The Man Who Will Turn The Jets Around

Author: Trevor Schwartz

Editor: Brian Symons

On the night of Thursday January 14th, the New York Jets made it official: they got their guy to lead this team. Robert Saleh, former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator since 2017, was on the top of a lot of teams lists this off-season and was going to get a job somewhere.

What stands out to me most is that Robert Saleh picked the Jets. He had options, but he wanted the Jets job. That says a lot. The Jets have two 1st round picks (including 2nd overall), a total of 6 picks in the top 100, and the 2nd most cap space entering this new year. The Jets job was clearly a good opening to land. Obviously the team doesn’t have a lot of talent, but Joe Douglas, Jets GM, had a promising first draft, who now has a surplus of draft picks that I already eluded to.

Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas have a lot of work to do, but it started with the hiring of Robert Saleh.

Saleh has had praise throughout the league for years with players citing his ability to “lead”. That is what the Jets need, a leader, and from what everyone has said, that is exactly what Saleh is.

On the night the Jets announced the hire, they got high praise from one of the NFL’s greatest defensive backs: Richard Sherman tweeted: “The @nyjets got a great one! Congrats to them!” Richard Sherman has been around the league a long time and knows what a great coach is.

Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers linebacker said on Good Morning Football that Saleh “coaches hard but with love” which is exactly what Robert Saleh was inferring to today in his opening press conference as he was officially introduced as Jets head coach. Saleh said that players want 2 things from coaches: 1- Care about their being and 2- help them make plays. When Fred Warner said that he coaches with love, you can tell because Saleh said you need to care about their well being. Coaches do way more than coach and it starts with getting to know the players and truly caring about them.

Saleh has an amazing press conference, he knocked it out of the park, as I already mentioned one thing from the presser. There are 2 more things that really stuck out to me and to us fans.

1: Robert Saleh said the mantra is going to be “All gas, no brake” meaning from the moment these guys wake up, they are going to get after it and better themselves so when they go to sleep they go to sleep a better person and player from when they woke up.

2: He is not going to be calling the defensive plays. He is obviously going to put in his scheme and work hand and hand with DC Jeff Ulbrich and OC Mike LaFleur. Robert Saleh instead of putting more and more time and effort into the defense, he can really be the CEO type leader the Jets have needed for years. He is overseeing everything as a head coach should.

Lastly, Saleh said on Cartoon and Roberts WFAN that he has already has reached out to every member of the Jets roster by writing them a note and told them they can zoom with him or come into the office and sit down and talk with him. He is not wasting any time.

While there are a lot of decisions to be made, like who will be the teams QB next year: could it be Darnold, Deshaun Watson, or even Zach Wilson; but we know one thing and that is that Robert Saleh is ready to lead this New York Jets team.

Christopher Johnson let Joe Douglas pick his guy and we can’t fully judge the hiring yet, but from the sounds of it he knocked it out of the park by hiring Robert Saleh.

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