Tag: Robert Saleh

Report: Multiple teams have called Jets about Sam Darnold

The Jets have received phone calls from multiple teams in the NFL interested in trading for Sam Darnold.

The Jets have received calls from multiple teams interested in trading for QB Sam Darnold, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Schefter added that the Jets have not come to a decision on their plans at quarterback yet. ESPN reached out to the Jets looking for comment, but they did not confirm nor deny that they have received calls on Darnold.

With Robert Saleh hired as the team’s new head coach, Darnold’s future and the quarterback position are next on the Jets’ offseason to-do list. Saleh has praised Darnold’s skillset since his introductory press conference, but he has repeatedly stopped short of committing to the 23-year-old long-term.

Joe Douglas has taken the same approach. He believes Darnold has a “bright future” in the NFL but isn’t sure it will be with the Jets. Douglas wasn’t the one who drafted Darnold out of USC in 2018, so he has no ties to Darnold. Douglas has the final say on all personnel-related decisions but is consulting with Saleh.

Darnold’s third season with the Jets was a rollercoaster. He missed four games in 2020 due to a right shoulder injury. It was the third consecutive year that Darnold missed at least three games because of an injury.

In the 12 games that Darnold did play, though, the numbers weren’t pretty. He had a 57.6 percent completion percentage to go along with 2,208 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Jets were 2-10 in the games Darnold started.

News of potential Darnold suitors comes as QB trade talk picks up around the league. The Lions already agreed to send Matthew Stafford to the Rams for a haul and the Deshaun Watson sage remains ongoing in Houston. The Eagles are also expected to trade Carson Wentz soon. Among the teams that called Detroit about Stafford, according to Schefter: Washington, Indianapolis, Carolina, San Francisco and Chicago. All could be suitors for Darnold — if the Jets choose to trade him.

The Jets have a monster decision on their hands, but it doesn’t look like they’re ready to make it just yet. Over the next few weeks, though, they’ll have to decide whether to keep Darnold or trade him to another team.

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Denzel Mims talks Sam Darnold, Deshaun Watson and Jets’ big QB decision

Denzel Mims thinks Sam Darnold is a ‘great quarterback,’ but he trusts Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas to make best decision at quarterback.

Denzel Mims is cool with riding with Sam Darnold in 2021.

Mims was on SportsMap Radio’s “The Jake Asman Show” recently and showed his support for the Jets’ incumbent quarterback. The rookie wide receiver only played in seven games with Darnold in 2020 but is confident in his ability. When Mims got pressed about Darnold’s uncertain future with the Jets, he said Darnold can thrive either in New York — or elsewhere if that’s the route Gang Green takes.

“I think Sam is a great quarterback,” Mims said. “I don’t really have nothing bad to say about Sam. I think he’s a great quarterback. The kid does a lot of really great things, so whatever happens to him if he’s here or somewhere else, I think he’ll be a great quarterback wherever he lands.”

In the seven games that Mims and Darnold played together, they only connected 16 times for 224 yards.

The limited connections had more to do with Darnold than Mims. Darnold has a tendency to lock onto one receiver and he didn’t go through his progressions well this past season. Mims routinely got himself open — and demonstrated he can make plays in traffic — but Darnold didn’t find him often enough. Part of that had to do with the limited time that Darnold had in the pocket, though.

Mims was also asked if he’s heard the rumors about Deshaun Watson potentially getting traded to the Jets. While Mims didn’t give a clear-cut answer to the question, he did say he will back Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas’s decision under center.

“I put all my trust in coach Robert and Joe Douglas,” Mims said. “So whatever decision they make, I know it’s best for the team, so I’m 100 percent behind them on that.”

Mims separately told SNY that, generally speaking, “you want to play with” a “top-five” quarterback, but he again left the decision-making up to New York’s brass.

“Whoever I have, I’ll be thankful for it,” the receiver said.

4 things to know about new Jets cornerbacks coach Tony Oden

Jets Wire takes a look at what Tony Oden brings to Robert Saleh’s staff as the Jets’ cornerbacks coach.

Robert Saleh continued to add to his first Jets coaching staff this week, hiring three defensive assistant coaches. That includes Tony Oden, who will serve as a senior defensive assistant and the team’s cornerbacks coach.

