Jets hire Joe Douglas as next General Manager

After doing something extremely unconventional by firing General Manager Mike Maccagnan in the middle of the offseason, the New York Jets hit a home run by hiring Eagles’ executive Joe Douglas to replace him.

There may well be a method to the New York Jets’ madness after all. Just weeks after an unorthodox choice to fire General Manager Mike Maccagnan after he ran the team’s offseason, the Jets walked away with the top candidate on their list to replace him, Philadelphia Eagles’ Vice President of Personnel Joe Douglas.

Douglas received a six-year deal from the Jets, and Adam Schefter notes that the Jets did whatever it took to land their man.

The hire is a strong one for the Jets, and not just because Douglas has a terrific relationship with new coach Adam Gase. Douglas has learned under some of the best executives in the NFL, getting scouting experience in Baltimore under longtime GM Ozzie Newsome and cap skills from Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman, his old boss in Philadelphia.

There had been buzz in league circles that Douglas would be a candidate for the Houston Texans’ GM position, which opened today after they fired Brian Gaine. The Jets did the smart thing by doing whatever it took to land their guy, landing a highly regarded candidate to help build their organization at a critical juncture.

With Sam Darnold on his rookie contract, the Jets need to take advantage of that window to build a contender. Douglas helped do that in Philadelphia, where the Eagles loaded up with good players to win a Super Bowl in Carson Wentz’s second year as a pro.

The Jets did have a good offseason, adding Le’Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley in an expensive free agent class while drafting Quinnen Williams with the third pick in the draft. Douglas is inheriting a good situation with a potential franchise quarterback in place in Darnold, so the future does look bright for the Jets.