"This is a good day, a really good day."
That's how Jets CEO Christopher Johnson opened up the press conference to introduce new GM Joe Douglas at the Jets facility in Florham Park on Tuesday.
Johnson and the Jets moved on from now-former GM Mike Maccagnan, though he did complete their draft and free agent moves. Head coach Adam Gase was given the interim role, as the Jets went searching for someone who "shared my vision for the team," as Johnson put it.
And that man was Douglas -- the Eagles EVP of player operations that was at the top of the candidate list. Johnson couldn't have been any more certain that Douglas was the right man for the job.
"Joe is the right person at the right time that our fan base will get to know and love," he said.
With that, Johnson introduced Douglas and here's what we learned from his first words as the Jets' new GM...
On his relationship with Gase...
One of the main reasons many saw Douglas and the Jets meshing was his previous relationship with Gase. A rift between Maccagnan and Gase was reportedly caused due to clashing viewpoints, though it was disputed by Gase following Maccagnan's firing.
Douglas admitted that "my relationship with Adam played a great part in this," while adding "I'm excited to work with Adam again after building a special bond in Chicago."
Douglas explained that being the new guy on the block with the Bears, Gase invited him to his house for dinner and they hit it off immediately. Reuniting in New York, the Jets are hoping that fluid relationship continues during his tenure.
On hitting the ground running...
Douglas is already working on how he can improve the team.
"The hunt never stops for players," he said. "We have the No. 3 claim in the waiver order, we're going to use that to our advantage. We're going to comb through every waiver wire that comes out. There's a lot of different avenues to improve your roster."
Any good GM knows that there is always a way a team can improve, and Douglas noted being excited to see what the preseason games and training camp has to offer so he can put together the best 53-man roster possible for the Jets.
Video: The Timing was right for Joe Douglas to join Jets
On Jets' current roster...
He'll be looking to add depth, but Douglas likes the players he currently has on his roster.
Joe Douglas says that there's "a lot of exciting pieces" on this Jets roster: pic.twitter.com/RxknhAoivJ
- SNY (@SNYtv) June 11, 2019
"There's a lot of exciting pieces on this roster," he said. "Having competed with C.J. Mosley, competed against Le'Veon Bell, obviously Sam Darnold -- it starts and stops with quarterbacks. It's the most important position in all of professional sports. Having a young quarterback with his ability, having competed with Kelechi Osemele -- there's a lot of exciting pieces."
Those are just a few pieces Douglas and the Jets will be expecting a lot from this season, but they are the reason he views this team as a win-now bunch.
On what his first order of business is...
Douglas is a little late than he might like entering a new season. June marks the end of minicamps and the final days of OTAs before gearing up for training camp.
Stepping into a new building on top of that, Douglas may be a step behind, but knows what he wants to do first before anything else.
"Engage and connect with everyone in the organization," he said.
Building personal relationships from the start is always a good sign.
Douglas' message to Jets nation...
Douglas finished up his opening remarks with a message to Jets fans, one that gave his promise to the team:
"Finally, to Jets Nation, you're getting a general manager that is a relentless worker. Someone that understands a winning culture. Someone that is going to strive to put a product on the field each Sunday that competes for greatness and that I hope will make you proud."