Oden has a great deal of coaching experience, spending significant time in the collegiate ranks before moving to the NFL in 2004. Oden is the latest former 49ers defensive assistant to follow Saleh to New York.

Let’s get to know a little bit more about New York’s newest cornerbacks coach.

4 things to know about new Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel

Get to know new Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel.

Robert Saleh continued to round out his first Jets coaching staff Tuesday, hiring three defensive assistant coaches to help bolster a unit that ranked among the worst in football last season.

One of those coaches was Marquand Manuel, a former NFL defensive back with a bevy of coaching experience — including two separate stints working alongside Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

Let’s get to know a little bit more about New York’s newest safeties coach.

2 more former 49ers defensive coaches hired by Robert Saleh, Jets

Two more 49ers defensive coaches are joining Robert Saleh’s coaching staff with the New York Jets.

The migration of coaches from the San Francisco 49ers’ staff to the New York Jets’ staff didn’t end with Robert Saleh and Mike LaFleur heading east. Two more coaches who were with the 49ers last season, Tony Oden and Mike Ruttenberg, will both join Saleh’s defensive staff with the Jets according to reports.

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported Oden would take over as a senior assistant and cornerbacks coach in New York. Oden joined the 49ers’ staff last season as the defensive backs and cornerbacks coach, so his role will be similar with his new club.

Ruttenberg was the passing game coordinator for San Francisco last season in his only year on the staff. He’ll be taking on a new role with the Jets and coaching their linebackers according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

The 49ers in late January added former Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin to their staff. He’ll absorb both the roles vacated by Oden and Ruttenberg. ESPN’s Field Yates reported Undlin would be the passing game coordinator and coach the defensive backs.

Chiefs RB Le’Veon Bell reflects on Jets ahead of first Super Bowl

Le’Veon Bell looked back on his time with Jets after having a bad falling out with the organization.

Le’Veon Bell is just days away from playing in the first Super Bowl of his career, but the Chiefs running back spent some time thinking about the Jets on Tuesday.

Bell spoke to reporters during Chiefs media day at Super Bowl LV. The 28-year-old running back didn’t think he would be playing for the Chiefs this season. However, Bell found himself “so frustrated” with all the losing in New York, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Eventually, Bell had a “disagreement” with the organization that led to his release.

Bell had a chance at a revenge game against his former team in Week 8. It didn’t work out that way, though, as Bell was limited to 38 total scrimmage yards in a 35-9 win over the Jets. When facing the Jets for the first time in a different uniform, he sensed that they weren’t playing as a team.

“The Jets play hard,” Bell said, per SNY. “I feel like they have a lot of good players over there…  I feel like they weren’t playing together for real in a sense and I sensed that playing against them.”

Bell added that he’s “still close with a lot of guys over there” and believes that things could turn around for the Jets with Robert Saleh as the new head coach.

The former All-Pro running back signed a four-year deal with the Jets worth $52 million with $25 million fully guaranteed ahead of the 2019 season. Bell didn’t live up to his All-Pro status, as he only rushed for 863 yards and three touchdowns in 17games with the Jets.

Bell’s production with the Chiefs didn’t increase much in the nine games he’s played for them. He has 63 rushing attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 99 receiving yards. Nonetheless, Bell is playing in the Super Bowl with the hope of securing the first ring of his career.

Report: Jets add 2 more defensive coaches to Robert Saleh’s staff

The Jets have hired Marquand Manuel as their safeties coach and Tony Oden as their senior defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach.

Robert Saleh has made two new hires to his coaching staff.

According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Jets have added Marquand Manuel as their safeties coach and Tony Oden as their senior defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach.

Manuel and Saleh were together in Seattle from 2012-2013. Manuel served as the assistant special teams coach in the first year before transitioning to defensive assistant. Saleh was the defensive quality control coach.

Manuel also has ties to Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. The two were in Atlanta from 2015-2018. Manuel was the secondary coach and was then promoted to defensive coordinator for two seasons. Ulbrich, meanwhile, was the linebackers coach.

