It appears as if Jets head coach Todd Bowles will be fired in the coming weeks, but it’s really just a matter of exactly when that happens.
Still, that’s led many to question what exactly will happen with general manager Mike Maccagnan, who has made some questionable decisions as well, especially as it relates to overpaying veteran free agents.
Maccagnan replaced John Idzik as GM in 2015, and he’ll be wrapping up his fourth season in that position. As a result, he’s on the hot seat as well, and this is the time of year when we begin to hear reports that essentially place the blame on Bowles — who is surely gone — rather than Maccagnan.
Apparently, Bowles and Maccagnan have been at odds over the Jets’ vision for years, as it relates to roster building and playcalling. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News published a report stating exactly that on Thursday. It reads:
The current set-up has created division, friction and passive-aggressive petulance between Maccagnan and Todd Bowles, according to sources. Their partnership, a shot-gun marriage arranged by consultant Charley Casserly and approved by Woody Johnson four years ago, has eroded through the years.
Both are culpable for the current state of affairs, but the belief inside the organization is that Maccagnan can learn from his missteps. However, the brain trust has lost faith that Bowles will be able to correct his shortcomings as a head coach.
Here’s the unvarnished truth about Maccagnan and Bowles’ relationship: They do not share the same vision or views on players regardless of what each has said publicly through the years. Sources said that both have been professional towards each other, but they don’t think that either of them truly respects the other’s ability to identify talent and have a plan for success.
Notice the bolded text, as it sure seems like Maccagnan’s camp may have been the “source” of this bit of information. It essentially throws Bowles under the bus, and buys Maccagnan another year at the helm. Here’s the issue with that, though. If the Jets fire Bowles, and Maccagnan hires the next head coach, what if he’s fired in one year from now? The new general manager would want to pick “his guy” as head coach, yet he’d be stuck with Maccagnan’s guy.
If the Jets were smart, they’d clean house by firing both Bowles and Maccagnan, and starting over with a decent roster and a franchise quarterback for the future. But it doesn’t appear that’ll be the case.
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