Jets to hire John Morton as offensive coordinator, reports say

HOUSTON _ Todd Bowles apparently has found his new offensive coordinator.

The Jets coach reportedly plans to hire New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach John Morton for the position and a deal is expected to be finalized "soon," according to ESPN.

While in Mobile, Ala., with the rest of the Jets contingent last week for the Senior Bowl, Bowles made it clear he had targeted a replacement for his former offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. "I'm pretty sure where I'm going," Bowles said on Tuesday.

That path led him to Morton, who recently interviewed for the opening.

Morton rejoined coach Sean Payton's staff in 2015 after serving as the Saints' offensive assistant and passing game coach in 2006. He went on to work with Pete Carroll at USC, where he coached the receivers and became the Trojans' offensive coordinator in 2009.

Morton twice worked under Jim Harbaugh, first as his passing game/wide receivers coach at the University of San Diego in 2005 and then as the San Francisco 49ers' wide receivers coach from 2011-14. During that time, Colin Kaepernick _ a potential option for the Jets this offseason _ was their quarterback.

Along with having some of football's most experienced coaches as mentors, Morton has a track record of improving the play of his receivers. The 49ers, who had Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree, made three NFC championship game appearances between 2011-14 and played in Super Bowl XLVII.

The Saints' receiving corps also showed improvement with Morton's guidance over the past two seasons. Former first-round pick Brandin Cooks (1,173) and rookie Michael Thomas (1,137) each surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark. The pair, along with wide receiver Willie Snead, totaled 21 touchdowns in 2016.

Morton, who broke into NFL coaching as an offensive assistant with the Oakland Raiders in 2002, also coached the team's tight ends in 2004. But it remains to be seen if all of that knowledge as a position coach can make up for his lack of experience as an NFL play-caller.

Though he's shown an aptitude for improving wide receiver play, Morton has yet to prove that he can develop quarterbacks.

The Jets currently have two inexperienced signal-callers in Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty, who will be working with a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, following Gailey's unexpected retirement and the firing of Kevin Patullo.