Now that the first major wave of NFL free agency has come and gone, Jets general manager Joe Douglas took some time on Wednesday to update where the team stands at this point of the offseason.
While Douglas touched on major topics such as the team's level of interest in free-agent pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney and where things stand with building around quarterback Sam Darnold, he also spoke on a number of other items, including the team's recent additions on both sides of the ball, preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft from home, and where things stand with a possible Jamal Adams extension.
Here are six key takeaways from Douglas' call:
On the team's overall philosophy with this year's free agency period
"I think I've been very open and transparent about what we needed to fix, the positions of need that we were going to address, and I feel that we need to really build a foundation moving forward of the right type of people and the right kind of depth on our team.
"We look for players that can not just come in and contribute immediately, but as I've said before, that fit the culture to what we are doing, fit the culture that me, Adam (Gase), Coach (Gregg) Williams, everyone is putting into place. So it was important for us to bring in those quality players that have the right level of toughness, intelligence, and versatility, and it was important for us to bring in those types of players and then bring them in on fair market deals."
On adding George Fant and Connor McGovern, and bringing back Alex Lewis
"As far as bringing in George Fant, excited about his athleticism. I think he's going to be a good fit into our scheme. The things he can do, lateral quickness, just the raw, athletic tools that he has, he's going to have a great opportunity to come in and compete for a starting spot.
"It's great to get Alex Lewis back in the fold. He brings that element of toughness and that nasty mentality that every good offensive line needs. I feel like we were able to bring an offensive lineman in with similar toughness and mentality that we're looking for in a guy like Greg Van Roten, who started a lot of games in Carolina. Again, another guy that's smart, he's been durable, he's been versatile.
"Connor McGovern, smart, athletic, can play center and guard, so we feel good about the football instincts, the versatility, the toughness of that group."
On challenges of front office members working from home during free agency/NFL Draft prep
"First off, apologies if you hear children screaming and the dog barking as I'm working remotely from home. Obviously it would have been more ideal for us to have this conversation in Palm Beach at the Owners Meetings, but with the new normal we're living in, that's just not the case. But it was important for us as an organization to take this time to just do a recap and an update of where we are after the initial wave of free agency and go over that with you guys.
"I just wanted to say that I'm glad all of you are here. I hope your loved ones are all healthy and safe. On a bigger scale, I want to thank everyone who's working to save people. If any of you have friends or family that are in the medical field, first responders, please give them my personal gratitude and thanks because they're the real heroes right now. If we can be a small diversion to what's happening around the world, we're welcomed to be that."
"We've all had to be flexible through this. We've all had to A & I, adjust and improvise. … We're obviously doing all of this remotely, and we're doing it to the best of our ability. … There's definitely a certain amount of uncomfortability when you're moving from your office to the home office with the distractions that can take place and just not adding the convenience. Everyone's had to go through that. I think everyone's done a great job. I think we've been able to over-communicate. I think we've been able to stay on the same page."
"I think we're still too far away from the actual draft to know exactly what and where we're going to be for the draft. Ideally, in a perfect world, we're back in our building, but we're all just trying to take this day-by-day, what we're going to do is plan for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best, but we're going to be ready, I promise you that."
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On the status of C.J. Mosley and Quincy Enunwa
"C.J. is progressing well. Everyone in this organization is excited to have a healthy C.J. Mosley. Not having him for 14 games was tough, but it's also a real credit to Gregg, his staff, and the rest of the defense for how they were able to perform all year. So he's progressing well.
"Still going through the process with Quincy. We should have some more information with that hopefully soon, but obviously that's a big question mark for us moving forward."
On Jamal Adams contract extension talks
"Since the last time I've talked to you guys, nothing's really changed on our end. Our focus has really been on finishing up on free agency and the draft, so no new news to report in that regard."
On re-signing Brian Poole and adding Pierre Desir
"I can't tell you how excited we are to get Brian back in the fold. Brian was a great signing last year, and he really solidified the nickel spot for us all last season. I think he was a big part of our defensive success during the year, so I'm really excited to have BP back with us.
As far as Pierre, that was a unique opportunity, obviously, when he was cut. Having (assistant GM) Rex Hogan here and the time that he spent with Pierre in Indianapolis, he could really touch on this player's character. When you watch the tape, the thing that jumps out his how distinctive Pierre is, especially in zone, and how good his ball skills are. When he has a chance to make a play on the ball, he's gonna get the interception or the PBU. Excited to have both of those guys in the secondary."
