NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

January 22, 2015

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Jets' new era takes flight as Bowles, Maccagnan introduced (Dennis Waszak) ........................................................ 2

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Todd Bowles, Mike Maccagnan promise culture change without making guarantees (Anthony Rieber) ................ 3

Bowles-Maccagnan partnership off to a good start (Bob Glauber) .......................................................................... 5

Anthony Lynn joins Rex Ryan's staff in Buffalo (Kimberley Martin) .......................................................................... 6

New Jets management noncommittal on QB Geno Smith (Laura Albanese) ............................................................ 6

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 7

Spotlight’s on Jets and bevy of draft picks (J.P. Pelzman) ......................................................................................... 7

NFL Draft: Defensive backs preview (Art Stapleton) ................................................................................................. 8

NEW YORK TIMES .................................................................................................................................................. 9

In a Way, Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan Are Reuniting (Ben Shpigel) .............................................................. 9

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Bowles wants to change Jets' culture (Rich Cimini) ................................................................................................ 11

Seven thoughts on day one of the MacBowles era (Rich Cimini) ............................................................................ 13

Former Jets QBs coach David Lee: Geno Smith's mistakes 'killed us' (Rich Cimini) ................................................ 14

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan eyes Rams scout for front-office role (Rich Cimini) ....................................................... 14

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 15

Be glad Todd Bowles is neither a Rex nor a Belichick (Steve Serby) ....................................................................... 15

The grown-ups are back in charge of the Jets (Mike Vaccaro) ................................................................................ 16

Former Jets QB coach rips Geno Smith: His play ‘killed us’ (Brian Costello) ........................................................... 18

Todd Bowles’ opening Jets vow: ‘Going to work on getting rings’ (Brian Costello) ................................................ 18

NJ.COM ................................................................................................................................................................ 20

Jets get pat on back from Giants for hiring Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan (Dom Consentino) ...................... 20

In another arranged marriage of sorts, can Jets make Todd Bowles-Mike Maccagnan work? (Darryl Slater) ....... 20

Jets expected to hire Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger for front-office role, per sources (Dom Cosentino) ........... 22

Jets bend over backwards to say Todd Bowles is more than just a defensive-minded coach (Darryl Slater) ......... 23

How did New Jersey shape Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles, the two guys now running the Jets? (Maria Guardado) ............................................................................................................................................................... 24

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 24

As Jets welcome Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan, it’s time to build Gang Green to compete for the long run (Filip Bondy)............................................................................................................................................................. 24

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New Jets coach Todd Bowles not worried about kissing Bill Belichick's Super Bowl rings: ‘I’m going to work on getting my own rings’ (Seth Walder) ....................................................................................................................... 26

Geno Smith ‘killed us’ says former NY Jets quarterback coach who followed Rex Ryan to Buffalo Bills (Seth Walder) .................................................................................................................................................................... 27

First up for NY Jets new bosses Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles: Find a quarterback (Manish Mehta) ........... 28

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 29

Jets Unveil Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan, Stress Harmony (Alex Raskin) ...................................................... 29

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 30

Jets' Todd Bowles won't kiss rings, won't take shot at Patriots (Kristian Dyer) ...................................................... 30

Todd Bowles brings 'balance' to Jets (Kristian Dyer) ............................................................................................... 31

Maccagnan out to prove he isn't an Idzik (Kristian Dyer)........................................................................................ 33

WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS............................................................................................................... 34

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets' new era takes flight as Bowles, Maccagnan introduced (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press January 21, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-new-era-takes-flight-bowles-maccagnan-introduced

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — No bold statements. No wild guarantees.

Just two serious football guys from New Jersey aiming to turn the New York Jets' fortunes around.

Coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan presented a united front as a new era took flight for the Jets on Wednesday during a packed and mostly low-key news conference that formally introduced the pair.

"Going forward," Bowles said with a big smile, "it's going to be a dream working with this guy."

Maccagnan was hired last Tuesday to replace the fired John Idzik. Bowles was signed a day later to replace Rex Ryan.

And unlike Ryan's first brash, headline-making news conference with the Jets in 2009, the more understated Bowles offered no Super Bowl guarantees but rather modest goals focused on restoring a winning approach to a franchise that has missed the playoffs for four straight seasons.

"We're going to be a tough team," Bowles promised, "an intelligent team. We're going to do things the right way. ... We're going to try to build a championship team here, and that's my only job."

A few months into his tenure, Ryan declared that he didn't come to New York to "kiss (Bill) Belichick's rings." Bowles was asked about those same rings, and managed to not provide the New England Patriots with any bulletin board material.

"I'm going to work on getting my own rings," he said, joking. "They're the cream of the crop of the division. That's why they're in the Super Bowl. They're somewhere that we're striving to get to and that's what we're going to work toward."

The former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator also insisted that he will bring a new attitude to his players, a winning approach that's sorely needed after a 4-12 season.

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"We have to teach them our culture," Bowles said. "Not that the other culture was bad, but it didn't win."

This is a homecoming of sorts for both Bowles, who grew up in Elizabeth, about 19 miles southeast of the facility and was the Jets' secondary coach in 2000, and Maccagnan, who's from Hightstown, about 50 miles south of team headquarters. They both know the history of the franchise, from Broadway Joe making good on his Super Bowl guarantee in 1969 to the Jets' failure to make the big game since.

Both Bowles and Maccagnan used the word "dream" when they described their opportunity, and owner Woody Johnson declared that his two big hires were the perfect hires to get things turned around.

"These gentlemen, in my estimation," Johnson said, "are the people."

Maccagnan, Houston's former director of college scouting, said there's "a good foundation in place" on the Jets' roster, and he typically would like to build through the draft but indicated the team is still formulating its offseason approach.

