The Jets introduced Rex Ryan as their head coach 12 years ago, on January 21, 2009. It was the day after the presidential inauguration. He faced doubts about whether to leave his quarterback.
Twelve years later, the Jets will introduce Robert Saleh as their head coach on Thursday at 2pm. It is the day after another inauguration and Saleh will answer questions about his plan in the quarterback.
Ryan won the press conference that day. He said the Jets will meet soon with newly elected President Obama, and Ryan has given life to an organization and fan base that has been shut down by his predecessor, Eric Mangini.
Saleh has a chance to do the same thing on Thursday. Jets fans and the organization are eager for change after two years of defeats with Adam Gase, who missed his introductory press conference. Saleh has a chance to energize the Jets universe on Thursday.
Like everything else today, it will be different. Saleh will not speak to a room full of reporters. Instead, he will speak during a call from Zoom, looking at a computer screen. Still, this is an important day for Saleh and the Jets. Here are the questions we would like to answer:
Questions for Saleh
What is your assessment of Sam Darnold?
The defender’s question will dominate the off season. Saleh is believed to be a Darnold fan, but the team must decide whether it would be smarter to move on. Expect Saleh to speak well of Darnold, but make no promises.
Will you call the defense?
How far are the Jets from being a candidate?
The fans are out of patience. It’s been 10 years without the playoffs and five consecutive losing seasons. Saleh must deliver his plan and vision of how he is going to get the franchise out of this funk and how quickly he can do it.
The Jets began to find a CEO coach who would oversee the entire team. They felt that Gase was too involved in his attack and ignored the defense. Can Saleh be that coach of the CEO and still make defensive calls or will he give up on calling an assistant coach? It is a balancing act for a coordinator promoted to head coach. The reason why Saleh became a candidate for head coach was his defensive ability. But a head coach must oversee everything.
Questions for CEO / President Christopher Johnson
Will the organizational structure change?
The Jets have had their head coach and general manager reporting to the owner since 2015, instead of having the head coach under the GM. It seems to drive fans crazy for some reason. Johnson said they would consider changing it. Now, let’s find out if they want to.
Why is it different this time?
This will be the seventh head coach the Johnsons have hired since buying the team 21 years ago. Some, like Ryan and Herm Edwards, have had modest success. Others, like Gase and Todd Bowles, failed. Why should fans believe they got it right this time? What makes Saleh different from your previous hires?
When is Woody Johnson returning to the team?
Woody Johnson has spent the past few days saying goodbye to the UK on Twitter. His term as US ambassador to the United Kingdom ended Wednesday, when the new government took office. But no one around the Jets said how quickly he will be back in charge of the team. Will we have that answer on Thursday?
Questions for GM Joe Douglas
What is your plan as a quarterback?
It is the biggest question that Douglas faces, but don’t expect a direct answer. He cannot talk about Deshaun Watson, who is under contract with the Texans. He will not talk about draft choices. Expect him to praise Darnold and dance around anything definitive.
What will be Saleh’s participation in personnel?
When the search for coaching started, Douglas said he wanted a partner. That means Saleh must have a say in who’s on the team. This will be a collaborative effort, with Douglas keeping the final say on the 53-player roster.
How aggressive will you be in the agency?
Jets are designed to have more than $ 70 million in wage cap space. The team has holes in the entire cast. Douglas was conservative last year at the free agency. Will he be another free spender this year? Saleh is in desperate need of a talent upgrade if he wants to be more successful than Gase.