Manuel was the defensive backs coach with the Eagles in 2020. Before coaching in the NFL, he had an eight-year playing career with the Bengals, Seahawks, Packers, Panthers, Broncos and Lions. Manuel recorded 368 total tackles, 16 pass defenses, two interceptions, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one sack in 116 games as a safety.

As for Oden, he worked under Saleh as the 49ers’ defensive backs coach last season. They were also together in Houston in 2005 when Oden was a defensive assistant and Saleh was a defensive intern.

Oden has held numerous positions in his 25-year coaching career. He started as an assistant defensive backs coach with Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 1996. The next year, Oden became a graduate assistant at Boston College. He then worked at the United States Military Academy as a defensive backs coach and then as the head JV coach.

In 2000, Oden joined East Carolina’s coaching staff as an outside linebackers coach and was named the secondary coach in 2001. After two years at East Carolina, Oden became the defensive backs coach at Eastern Michigan from 2004-2005.

In 2006, Oden got his shot at the NFL as the assistant secondary coach with the Saints from 2006-2010. He earned the full-time position as the Saints secondary coach in 2011. The following two years, Oden served as the defensive backs coach with the Jaguars and Buccaneers, respectively. From 2014-2017, Oden was the cornerbacks’ coach with the Lions. In 2018, Oden was the Lions’ defensive backs coach and was named their safeties coach in 2019.

Report: Jets talked to Lions about Matthew Stafford trade

Joe Douglas reportedly called the Lions about Stafford, but talks didn’t progress very far.

Before the Rams traded quarterback Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pick to the Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Jets “checked in” with Detroit, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

The Jets were one of seven other teams to ask the Lions about Stafford, per Breer, but “talks didn’t go very far” between New York and Detroit when the Lions called back on Saturday.

Other teams included the Panthers, 49ers, Colts, Bears, Patriots and Washington. Stafford didn’t want to be traded to New England.

This report means Joe Douglas is looking at all his options before settling on his 2021 starter under center. Stafford would have been a great stop-gap quarterback, but not a long-term option for the Jets or worth the No. 2 overall pick.

With Sam Darnold alread on the roster, attention will now turn toward the Jets’ potential pursuit of Deshaun Watson, even though the Texans remain adamant they won’t trade him. Since the Stafford trade, the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain reported that the Texans want two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two young defensive starters for their 25-year-old quarterback.

If the Jets decide not to get into the Watson sweepstakes, they could easily draft a quarterback at No. 2 or keep Darnold. Either way, the report about the Jets asking about Stafford means Douglas is more than willing to explore other options.

Darron Lee wants another chance with Jets: ‘I will come and deliver’

Darron Lee wants a chance to redeem himself with the team that drafted him.

Darron Lee did not come close to living up to his potential in his first go-around with the Jets. Now he wants a second chance to make things right with the team that drafted him.

Lee took to Twitter on Thursday to campaign for a return to the Big Apple and a chance to play for Robert Saleh. The 26-year-old fell well short of expectations playing for Todd Bowles, but he believes a second stint with New York would bring out the best version of himself.

“#JetsNation didn’t get the full DLee,” Lee tweeted. “If Saleh would have me? I would come and deliver. I promise.”

Pegged as an ideal fit in Bowles’ defense due to his versatility coming out of Ohio State, Lee’s progression in New York ran stagnant. He was the lowest-graded rookie inside linebacker in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2016 and ranked 87th out of 88 qualified inside linebackers in 2017. Lee hit rock bottom in 2018, as he was hit with a four-game PED suspension to end the year. The Jets proceeded to decline his fifth-year option and traded Lee to the Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft — a pick that was subsequently traded to the Colts for Quincy Wilson.

Lee won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2019, but he did little to contribute throughout the season and was inactive for the big game. Kansas City did not re-sign Lee when he hit free agency last March and was suspended for the first four weeks of the 2020 season. He caught on with the Bills in November and was elevated to Buffalo’s active roster in Weeks 10 and 12, but was sent back down to the practice squad after each game.

The Jets could benefit from adding some inside linebacker depth this offseason, but Lee is likely not the answer they are looking for. Even with a new regime in place at One Jets Drive, it’s safe to assume any chance Lee gets to revive his carer in 2021 won’t come with New York.