All three men sat at a table in front of the team's auditorium — appropriately decked out in green ties — and preached the value of being on the same page. Johnson also made it clear that he likes the idea that Bowles will be focused on all three phases of the team — defense, offense and special teams — something that the defensive-minded Ryan was often criticized for not doing.

Bowles, who spent the last two seasons running Arizona's defense, won't be calling the plays on defense; that'll be up to his still-unnamed coordinator, but he'll have input. Same for the offense, which will be run by Chan Gailey, who was hired Tuesday after being a "priority" for Bowles because of his ability to "get the most out of" his players.

Bowles appeared to loosen up as the news conference went along, cracking a few jokes along the way and showing off some of his personality. When asked to describe himself, Bowles had the room laughing.

"There's a sarcastic side," he said, smiling. "There's a comedy side. There's a serious side. I'm sort of the male Sybil."

Maccagnan was mostly soft-spoken and all business when he took questions. He reminisced about when he and Bowles met while they were with the Redskins in the late-1980s, back when Maccagnan was an intern in the front office, and Bowles was a safety. The two didn't get to know each other well then — but met again last week when Maccagnan picked up Bowles from the airport, and they quickly determined they were a good match as GM and coach.

"It was a very natural fit," Maccagnan said. "It was just one of those situations that just felt right. I am very excited about going to war here with Todd here for the next few years."

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NEWSDAY

Todd Bowles, Mike Maccagnan promise culture change without making guarantees (Anthony Rieber) Newsday January 21, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/todd-bowles-mike-maccagnan-begin-new-jets-era-as-coach-gm-1.9829460

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Just like his predecessor, Todd Bowles didn't come to his first news conference as Jets coach to kiss Bill Belichick's rings.

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Unlike Rex Ryan, Bowles spoke quietly and without brashness. But the rookie coach also spoke with unmistakable confidence.

"I'm going to work on getting my own rings," Bowles said.

Bowles was introduced along with rookie general manager Mike Maccagnan Wednesday, more than a week after both were hired. Sitting to the left of owner Woody Johnson in the auditorium of the team's practice facility, Bowles and Maccagnan promised to give their best shot to the herculean task of bringing a championship to Jets fans.

"They're at the top of the division, man," Bowles said of the Patriots, who will face the Seahawks in the Super Bowl a week from Sunday. "That's why they're in the Super Bowl. That's something that you're striving to get to, and that's what we're going to work towards."

Neither man guaranteed multiple visits to the White House as Super Bowl champions, as Ryan memorably did six years ago when he was hired.

"Well, it's not going to happen overnight," Bowles said when asked about returning the Jets to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969. "We have pieces in place and we've got to build and we know that. Obviously, the Patriots are in the Super Bowl, and they're in our division, so we've got our work cut out for us. There's no timetable on it."

A reminder of the Ryan era literally hung over Bowles' and Maccagnan's heads.

"PLAY LIKE A JET" -- a common, and ultimately easy to mock, Ryan refrain -- was painted high on the wall behind the New Jersey natives, both of whom talked about changing the culture of a team that hasn't made the playoffs in four seasons and went 4-12 this season.

"Anytime you take over a team, or go to a different place, there's got to be a culture change, obviously, or there wouldn't be a change," Bowles said. "We have to get to some of the players and we got to teach them our culture. Not that the other culture was bad, but it didn't win. Our culture will be to try to instill different things in them from a winning organization's point of view to make us go forward and make the playoffs."

Maccagnan, who is from Hightstown, New Jersey, was most recently the Texans' director of college scouting. He called his first GM opportunity "truly a dream come true."

Bowles spent the last two seasons as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator. The native of Elizabeth, New Jersey, called his first head-coaching job "a dream of a lifetime."

Bowles showed the most personality in the nearly 49-minute news conference. He broke out laughing when he was asked to describe himself.

"There's a sarcastic side," he said. "There's a comedy side. There's a serious side. I'm sort of the male Sybil, so to speak."

Bowles also got chuckles when he was asked about being the only African-American head coach hired this offseason.

"First of all, I like to think I was hired because I'm a good football coach and not an African-American football coach," he said. "That comes first. After that, I'm only going to be an African-American. I don't think I'm changing anytime soon."

Bowles and Maccagnan were long on praise for Johnson, friendly Jets staffers and even the team's practice facility. They were short on specifics about Maccagnan's plans for the roster or Bowles' offensive or defensive schemes.

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"We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves," Bowles said.

Wow. Rex Ryan really has left the building.

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Bowles-Maccagnan partnership off to a good start (Bob Glauber) Newsday January 21, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/bowles-maccagnan-partnership-off-to-a-good-start-1.9831620

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - When Mike Maccagnan first sat down with Todd Bowles to interview him for the Jets' head coaching job, there was an interesting moment in the conversation that gave you a sense of why this partnership could work, and why the Jets might just be in good hands with their new general manager and new coach.

This was last Tuesday at the Jets' training facility, and Maccagnan, who had just been named GM after an intensive search by owner Woody Johnson and former NFL GMs-turned-advisers Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, was conducting his first interview with the head-coaching candidate.

It already was clear that Johnson had extremely high regard for Bowles, who already had been interviewed once. But Maccagnan wanted to be comfortable with the idea of working with Bowles. He also wanted Bowles to see if he'd be comfortable working with Maccagnan.

"I kind of opened it up to him and say, 'Hey, listen, I don't want to necessarily ask you questions, I want you to tell me what you think and see if I'm the guy you want to work with," Maccagnan said Wednesday at an introductory news conference. "It was a very natural fit."

Only time -- and results -- will tell if the Maccagnan-Bowles alliance will work, and the fact that neither man has lost a game in his current role lends itself to a feeling of optimism. But with their long and rich history of working in their respective fields -- Maccagnan as a longtime front-office executive in Houston and Washington and Bowles as a former NFL player and assistant in both the college and pro games -- there really is reason for genuine hope moving forward.

