Jets owner Woody Johnson made a shocking move that signaled Joe Douglas’ doom in New York. The Jets general manager was fired on Tuesday, but the writing was already on the wall during the offseason. A recent New York Times article by Jets Senior Writer for The Athletic Zack Rosenblatt and Senior NFL insider for The Athletic Diana Russini confirmed the behind-the-scenes conflict over an offseason trade. A move that could’ve significantly helped quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the company.
According to the report, the following events took place:
“Last offseason, both (Robert) Saleh and Douglas agreed they needed to focus on rectifying some past mistakes they had made in free agency — specifically, they wanted to avoid aging players or ones with injury concerns. Douglas pursued a trade with the Denver Broncos for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, offering Allen Lazard and a Day 2 draft pick, according to a league source, but Johnson nixed it. Jeudy was instead traded to the Cleveland Browns.”
Woody Johnson’s decision reflects a Jets culture in need of a reset
While the Jets owner isn’t the first to veto a trade, this decision reflects a culture that has been rotting for a while. Allen Lazard is a talented receiver, but Jerry Jeudy would’ve been a terrific number two wideout behind Garrett Wilson. To recap last year’s stats, Lazard had 23 catches on 49 targets for 311 yards and one touchdown. These stats were all recorded in 14 games of action. In 16 games with the Denver Broncos, Jeudy caught 54 passes on 87 targets for 758 yards and two touchdowns.
Johnson’s decision to nix this trade reflects a culture that has consistently tried to accommodate Aaron Rodgers over the past few years. This catering is why the Jets have kept Nathaniel Hackett this long despite taking away his playcalling duties. In addition, the franchise has done its best to surround Rodgers with ex-Green Bay Packers, such as Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams.
In some cases, these moves make sense. However, it’s clear that the Jets organization has overextended itself to the team’s detriment to accommodate a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles. This overall strategy has not paid dividends. New York is 3-8, out of the playoff hunt, and coming off a humiliating loss to the Indianapolis Colts. To add insult to injury, the Jets are 1-5 since firing former head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start.
Jerry Jeudy may not have been enough to save this franchise, but trading for him was a step in the right direction. In addition, this move would have reflected trust in Joe Douglas instead of favoritism toward the Jets’ starting quarterback. Woody Johnson’s franchise has lost the plot when it comes to acting in the team’s best interest, and significant cultural change is needed.
New York currently finds itself in a position where it has to decide what to do with Rodgers and terrific young players like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Sauce Gardner. Now might be the time to trade everyone and blow it all up. Or perhaps trade some, re-sign others, and try to revamp the roster rather than completely rebuild it. Nevertheless, whatever decision the Jets owner, who holds the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, comes to, based on his track record, it might be best if he lets someone else make it.
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