With Mike Maccagnan out as Jets general manager, new information about his tenure with the team is surfacing.
Maccagnan’s poor drafting history and failed free agent signings are public knowledge. Most of the stuff that went on behind closed doors was unknown — until now.
So, what do we now know about Maccagnan’s time as Jets GM? Let’s take a look.
Separated by a distance
As Adam Gase’s working relationship with Maccagnan worsened, New York’s head coach did everything he could to make his displeasure known.
Gase went as far as moving his seat in New York’s draft war room out of camera sight so he could not be seen next to Christopher Johnson, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Gase went to the extreme to take a stand. Clearly, it worked.
Hands off
Most coaches are vocal throughout the NFL draft. In many cases, coaches will go to bat for players they want in an effort to persuade the general manager to select them.
Gase did none of that in his first draft with the Jets.
Instead, Gase distanced himself from the draft process and let Maccagnan work. He rarely provided any input on potential draft picks or trade possibilities. Gase reportedly did not object to any of Maccagnan’s picks, either.
Pre-draft awkwardness
Throughout pre-draft meetings, Gase was itching to share his opinion on certain players and prospects who fit in his system. However, Maccagnan was having none of that.
Instead of allowing Gase to interject, Maccagnan shut him down and did not ask for his opinions during the meetings. Understandably, this angered New York’s head coach.
The most interesting aspect of this is the fact that Maccagnan employed the same philosophy during the Todd Bowles era. How a general manager did not allow the head coach to share his own evaluations on draft prospects is hard to understand.
Scout persuasion
Maccagnan’s decision to not allow Gase and Bowles to share their pre-draft evaluations on certain prospects did not stem from a desire for his opinion to reign superior.
However, Maccagnan did not want Gase or Bowles swaying his scouts in a different direction with their evaluations. When it comes to the NFL draft, it is essential that the coach, general manager and scouts all work in lockstep to come to a consensus on the best prospect for the team to pick. At 1 Jets Drive, that was simply not the case.
Maccagnan wanted things his way when it came to pre-draft preparation. In the end, it contributed to his fall from grace.
Indecisive Mike
As a general manager, one of the most important aspects of the job is being able to come to quick decisions on trades, free agent signings and other personnel matters.
Maccagnan failed to do so, and it contributed to his downfall. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Maccagnan’s lack of decisiveness frustrated teams trying to make deals with New York. It also annoyed Gase.
Looking back on it, it’s hard to believe Maccagnan lasted as long as he did with the Jets if he couldn’t come to quick decisions.
Free agent disagreements
With the second-most salary cap space in the NFL at his disposal, Maccagnan hit the ground running in free agency and handed out massive contracts to linebacker C.J. Mosley and running back Le’Veon Bell.
Like almost everything else Maccagnan did, this irked Gase.
Gase did not have an issue with Bell as a player, but he did not agree with the amount of money New York gave out. This wasn’t the only time in free agency Gase and Maccagnan did not see eye to eye. Gase wanted to sign veteran tight end Darren Fells, but Maccagnan declined to do so. Gase also wanted center Matt Paradis. Maccagnan did not.