Yes, they are in their first gigs at the top after long apprenticeships. And there is obviously no guarantee of success, not in a league that is so uber-competitive. But Maccagnan and Bowles are widely respected among their peers, they both come with good references, and with Johnson needing to get serious about his football operation after a 4-12 meltdown last season, this looks like a solid pairing.

It is urgent for Johnson to have a GM-coach partnership that works, especially after watching the alliance between Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik unravel over a two-year period. Johnson thought he could thread the needle by having Ryan inherit a new GM after the owner fired Mike Tannenbaum. And while there were some promising results in an 8-8 season in Year 1, the differing agendas for each man -- Ryan needed to win now, while Idzik took a longer view -- resulted in a collapse.

Johnson wisely sought the counsel of Casserly, who first met Maccagnan when the two were in Washington and then brought him to Houston, and Wolf, who likely will be entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame this month. These two excellent football minds helped steer Johnson to the most promising talent available among this year's would-be GMs and coaches, and the Jets came out of it with two bright football people to steer them out of the mess from last season.

There is still much work to be done, and many more quality players to acquire to make the Jets a playoff contender. But Maccagnan has been around the game long enough to know how to build through the

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draft and act judiciously in free agency when the opportunity arises. And Bowles, a Bill Parcells disciple who was first noticed by the Hall of Fame coach when Bowles was a safety in Washington in the 1980s, has a long track record of earning the confidence of the players he has coached.

As a former player, he knows how to relate to them; and as a disciplinarian coach, he knows how to put down the hammer when a firm hand is called for.

"We're going to be a tough team, we're going to be an intelligent team," Bowles said. "We're going to do things the right way." Bowles will have the support of Maccagnan, and the two men will move forward with a resolve that seems genuine and feels right. Even if there are no guarantees.

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Anthony Lynn joins Rex Ryan's staff in Buffalo (Kimberley Martin) Newsday January 21, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/anthony-lynn-joins-rex-ryan-s-staff-in-buffalo-1.9831342

MOBILE, Ala. - Another former Jets assistant coach will be reunited with Rex Ryan in Buffalo.

Anthony Lynn agreed to join Ryan's coaching staff as the Bills' new assistant head coach/running backs coach, a source told Newsday. Lynn held the same job titles with the Jets.

He's the latest former Jets coach to agree to relocate to Buffalo. Ryan, who was officially introduced as the Bills' coach last Wednesday, took Dennis Thurman (Bills defensive coordinator), Karl Dunbar (defensive line), Jeff Weeks (assistant defensive line), Bobby April III (linebackers), David Lee (quarterbacks), Tim McDonald (defensive backs), Tony Sparano Jr. (tight ends), Eric Smith (assistant special teams) and Jason Oszvart (strength and conditioning assistant) with him.

Lynn met with the Jaguars and Browns about their offensive coordinator openings. According to a source, his interview Saturday with the Jaguars lasted seven hours, and on Tuesday Lynn met with the Browns during the Senior Bowl. But he was passed over for both positions, as the Jaguars hired Greg Olsen and the Browns hired former Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.

Ryan reportedly has agreed to add former Jets receivers coach Sanjay Lal to his staff, but the Bills have yet to announce the hire.

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New Jets management noncommittal on QB Geno Smith (Laura Albanese) Newsday January 21, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/new-jets-management-non-committal-on-qb-geno-smith-1.9829737

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Some of the newest members of Jets management hemmed when asked about the future of Geno Smith. Then they hawed.

But ultimately, the picture became clear: Many of those on the current roster are going to have to earn their spot in this new regime, and that extends to the quarterback.

New general manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles were asked about Smith's fate two questions into their news conference Wednesday, and though neither would commit to the third-year QB's position with the organization, they made it clear he would be under scrutiny.

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"With us just getting here, we're going to evaluate Geno as well as everyone else on the team," Bowles said. "When we get a good feel and get the coaches in the building, we'll sit down and do it then."

He added this faint praise:

"Obviously, he was a great college quarterback going in."

Maccagnan said that he was "excited about working with Geno and getting to know him a little bit better," before adding, "but I would say that at this point and time going forward . . . we really need to sit down and go through this roster and kind of get an idea of what we want to do."

Bowles, though, indicated that Smith staying might mean even bigger changes around him. When talking about selecting Chan Gailey as his offensive coordinator, Bowles said he respected him because he could "get the most out of the least players.

"If Geno is our guy going forward, we got to get guys around him to do a lot of things better, and Chan is outstanding at that and that made it a priority for me to get him," Bowles said.

The Jets have plenty of wiggle room, and Maccagnan isn't afraid to use it. Though Maccagnan and Bowles said again and again that there was no timetable for the evaluation and eventual changes coming down the pike, the Jets have significant cap space (reportedly more than $40 million) and the sixth pick in the upcoming draft.

"We will obviously look at all avenues to acquire players," Maccagnan said. "Free agency is obviously a very important part of that.

"I do think there's a good foundation of players in place and we obviously have to go forward and try to improve the overall talent. Everybody in the NFL has to do that. I do think there are definitely parts and pieces in place for us to turn this thing around."

He was equally noncommittal about his draft strategy. "I do believe philosophically you have to build through the draft for long-term success," said Maccagnan, the former Texans director of college scouting.

Then, he added the theme of the day: "We'll review all options."

Lee: Geno up and down. Former Jets quarterback coach David Lee, now with Rex Ryan and the Bills, said Smith hurt the Jets for two years. "Rex and I talked about it, he had some inconsistency and the up and down part is what killed us," Lee said in an interview posted on the Bills' website. "He would get loose with the football. We played good enough defense to win over there both years, but his play, it'll cost you and it cost us. But he also did some great things. The last five games this season, he was the seventh-rated passer in the league. He had a perfect passer rating his last game at Miami. The potential and ability is there."

