Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter
The Jets will soon be introducing their new head coach, Adam Gase, to the media. Here are 10 questions we'd like to see Gase answer:
1. What did you learn about being an NFL coach during your time in Miami?
Any fans skeptical of the Gase hire might feel more confident if Gase will acknowledge some of his past mistakes. If he can assure he's learned from those and will strive not to repeat them, that could go along way toward winning over the fan base.
2. What are your thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the Jets' current roster?
It's going to be interesting to see how Gase views the Jets' team, having beaten them five out of six times as Miami coach. Could we pick up some clues as to how the team will be built during the offseason?
He'd expectedly talk at length about Sam Darnold and how he'll seek to develop him, but will he single out any other individual players for praise? In some cases, it might be telling if he doesn't mention a specific player by name.
3. Do you intend to retain offensive play calling duties?
The answer to this question is almost certainly yes, as Gase retained play-calling duties throughout his tenure with the Dolphins, whether his offensive coordinator was Clyde Christensen or Dowell Loggains, but it would be good to get confirmation of how things will work with the Jets.
4. How much of a role will you play on the defensive side of the ball?
Gase is the first Jets head coach with a background in offense since the mid-90s, but the recent defensive coaches have often been criticized for not intervening enough on the other side of the ball. It would be encouraging to see Gase confirm that he'll be heavily involved on defense as well.
5. What goes into the decision-making process when you're selecting your coaching staff?
By the time Gase is presented to the media, he might already have filled his staff, but if he hasn't, this will offer some clues as to whom he's targeting and why. Assuming he has filled the key roles by then, his response will give an insight into why they targeted whomever they ended up with.
6. How will you deal with insubordination and poor discipline from your players?
After Todd Bowles promised to make players accountable for both on- and off-field indiscretions, that never really happened, but it would be nice to hear Gase resolve to run a tighter ship. It will be interesting to see whether players who have had issues in the past get a fresh start under Gase.
It's been suggested Gase's main method of conflict resolution in Miami was to simply get rid of the player in question, but that's not always possible.
7. How much of an influence do you expect to have in personnel decisions, including the draft?
Gase is going to obviously going to want to target players who will suit his system during the offseason, so presumably will be involved in that process. However, with the reporting structure in place, it will presumably be up to Christopher Johnson to decide how much weight to place on whom Gase wants and who has the final say.
8. Are you most looking forward to facing Miami or New England?
It seems likely that Gase will probably want to exact some revenge on the Dolphins when the teams meet. However, there's always a bigger fish, so to speak.
While he probably won't come up with as memorable of a soundbite as Rex Ryan when he said, "I'm not here to kiss their rings," Jets fans will be keen to hear Gase declare the Jets' main ambition is to overtake the Patriots within the next few years.
9. Are you prepared for the media in New York?
When asked the same question four years ago, Bowles vowed to just be himself and sometimes went to painstaking lengths to honor that commitment. However, based on his time in Miami, where Gase sometimes had some prickly exchanges with media, usually in support of his players, perhaps his response to this question will show that he doesn't intend to be intimidated by the local beat.
10. Who will be your starting quarterback heading into training camp?
And finally ... what better way to curry favor with the media than by giving a straightforward answer to a question everyone knows the answer to? If Gase definitively says Darnold will be the starting quarterback and avoids the kind of non-answer that Bowles used to cause frustration with, that could illicit joy among the assembled masses. Moreover, it will show that he has his priorities straight.