The Jets needed to hire a coach who was going to build a strong football culture, something that has been missing in Florham Park.
The day after the season ended, Jets co-owner Christopher Johnson said, “I’ve had a lot of encouraging conversations today with our players. I know they want to be part of a culture that leads to wins.”
Joe Douglas has talked quite a bit about the importance of “culture” since taking over as the team’s GM in June 2019.
“The plan is to create the best culture in sports,” Douglas said at his introductory press conference. “Every great team has that culture.”
So what exactly does a great sports culture look like?
One of the best football culture builders of the modern era, Urban Meyer, created strong cultures in the college ranks at Utah, Florida and Ohio State, and will now attempt to do the same in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A couple of years ago, while appearing on NFL Network, Meyer was asked what a strong football culture looks like. Here is what he had to say:
“It’s one of the most overused words in the English language. I don’t think people understand it. I thought I did, but I really did not as a young coach. I think culture is everything. It’s a lot of work.
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FIRST DOWN- A lot of potential, but a lot to learn
There is a lyric in an old song by the rock group Chicago that sums up where Zach Wilson is right now:
IN HIS OWN WORDS WITH DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JEFF ULBRICH - Ulbrich breaks down Jets' defensive personnel
(Marcus Maye) can do it all. I would feel comfortable with him (at free or strong safety). He’s a guy that, to me, he can play deep, he can play the half field, he can play the middle third, he can do that and you feel comfortable with it. I think he’s got range, speed and athleticism. I think he’s got ball skills and instincts to be a deep safety. But I think he’s got enough size and girth and want-to and courage to play in the box. It’ll be fun to utilize all the things that he does. He can cover tight ends; he can cover some of the wide receivers in this league.
Dan's Minicamp Diary
Becton bombarded with weighty questions
Saleh calls Wilson ‘relentless' as a worker
QUESTION SESSION WITH QB ZACH WILSON
Jets hope initiatives will increase winning edge
Aside from adding as many good players as possible to help the Jets improve, coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas are trying to turn over every stone to find extra ways to give their team a winning edge, and two examples of this were announced over the course of the offseason, with the additions of a game management coach (Matt Burke) and the installation of an Athletic Care and Performance Department. Let’s take a closer look at these two moves and how they might help the Jets:
Dan's Spring Camp Diary
This time of year for learning, experimenting, not stats
AUDIBLES-Saleh doesn't cave on offseason work
Tom Brady might be wrong about this one.
SAFETIES
Justin Simmons, Broncos 6-2 • 202 pounds • 27 years old
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Trent Williams, 49ers 6-5 • 320 pounds • 32 years old
LINEBACKERS
Lavonte David, Buccaneers 6-0 • 226 pounds • 26 years old