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THE RECORD

Spotlight’s on Jets and bevy of draft picks (J.P. Pelzman) The Record May 6, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/249231911_Jets_release_CB_Antonio_Cromartie_to_Cromartie.html

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John Idzik was very tight-lipped during the Jets pre-draft news conference last week. Even when the general manager was asked questions that had nothing to do with whom the Jets might or might not select.

When Idzik was asked if the team's lack of activity in the free-agent market increases the pressure on him and the organization in this week's NFL Draft, he replied, "No, I wouldn't say it puts more pressure on. We approach it the same way. We view the draft, again, as a talent-based operation. We're just going to go after the best players for our organization. So I don't know that there's any more pressure based on what transpired or what may not have transpired in free agency."

Well, many observers, including most of the team's fan base, probably would disagree with that opinion.

Since being hired in January 2013, Idzik has stated repeatedly that the draft will be the Jets' "lifeline" in terms of building the roster. And considering that Idzik has stuck to a budget and a very cautious plan during his first two go-rounds in free agency, he's right that the draft will be of major importance to the Jets — especially this one.

The Jets will begin the draft Thursday night with 12 picks, including three in the fourth round and four in the sixth round. That amount of selections will give Idzik the flexibility to make trades up or down, although four compensatory picks cannot be dealt. (The Jets have one of those in the fourth round and three in the sixth.)

Idzik made a very good trade last year, sending the team's fourth-round selection to New Orleans for bruising running back Chris Ivory, who became a major contributor after an injury-plagued summer and keyed upset victories over New England and the Saints.

With major holes at key positions such as wide receiver and cornerback, plus that most experts consider this to be a very deep draft, Idzik should be able to fill a lot of his needs. It also will be interesting to see how he handles the later rounds.

Last year, Idzik apparently treated Day 3 of the draft, encompassing the fourth round and beyond, as a developmental day. Consider that the Jets took offensive linemen Oday Aboushi and William Campbell in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively, and neither dressed for a game in 2013. Having those two on the roster, plus Indianapolis castoff Ben Ijalana, another offensive lineman who was inactive all season, had a negative ripple effect on the special teams.

Idzik must find players in the later rounds at positions such as running back, wideout or defensive back who can contribute immediately on special teams under new coordinator Thomas McGaughey.

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NFL Draft: Defensive backs preview (Art Stapleton) The Record May 7, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/nfl-draft-defensive-backs-preview-1.1010612

Stapleton’s Fab Five: Defensive backs

Staff Writer Art Stapleton’s daily breakdown leading up to Thursday’s NFL Draft.

Head of the class

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Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State: A playmaker at corner, but plays with finesse more than physicality. Experience in man and zone coverage gives him an edge when it comes to finding the ideal fit for schemes at the next level.

Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech: Top-notch athlete with strong work ethic and versatility to play outside or in the slot. Ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, proving he also has the quickness to play the deep ball.

Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State: The physical corner has the instincts to shut down a side of the field. Anchored a very good defense and has solid awareness against the run with a willingness to come up and tackle.

Calvin Pryor, Louisville: Good anticipation with closing speed. Sound tackler who can be an intimidating presence (5-11, 207, making him one of the top safeties on the board.

Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, Alabama: A read-and-react playmaker at safety who has enough range and quickness to cover tight ends and slot receivers. Does not shy away from physical play against the run and has experience as a kick returner.

Sleeper

Jason Verrett, TCU: Very productive corner with good ball skills and nine career interceptions. Durability concerns, including a shoulder injury, have raised questions but, if healthy, he could be a steal. Also a playmaker on special teams.

Giants/Jets DB radar

GIANTS: While the Giants appear stacked at corner for 2014, don’t overlook the need for a safety in the mid-rounds – Minnesota’s Brock Vereen took a pre-draft visit – with the possible suspension of Will Hill upcoming.

JETS: Jets desperately need a CB after not signing a big-time one during free agency. If they don’t take a WR, they could select Gilbert, who has man-to-man skills for Rex Ryan’s defense.

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NEW YORK TIMES

In a Way, Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan Are Reuniting (Ben Shpigel) New York Times January 21, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/sports/football/mike-maccagnan-and-todd-bowles-take-measured-approach-to-rebuilding-jets.html?ref=football&_r=0

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — For preseason football, the Elizabeth High School team would travel about 40 miles south along the New Jersey Turnpike to the Peddie School in Hightstown, where a football­loving teenager named Mike Maccagnan would watch practice.

Elizabeth featured a savvy two­way star, Todd Bowles, who went on to play at Temple and with the Washington Redskins, with whom Maccagnan spent a summer as an intern. His jobs included checking players into training camp and picking them up from the airport, and one of those players, he figured, was Bowles. They did not interact much, if at all.

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But as their careers progressed — Maccagnan ascending through the Houston Texans’ personnel department, Bowles emerging as one of the N.F.L.’s more respected defensive coaches — each man started hearing about the other.

“A great evaluator of talent,” Bowles said of Maccagnan.

“Very genuine and real,” Maccagnan said of Bowles.

They spoke Wednesday while sitting beside each other at Jets headquarters, a week after being reunited for the first time in 25 years.

On the verge of being announced as the team’s new general manager last Tuesday, Maccagnan picked up Bowles, a top coaching candidate, at the airport. They passed signs for Elizabeth. After dinner they sat alone and chatted about their philosophies and experiences, a test of their compatibility. Maccagnan asked Bowles a few questions. Bowles had questions for Maccagnan.

“I was just looking for the character of the guy,” Maccagnan said.

Bowles said, “Each of us not having an ego, willing to help each other,” and added, “That’s what eased my mind.”

