The Jets’ circle spins round and round.
While the Giants continue to celebrate the John Harbaugh Palooza, the Jets continue to prove their instability.
Harbaugh has neatly been sliding his coaches into place – except for anticipated offensive coordinator Todd Monken who took the Browns’ job – and Glenn has fired nine of his 23 coaches from last season.
It’s a matter of the Giants being exuberant about a new beginning, and the Jets being trepid about their state.
Granted, Harbaugh has work to do, but he has a quarterback, and some other players to build a foundation.
Glenn already is playing desperately. Does firing coaches signify he knows what he is doing or not? Glenn will keep trying to make his mark on his team.
He does know that his Jets’ reign likely will be a short one.
Glenn booted offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, one of his buddies from his Detroit days, and looking at the numbers, he could justify it. New York ranked 29th in total offense (263.6 yards per game), and 29th in scoring offense (17.6 points per game).
Yet, the Jets were obviously tanking the last few weeks by playing Brady Cook at quarterback, which really didn’t give them a chance.
Now, Glenn has to hire former Panthers’ and Colts’ head coach Frank Reich as his offensive coordinator. Reich can bring stability, but he needs the pieces to make it work. He’ll get a prize, rookie quarterback and possibly a wide receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson and also Breece Hall if he is re-signed. The Jets’ line is respectable with two rising young tackles.
Veteran defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was rumored to be on the other side of the ball, even though it appeared like a personality clash with Glenn on the surface. But that bubble burst when negotiations with Martindale broke down.
Instead, Glenn turned to former Lions’ buddy 36-year-old defensive assistant Brian Duker. Duker fits a figurehead as Glenn apparently will be calling defenses.
Bad mistake.
Glenn needs to focus firmly on being a head coach. If he waited a day, he could have talked to respected DC Jim Schwartz, who left the Browns after he didn’t get the head job. Jim Leonhard, a former Jet, would have been a good choice. Minnesota’s Brian Flores would have been an easy choice, but he wasn’t in the mix.
The Jets ranked 25th in total defense (355.6 yards allowed per game), and 31st in scoring defense (29.6 points allowed per game) last season. They need a veteran presence here.
To top the coaching purge, former Bucs’ and Raiders’ boss Jon Gruden reportedly was offered the office coordinator’s job, but he turned it down.
On many fronts, it is presumed that Gruden’s offer came from owner Woody Johnson, and not Glenn. Gruden, like Martindale, and Glenn are both strong personalities, and they apparently wouldn’t mesh well.
Coming from Johnson, you have to wonder if this is a telltale sign that Gruden will be the Jets’ head coach next season if the Jets start slow and look bad. It can be appealing to Gruden with some prize draft picks in place if GM Darren Mougey gets it right.
If it’s true, why not fire Glenn now before the free agency period and draft?
It’s still early, but there’s plenty of drama between the Meadowlands and Florham Park.
And there will be plenty more to come.
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