Sunday, June 7 marked a year since Joe Douglas left the City of Brotherly Love to take on the challenge of being a general manager in the Big Apple.
Douglas’ first season in charge of the Jets was an eventful one. From his first free agency and NFL draft as the head of a front office to a bevy of trade rumors leading up to the deadline in October, 2019 and the early parts of 2020 featured a little bit of everything for New York’s general manager.
In honor of the one year anniversary of Douglas taking over at One Jets Drive, here are some of the best and worst moments of his first year as a general manager.
Good: Trading Leonard Williams
Douglas’ first trade deadline as a general manager proved to be a fruitful one, as he shipped the underperforming Leonard Williams across town to the Giants in exchange for a haul.
Douglas coaxed Dave Gettleman into trading a 2020 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick in exchange for a player with an expiring contract who Douglas had no interest in franchise tagging or re-signing this offseason.
The third-round pick netted Gang Green Ashtyn Davis, its potential starting free safety of the future. Even if the 2021 fifth-round selection does not amount to anything special, Douglas deserves credit for getting multiple picks for a player he had no interest in retaining.
Bad: Persuading Ryan Kalil to come out of retirement
When Douglas convinced Ryan Kalil to come out of retirement, it was viewed by many as a shrewd move to bolster an offensive line in need of a talented veteran. Unfortunately, bringing in Kalil turned out to be a waste of time and money.
It took nearly $7 million and six weeks of convincing to get Kalil out of retirement. In return, the Jets got seven lackluster performances before he hit season-ending injured reserve. Douglas meant well with this move, but Kalil simply could not get into the shape necessary to be an impact player for the Jets. The late move also messed with the chemistry of the unit, causing New York’s offensive line to struggle throughout the entire season.
Good: Bargain free agent signings
Signing Pierre Desir, Jordan Jenkins, Breshad Perriman and Brian Poole for a combined $21.5 million seems like something out of a video game, but that is what Douglas managed to accomplish in his first free agency as a general manager.
Not only did Douglas land four impact players at a bargain rate, but he also established a hard line in negotiations. That will pay dividends for the Jets in future contract negotiations.
Bad: Kelechi Osemele’s injury nightmare
Seven months after the Jets acquired Kelechi Osemele from the Oakland Raiders, the veteran offensive lineman fell victim to a shoulder injury that he said required surgery. New York disagreed and told him to play, even fining him every single day he missed practice.
Osemele eventually underwent surgery and the Jets ended the saga by releasing him. The damage was already done at that point, though. New York’s handling of the situation painted the organization in a bad light. That could have been prevented if Douglas figured out a solution to the situation before Osemele went to the press.
Chalk this one up as a learning moment for Douglas. It’s hard to see a situation like this one arising again.
Good: Attacking New York’s No. 1 need
The Jets entered the 2020 offseason in desperate need of multiple upgrades on the offensive line. How did Douglas approach fixing the unit? By dedicating most of New York’s offseason to adding talent in the trenches.
Douglas kicked off free agency by re-signing Alex Lewis and bringing in George Fant on a three-year deal that is essentially a one-year, $9 million contract with the way it is structured. He followed by adding Connor McGovern, Greg Van Roten and Josh Andrews before selecting Mekhi Becton, New York’s left tackle of the future, with the 11th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Douglas also selected versatile Charlotte offensive lineman Cameron Clark in the fourth round.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Douglas made it his mission to get Sam Darnold protection given his background. The way he went about building the line is what impressed, though.
Good: Draft Day Dealings
Douglas’ first draft class as a general manager received mostly positive reviews. A big reason why is the deals he was able to make throughout the draft.
The Jets traded down 11 picks from No. 48 to No. 59 to land an extra third-round pick while still getting its top target at that point in the draft, Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims. The move was risky, but you can’t argue with the results. Douglas still got his guy and landed New York an extra pick in the process.
Douglas later turned the third-round pick he acquired from the Seahawks into three additional picks. He capped the day by sending a sixth-round pick to the Colts in exchange for cornerback Quincy Wilson.
Not a bad first draft as a general manager by any stretch.