They were introduced Wednesday by the Jets’ owner, Woody Johnson, as men capable of leading the Jets to a championship, something Bowles’s predecessor, Rex Ryan, promised but never accomplished. Sitting in the auditorium beneath one of Ryan’s favorite phrases, “Play Like a Jet,” Bowles and Maccagnan offered no predictions or guarantees beyond the Jets’ playing a smart and tough and physical brand of football.

“We’re going to try to build a championship team here — that’s my only job,” Bowles said.

He added: “We have to teach them our culture. Not that the other culture was bad, but they didn’t win. So our culture is going to be to try to instill different things in them from a winning organization, from a different point of view, to make us go forward and get to the playoffs.”

The Jets, after tumbling to 4­12 this season, have not made the playoffs in four years, and neither Bowles nor Maccagnan felt comfortable saying when they could reasonably expect a return.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” Bowles said.

Maccagnan said, “I do think there’s definitely parts and pieces in place for us to turn this thing around.”

By “for us,” Maccagnan meant himself and Bowles. Maccagnan said if there was one prevailing lesson he had learned from his 15 seasons working in the Texans’ scouting department, it was the importance of a strong relationship between the head coach and the general manager. More than once he mentioned how he would work with Bowles “side by side” to identify and acquire the players they wanted. There was a disconnect concerning personnel last season between Maccagnan’s predecessor, John Idzik, and Ryan.

Maccagnan also said he and Bowles would review last season’s games and evaluate personnel before deciding upon, and implementing, a rebuilding strategy.

Asked to describe his style, Maccagnan said he believed that constructing a team through the draft was critical for long­term success. But, he added, he also expected to augment the Jets’ talent base through free agency. The team is projected to have at least $40 million in salary­cap space.

In that sense, he distanced himself from Idzik, who, aside from Eric Decker’s contract last off­season, doled out few lavish free­agent deals. With the Jets mandated by the collective bargaining agreement to spend an average of 89 percent of their cap space between 2013 and 2016, Maccagnan must spend these next two off­seasons.

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Some money could be allocated toward a free­agent quarterback, someone like Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom Maccagnan knows from Houston and who was coached in Buffalo by the Jets’ new offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. Maccagnan said they needed to discuss potential offensive schemes before deciding how to proceed at the position, whether to complement Geno Smith with a veteran or a high draft pick. But Bowles said that Gailey’s experience of getting “the most out of the least” in previous stops, including Buffalo and Miami, appealed to him.

In detailing what impressed him most about Bowles, 51, Johnson made not­so­subtle allusions to Ryan’s shortcomings, primarily his intense focus on defense without paying as much attention to other areas. Although Bowles has coached only defense, most recently as the coordinator in Arizona, Johnson said Bowles articulated what he called a view of the Jets from 30,000 feet — a comprehensive perspective of their offense, defense and special teams.

Bowles said that he would have strong input but that plays would be called by both coordinators — Gailey and, probably on defense, Kacy Rodgers, a former Dolphins defensive line coach.

Bill Parcells shaped this approach, Bowles said, but mentors at every stop molded him. Arizona Coach Bruce Arians, who coached him at Temple, taught Bowles toughness and discipline. His former defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas tutored him in fundamentals and technique. His former coach in Washington, Joe Gibbs, taught him determination.

“I did things the right way to get me to this point,” Bowles said, adding: “I didn’t start out trying to be a head coach. I started out trying to be a good football coach.”

By 2007, his final season in Dallas, Bowles knew he wanted to be a head coach. He worked, and then he waited for the chance that arrived last week, when he met with Johnson and Maccagnan, his once and future shadow, and outlined a plan to topple New England, their division rival and a conference

behemoth.

“I’m going to work on getting my own rings,” Bowles said.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Bowles wants to change Jets' culture (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York January 21, 2015

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/12205472/todd-bowles-new-york-jets-says-working-getting-own-rings

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets coach Todd Bowles was greeted Wednesday at his introductory news conference with the same question that confronted his predecessors, Rex Ryan and Eric Mangini.

How does he feel about chasing the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick, who are now contending for their fourth Super Bowl ring?

"I'm going to work on getting my own rings," Bowles promised.

It was hardly a Ryan-like boast, but welcome to a new Jets era. The volume will be a lot lower than it was under Ryan, who famously vowed never to kiss Belichick's rings.

Daily Clips Cont.

12 | P a g e

Bowles and new general manager Mike Maccagnan, who also met the media for the first time, will bring an understated approach to running the organization. Their low-key personalities were apparent in a 49-minute session in which they came across as likable, hardworking football guys with no egos.

"These gentlemen, in my estimation, are the people [who can deliver a championship]," said owner Woody Johnson, seated alongside Bowles and Maccagnan.

Neither man provided any definitive statements on the state of the team, although Bowles admitted that a return to the playoffs "isn't going to happen overnight."

Johnson said one of the things that attracted him to Bowles, the former Arizona Cardinalsdefensive coordinator, was his plan to operate as a CEO-type coach, not focusing on his area of expertise. That's how Ryan did it, concentrating solely on the defense.

Bowles has the ability "to take a 30,000-foot look at offense, defense and special teams, all those areas and how they interact," Johnson said.

Bowles said he's not planning to call the defensive plays. He will leave that to his coordinator, mostly likely former Miami Dolphins defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers. Bowles said he will have a hand in the offense, but his playcaller will be newly hired coordinator Chan Gailey. He didn't define the Jets' offensive style, claiming they're still evaluating the roster.

The biggest question is the quarterback situation, specifically the organization's commitment to Geno Smith, whose record as a starter is only 11-18. Bowles and Maccagnan were noncommittal on Smith, offering no insight into their plans at quarterback.

Bowles said Smith was "a great college quarterback" at West Virginia. Unfortunately for the Jets, they don't play a Big 12 schedule.

