Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and Jets GM Joe Douglas are old friends.
Now, they may be competing for a primary coaching candidate.
When news emerged on Tuesday that the Jets are bringing 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for a second interview, it also appeared:
Roseman, of course, is looking for a new coach after Doug Pederson was fired. Douglas, who worked for Roseman before the Jets hired him in 2019, is sailing on his first search for a coach. So how is Douglas going to deal with this situation, since Roseman also targets Saleh?
Saleh is a highly sought-after candidate. He is a finalist for Jets – his first finalist. Roseman wants to talk to him. And Saleh has already interviewed Chargers, Jaguars, Lions and Falcons. Of the seven teams that need a coach, only Texans don’t target Saleh.
Douglas needs to consider all this while preparing to receive Saleh for a personal interview. How quickly will Douglas need to make a decision about Saleh, with a potential job offer?
Very quickly, it certainly appears, especially since Saleh is not in the playoffs and can be hired immediately. (And immediate availability for technical assistants who are not in the playoffs is always a factor in training surveys.)
After the Eagles fired Pederson, the obvious question for the Jets and Douglas was whether they would interview Pederson to replace Adam Gase. But there was also always the possibility that Douglas and Roseman would end up looking for the same candidates. And now, they are.
Eagles I also want to interview the Titans’ offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, who was interviewed by the Jets. All seven teams that need a coach are targeting Smith.
Ideally, Douglas would bring other finalists for personal interviews, after conducting nine video chat interviews in the first phase of this research. And Douglas can follow that plan. But in the pursuit of coaching, things rarely happen in the ideal way for a GM.
Saleh will be Douglas’ first personal interview about the research. Will he have to be the last one, if Douglas really wants him?
Thank you for trusting us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a signature.
Darryl Slater can be reached at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip on here.