to sit well with the Maye camp. If he’s tagged again, I wouldn’t be shocked if his camp pulls a leaf from Adams’ playbook and tries to make it nasty. In his most recent interview regarding his contract, he didn’t rule out a trade request.
Next offseason, there may be a lot of fireworks.
4. There will be no second-guessing: By the way, Adams requested $17.5 million a year from the Jets last year. He aspired to be the highest-paid defensive player in the league, surpassing Mosley ($17 million). Adams deserves credit for obtaining so much from the Seahawks, but it doesn’t alter my opinion about the deal. Still, it was a great bargain for the Jets.
Plantar fasciitis forced left tackle Mekhi Becton to miss the majority of the Jets’ offseason training. Icon Sportswire/John Jones
5. Mekhi Becton’s poor start: Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur’s remarks regarding left tackle Mekhi Becton drew a lot of attention: “Mekhi is going through some difficulties at the moment. He’s not at his best right now.”
Here’s how it goes: It’s not because he’s chubby or out of shape. He’s just rusty after missing the whole spring season due to a foot ailment. It’s a new scheme that demands the Jets’ offensive lineman to move, and he’s adjusting to it. Becton must find it out fast since failing to do so may jeopardize the quarterback’s health.
6. For their eyes only: Scouting the other team is one of the advantages of joint practices. The Jets’ coaching staff got a nice look at the Green Bay Packers, and they’ll get another chance this week when the Philadelphia Eagles come to town on Tuesday and Wednesday. The data they collect is priceless, and it may influence personnel choices as they trim the roster. Don’t be shocked if one or two players from those clubs end up with the Jets, and vice versa.
Teams are often wary of joint practices because they worry the opposing side may leak the practice video to another club, but the Jets and Packers had a level of trust. Coach Matt LaFleur and Saleh are best friends. The Packers’ coach and Mike LaFleur have a sibling relationship, which aided in a seamless cooperation.
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7. Sponges: Quarterback Zach Wilson sat down with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to probe his brain on how to execute a two-minute drive. Mike LaFleur spent time with Rodgers as well. You pay attention when a potential Pro Football Hall of Famer talks.
Rodgers stated, “I wanted to offer them a couple of things to think about in their own space.” “He’s a first-time coordinator and starting quarterback. There were only a few aspects of the business that I thought I could assist with.”
Especially because the offenses of the two clubs are almost identical.
8. Goodbye, coach: Because he was the first coach I covered on the beat, the death of former Jets coach Joe Walton, 85, hit close to home. Before the 1989 season (my first, his last), I had dinner with Walton and his wife, which formed the foundation for a 2,700-word feature in Newsday. That night, Walton was so comfortable and open, sharing tales and convincing me to join him for a shot of Sambuca. It’s a fantastic memory.
Walton was dismissed after that season, but everytime I contacted him in the years following, he reminded me of that newspaper article. “That’s the best thing anyone ever written about me,” he usually began the discussion. It was heartening to hear, but bittersweet since I knew there weren’t many positive things said about Walton, whose seven-year tenure as coach (53-57-1) was marred by crowd shouts of “Joe Must Go!” and friction with his own players.
“He found his place towards the end of his life,” Marty Lyons, a former Jet, said of Walton’s tenure at Robert Morris University, which lasted from 1994 to 2013. “He returned to college and developed a curriculum. He was well-liked and recognized for developing young guys into outstanding leaders. The stadium was named after him. That, more than his work with the Jets, is what I believe people should concentrate on.”
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The 1986 Giants were led to Super Bowl triumph by Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.
9. Happy 80th birthday, Tuna: Speaking of former Jets coaches, Bill Parcells turns 80 on Sunday. His victories with the New York Giants will always be remembered, but his influence on the Jets was incalculable.
Rodgers had some hilarious quips about former Jets colleague Greg Van Roten and former NFC North opponent Jarrad Davis, an ex-Detroit Lions linebacker, in his last remarks.
Regarding Van Roten: “Over the years, I’ve given him several amusing nicknames. Van Rotten, Greg. We have some excellent footage of him. She’s a natural dancer.”
Regarding Davis: “Our players suffered many concussions as a result of [his] actions… Mr. Davis has one of the most powerful brains in NFL history.”
As part of a series of interviews conducted by Jets writer Robert Klemko, safety Robert Saleh spoke about his journey to the NFL and his experience with the 2016 Jets. There is a large group of die-hard Saleh fans who have followed the former USC Trojan’s career since the moment he signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2013.. Read more about jet’s pizza and let us know what you think.
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