One of the goals, Bowles said, is to change the culture among the players. He wants to bring a winning attitude.

"We have to teach them our culture," he said. "Not that the other culture was bad, but it didn't win. Our culture will be to try to instill different things in them from a winning organization's point of view to make us go forward and make the playoffs."

Bowles and Maccagnan inherit a team that finished 4-12, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Johnson decided to clean house, firing Ryan and GM John Idzik after the season.

This marks only the second time under Johnson's ownership that he will have new people in the coach and GM positions. It happened in 2001, when Johnson hired coach Herm Edwards and GM Terry Bradway to replace Al Groh and Bill Parcells, respectively.

Bowles and Maccagnan have no background with each other. In fact, they didn't meet until Jan. 13, when Maccagnan picked up Bowles at the airport when he arrived for his second interview. They met privately for 2½ hours. A short time later, the Jets offered the job to Bowles.

"It was a very natural fit," Maccagnan said. "It just felt right. I'm very excited about going to war with Todd over the next few years."

Maccagnan arrived from the Houston Texans, where he worked most recently as the director of college scouting. He recalled his start in the NFL as a college scout, saying he was such a poor typist that his mother had to type his reports.

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13 | P a g e

Neither Maccagnan nor Bowles has experience in his current position. They grew up 40 miles apart in New Jersey, Maccagnan in Hightstown, Bowles in Elizabeth. Both men called it a dream come true to return home.

The common thread between Maccagnan and Bowles is former Texans and Washington Redskins GM Charley Casserly, who was hired by the Jets as a consultant during the concurrent searches. Casserly gave Maccagnan his entry into the NFL, hiring him as a Redskins scout in 1994. Bowles played for the Redskins during the Casserly era.

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Seven thoughts on day one of the MacBowles era (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York January 21, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/48767/seven-thoughts-on-day-1-of-the-macbowles-era

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A few takeaways from the first official day of the "MacBowles" era:

1. A new vibe at One Jets Drive: Unlike their rivals to the northeast, the New York Jets have been dealing with deflation issues for some time, so to speak -- four straight years out of the playoffs. Rex Ryan's act got stale, and it was time for a change. GM Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles, introduced Wednesday to the media, came across as sincere, blue-collar types,sans the Ryan bravado. They will bring a fresh approach. Will it be the right approach? No one knows for sure. They're rookies, after all. New doesn't guarantee better. None of the day one pleasantries will matter if they don't find a quarterback.

2. BFFs? Not yet: I have milk in my refrigerator that is older than the Maccagnan-Bowles relationship. They've known each other for only a week, so it's impossible to say if they will be compatible over the long term. The early signs are positive, but how will they handle adversity? What happens when there's a disagreement in the draft room? Clearly, they're learning each other on the fly. This type of arranged marriage is unusual in the NFL. Owner Woody Johnson tried it in 2013, pairing Ryan with John Idzik. It backfired because they had different agendas. At least Maccagnan and Bowles are starting out together.

3. Rex's presence: The news conference took place beneath a giant slogan painted across the top of a high wall in the team auditorium: "Play Like a Jet!" It's a Ryan-ism, one he quoted many times during his six-year tenure. I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson hires painters to handle some touch-up work before the next team meeting.

4. Different kind of coach: One comment from Johnson that jumped out was his take on Bowles' coaching style, his "ability to be above just a defensive coordinator … and be able to take a 30,000-foot look at offense, defense, special teams." This is a departure from Ryan, who immersed himself in the defense. Bowles said he won't call the defensive plays and will take more than a cursory interest in the offense. This is good. This will create a "one-team" perception, not an offense/defense split.

5. About the offense: Bowles didn't provide any specifics on his plans for the offense, except to say he believes he hired the right coordinator in Chan Gailey. Bowles spewed coaching platitudes, saying he wants "good balance. … We want to be tough. We don't want to be pushed around. We want to be explosive. We want to be all of those things." That's what they all say. It would've been nice to hear thoughts on the current personnel and how they might be used based on their knowledge of the players.

6. Taking a pass on Geno: Both men were noncommittal on Geno Smith. Bowles said Smith was "a great college quarterback," which is akin to telling Bowles, "You were a great secondary coach." That's ancient history; it doesn't matter anymore. It seems fairly obvious that Bowles and Maccagnan aren't in love with

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14 | P a g e

Smith, and why would they be? He's only 11-18 as a starter. Later, in an interview with ESPN New York 98.7, Maccagnan said he's intrigued by Smith's potential. He also said, "I don't know exactly what Geno will become for us, per se." Translation: Don't get too comfortable in the No. 1 chair, Geno.

7. Jersey Boys: If you like wrapping your arms around a homecoming story, this is a good one. Maccagnan grew up in Hightstown (Exit 8 on the New Jersey Turnpike), about 36 miles from Bowles' hometown, Elizabeth (Exit 13). Bowles' high school used to conduct a preseason camp at Maccagnan's alma mater, the Peddie School. Maccagnan, 47, four years younger than Bowles, suspects he probably watched his future head coach on a practice field in the late 1970s. New Jersey has produced some great coaches. Do the names Lombardi and Parcells ring a bell? The Jets will sign up for anything close to that.

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Former Jets QBs coach David Lee: Geno Smith's mistakes 'killed us' (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York January 21, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/48762/former-qbs-coach-david-lee-says-geno-smiths-mistakes-killed-us

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- David Lee, who rarely spoke to the media during his two seasons as the New York Jets' quarterbacks coach, came out with gums blazing in his new job with Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills.

Speaking to the Bills' official website at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, Lee -- hired last week -- was critical of Geno Smith for his erratic play.

"Rex and I talked about it. [Smith] had some inconsistency, and the up-and-down part is what killed us," Lee said. "He would get loose with the football. We played good enough defense to win over there both years, but his play, it'll cost you and it cost us. But he also did some great things. The last five games this season he was the seventh-rated passer in the league. He had a perfect passer rating in his last game at Miami. The potential and ability is there."

