Adam Gase just wants to coach. At least that’s what he’s saying publicly.
In reality, however, the head coach is already making changes to the team’s front office less than a week after being named interim general manager. Gase fired college scout Bill Dekraker this week, according to the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta. Dekraker joined the Jets in 2015 when Mike Maccagnan became GM and served as the team’s area scout in the Northeast. He previously worked for the Cowboys.
As Mehta mentioned, Gase wants to “streamline the scouting department” in the wake of Maccagnan’s firing. It’s a small yet significant development in Gase’s reshaping of the Jets. Only a day after the Jets fired Maccagnan, Gase traded 2016 first-rounder Darron Lee to the Chiefs, and Monday he waived 2017 fifth-rounder Jordan Leggett.
The scout firing might be a small example of the power struggle between Gase and Maccagnan. Mehta reported earlier this weekend that Maccagnan didn’t want Gase to “adversely influence his scouts’ evaluations” this offseason.
There was much speculation as to the relationship between Gase and Maccagnan before the firing. But Gase continues to publically say there was no rift between the two and there was no fight for control of the team.
“I disagree with that… as far as a power struggle,” Gase said this week. “Whoever’s going to be hired (as the next GM) is going to have the same control: Control of the roster… I coach the football team.”
Gase says he only wants to coach, but he seems to have a much bigger hand in the Jets front office than he’s letting on. He will reportedly have a large role in hiring the next general manager. Gase, alongside CEO Christopher Johnson and VP of business affairs/general counsel Hymie Elhai will conduct the search.
