CEO Christopher Johnson and general manager Mike Maccagnan had their opportunity to speak to the media at the NFL Owners meetings. Tuesday, it was Adam Gase’s turn.
With Maccagnan mainly talking about free agency and the draft, Gase focused more on the players the Jets got and how they will all fit on the roster.
With that in mind, here are five takeaways from Gase’s press conference.
Playoff Expectations
Christopher Johnson put no playoff mandate on Adam Gase or Mike Maccagnan for this upcoming season, but Gase has full intentions of being there in January.
“If we stay healthy, I think we’ll be in the right spot at the end of the year,” Gase said. “We should be in the conversation in December.”
Certainly this team has improved over the offseason with the additions it made, but there are still some holes that need to be addressed. The Jets can potentially take the next step if they stay healthy and the flaws on the roster are fixed.
Luckily for Gase, he has history on his side, as most of the Jets’ first-year head coaches do fairly well in their first season.
Le’Veon Bell’s Usage
Le’Veon Bell has a ton of mileage under his belt from his years with the Steelers. However, the Jets aren’t going to use Bell the same way.
“This is not going to be where we’re going to burn him out in the first six months,” Gase said.
In reality, the Jets can’t burn him out right away. They signed him to a four-year deal over the offseason. Given his age, 27, you just don’t know how much he has left in the tank at this point. Sitting out last season definitely saved him some wear and tear.
C.J. Mosley: Culture Changer
The Jets had no idea that C.J. Mosley was going to be available in free agency, but when he was they pounced.
“When he hit the market, it was a full-court press for us,” Gase said. “He’s a culture changer.”
Mosley is a one of the best inside linebackers in the game right now. He’s racked up over 100 tackles in four out his five seasons and has been a Pro Bowler four times as well.
While his production on the field stands out, it’s his veteran leadership that is what the Jets were looking for. Mosley has been to the playoffs twice with the Ravens and knows what it takes to win in this league. He’s going to be a big presence in the locker room for many years to come.
Josh McCown Could be Back
Josh McCown recently said he’d let the Jets know about his future in a couple of months. And the Jets seem to be okay with that.
“With a guy like Josh, the door is never closed,” Gase said.
McCown served as Sam Darnold’s mentor last season and enjoyed it a lot. The relationship he built with Darnold made the young quarterback a much better player. New York did sign Trevor Siemian to be its backup quarterback, but who says you can’t have three quarterbacks on the roster.
Why not bring McCown back to help Darnold make a leap in year two?
Injury Non-Updates
The Jets could be without two important starters at the start of offseason workouts.
Gase was asked about both Brandon Shell and Marcus Maye and if they will be ready for the start of the offseason program.
He didn’t give much of an answer.
Shell is coming off a gruesome knee injury, while Maye had surgery done on his shoulder. Both were originally expected to be back in time for workouts, but Gase is not ready too discuss their status.