Smith finished with a 97.9 passer rating over the final five games, ahead of stars such as Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. But in the first 11 games ... well, Smith played so poorly that he got benched in favor of Michael Vick. Overall, Smith finished 29th in passer rating, with a 77.5 mark.

Smith was a tough project for Lee, who had to teach him a pro-style offense. Because of Mark Sanchez's preseason injury in 2013, Smith was rushed into the starting lineup and wasn't ready for it.

Now Lee has a new pupil, EJ Manuel, a former first-round pick whose career is heading south. Manuel and Smith were drafted the same year, 2013.

"We flew him in before the draft and I gave him a test," Lee said of Manuel. "I gave him a pamphlet to study and told him I was going to test him the next morning. It was long and detailed and he aced it. He didn't miss anything. No other quarterback that came in did that, but he did."

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Jets GM Mike Maccagnan eyes Rams scout for front-office role (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York January 21, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/48759/mike-maccagnan-eyes-rams-scout-for-front-office-role

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- General manager Mike Maccagnan started reshaping the New York Jets' front office last week, firing the top two college scouts, Terry Bradway and Jeff Bauer. Soon he will start hiring.

St. Louis Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger, who first met Maccagnan while working as a scouting intern for the Houston Texans, will join the Jets in a front-office role, according to a league source. His exact role wasn't immediately clear. He could replace Bradway or Bauer, the college scouting directors, or be given a new title. He won't replace anyone on the current staff.

Heimerdinger is well-regarded in scouting circles. He's the son of the late Mike Heimerdinger, a well-respected offensive coordinator for many teams. In fact, he ran the Jets' offense for Herm Edwards in 2005.

Look for Maccagnan to make more than one hire in the coming days. The Jets' interest in Heimerdinger was first reported by the New York Daily News.

In other developments:

Consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, who assisted Woody Johnson during the GM and head-coaching searches, have fulfilled their obligation to the team, Johnson said. But Johnson didn't rule out the possibility of bringing one or both back for a role in the future. Casserly and Wolf were paid handsomely for their work; word has it they received more than $100,000 apiece.

Johnson declined to comment on the New England Patriots filing tampering charges against the Jets for his recent comments about Darrelle Revis. No one at Wednesday's introductory news conference -- Johnson, Maccagnan or coach Todd Bowles -- wanted to comment on DeflateGate.

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NEW YORK POST

Be glad Todd Bowles is neither a Rex nor a Belichick (Steve Serby) New York Post January 21, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/01/21/be-glad-todd-bowles-is-neither-a-rex-nor-a-belichick/

These introductory press conferences reveal nothing about whether the new coach hired to be the man to bring the first championship in 46 years to the Jets will be shaking hands with the president in the White House one day.

But Todd Bowles is an easy coach to root for.

He isn’t Rex Ryan, full of bluster and braggadocio, but then again, who is?

But he isn’t Bill Belichick either, deflating the room with calculated buzzkill, offering little more than name, rank, serial number.

Bowles is human.

No one in green-and-white New Jersey, of course, will care if Bowles morphs into Marcel Marceau as long as he can keep Belichick from his fourth or fifth ring and capture one for himself and his long-suffering fan base.

That won’t have a chance to happen, of course, until Tom Brady either grows old or until rookie GM Mike Maccagnan and Bowles find their Brady.

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16 | P a g e

Bowles is the 14th head coach since Weeb Ewbank about to try, and good luck to him and Maccagnan as they begin the grim task of changing a culture that needs changing every presidential term or so.

You cannot succeed anywhere, much less here, if you are insecure, and first impressions tell you Bowles is comfortable in his own skin, a man who knows who he is, and doesn’t plan on changing who he is, a man who knows how to reach and teach football players.

“I’m just gonna be myself. I can only be myself,” Bowles said.

To wit: Eric Mangini tried to be Belichick.

“I’m open, I’m honest, I’m upfront, I grew up up here, I understand the media, I understand the people around here and everybody wants to win and everybody has their own agenda,” Bowles said. “As long as I focus on football, everything else comes secondary.”

Of course they all try to focus on football, and they aren’t all successful. There are always minefields to navigate that can cause debilitating distractions. Especially here.

Bowles cracked up when he was asked to describe, in his own words, what he thinks his personality is.

“What I think my personality is? There’s a bunch of different sides of Todd (laugh), obviously. … Very sarcastic, there’s a sarcastic side, there’s a comedy side, there’s a serious side. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get about 10 different answers so … I’m kinda like the male Sybil, so to speak (laugh). Right now, this is the head-coaching side (chuckle), but I’m sure as you get to know me, it’ll come out.”

When someone pointed out he was the second African-American head coach in Jets history, Bowles said: “Well, first of all, I like to think I was hired because I’m a good football coach and not an African-American football coach. That comes first, and after that, I’m always gonna be an African-American, I don’t think I’m changing anytime soon (chuckle). The Fritz Pollard Alliance and the Rooney Rule, they’ve made great strides in helping us do the things that we need to do. But we also have to help ourselves, and we also have to be good football coaches and good people as well.”

It will help immeasurably that Maccagnan and Bowles are joined at the hip in a way Ryan and John Idzik never could be, given their different agendas.

“I’ve been around front offices where they were in disarray, and I’ve seen how those things work, and you definitely don’t want that kind of job,” Bowles said.

Bowles will be more like Belichick than Ryan in this regard: He plans on being the coach of the entire team.

“Offensively, I’ll have my hand on the print, I’m the head coach of the football team,” Bowles said.

He is a Jersey Guy living a dream.

“I did all the things the right way that led me to this point,” Bowles said. “As long as I continue to be who I am without losing myself with this job, I’ll be fine.”

He is Woody Johnson’s fifth head coach — sixth if you count Belichick’s 24 hours on the job — and Maccagnan is his fourth GM.

“These gentlemen sitting to my left are, in my estimation, the people to do it,” Johnson said.

So far, so good. Bowles mentioned nothing about kissing Belichick’s rings.

“I’m gonna work on getting my own rings,” he said, and laughed.

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The grown-ups are back in charge of the Jets (Mike Vaccaro)

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New York Post January 21, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/01/21/the-grown-ups-are-back-in-charge-of-the-jets/

There were some laughs, yes, but they were part of the mostly forced, polite phenomenon known as the Press Conference Chuckle. The origins of the PCC are unknown, but they generally occur in inverse proportion to just how genuinely funny the man conducting the press conference generally is.

Tom Coughlin is a master of the PCC.

Bill Belichick is the patron saint of the PCC.

Rex Ryan? He was anathema to the PCC because he was legitimately funny. Sometimes he was funny with rehearsed lines and pre-approved observations. Sometimes he was self-deprecating. Sometimes he brought props, like the time he brought the mullet and the Santa stuffing to imitate his brother. There was no need to bring a PCC to a Rex Ryan briefing. It would be like bringing a laugh track to a Louie CK concert … or an air gauge to a Patriots game.

We will never confuse Mike Maccagnan for Louis CK (though it has become quite apparent that you may well confuse him for me; it is a little disconcerting meeting a doppelganger so complete that – true story – my mother asked me why I was wearing a straw Houston Texans hat in the paper last week. Thankfully, I did ask a question at Wednesday’s press conference, and the time-space continuum did not explode. I did not generate any PCCs, however).

We will never confuse Todd Bowles for, say, Richard Pryor or Chris Rock (though he does bear more than a passing resemblance to Robert Wisdom, the actor who played the good-hearted, well-intentioned cop Bunny Colvin on “The Wire,” so you might confuse those two, too).

And that’s a good thing. It’s not a good thing for the ink-stained wretches who delighted in six years of Rex Ryan quips and quotes, who forever understood the only difference between an empty notebook and a colorful story was 20 minutes in front of Rex, who was like a postman in green: delivering every day. We will turn our lonely eyes to The Buffalo News every morning hence, understanding what we’re missing, maybe checking out the want ads periodically.

But it’s a good thing for Woody Johnson. It’s a good thing for the Jets franchise, which overdosed on frivolity the past few years, where a garrulous coach and his garrulous ways camouflaged the fact that talent and game-day accountability had been leaking from the building almost continually since Year 1 of the Ryan Administration, culminating with the 4-12 record this past season.

At the very front of the auditorium where this introductory press conference was held, Rex’s old war cry still shouted from the roof like a town crier: “PLAY LIKE A JET.” At the beginning, that almost read like an ironic joke. By the end, it had come to be an absolute one.

You get the feeling neither Maccagnan nor Bowles will be much on slogans, or rhetoric, or easy back pages. It didn’t seem they cared much about winning this press conference (though they didn’t lose it, either; nobody has ever really lost a press conference — with the notable exception of John Idzik).

Bowles did get one legitimate laugh when he noted, in response to whether he was extra-honored to being a successful minority candidate: “I’m always going to be an African-American coach. That’s not changing soon,” and one quasi-chortle when, in reference to Belichick and Rex’s most famous quote, he said, “I’m gonna work on getting my own rings.”

The closest he came to saying anything with any smoke attached to it came when asked if he intended to instill a new culture, to which he replied: I’m new, of course, that’s always part of the plan.

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18 | P a g e

“Not that the other culture was bad,” Bowles said, “but it didn’t win.”

Don’t expect Rex – who would leave such observations on the cutting-room floor because he usually had 15 or 20 better ones in hand – to make a thing of that, because the last thing Rex wants you to remember is it’s true, he was 26-38 across his last four years, or else someone might alert Terry Pegula of that record.

Bowles and Maccagnan were also bluntly honest about the fact that they probably won’t be able to fulfill, in the nick of time, Ryan’s dusty old prediction that the Jets would be meeting President Obama to celebrate a Super Bowl win before he left office.

Bowles: “It’s not going to happen overnight. We have our work cut out for us.”

Maccagnan: “I’m not in position to give this a timetable.”

Good. The Jets don’t need a timetable, an empty rebuild on the double-quick. They need a revamping. Are Maccagnan and Bowles the men to get it done? None of us is in position to know that, either, not yet. What we do know is this: Grown-ups are back in charge. That means fewer laughs, less fun.

If it delivers something else, something better? You won’t hear a lot of complaints. Only lots of forced PCCs.

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Former Jets QB coach rips Geno Smith: His play ‘killed us’ (Brian Costello) New York Post January 21, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/01/21/former-jets-qb-coach-rips-geno-smith-his-play-killed-us/

Former Jets quarterbacks coach David Lee pointed the finger for the Jets’ struggles in the last two years at his pupil Geno Smith.

Lee, now the Bills quarterbacks coach under former Jets coach Rex Ryan, told the Bills’ website the Jets played good enough defense to win games the last two years — the team went 8-8 and 4-12, respectively — but Smith doomed them.

“Rex and I talked about it, he had some inconsistency, and the up-and-down part is what killed us,” Lee said of Smith. “He would get loose with the football. We played good enough defense to win over there both years, but his play it’ll cost you and it cost us. But he also did some great things. The last five games this season he was the seventh-rated passer in the league. He had a perfect passer rating in his last game at Miami. The potential and ability is there.”

Now, Lee will try to turn around EJ Manuel, who was drafted a round ahead of Smith in 2013, and has had his share of struggles. Lee praised Manuel’s pre-draft work with the Jets, saying he did better on a test Lee administered than any other quarterback in that draft, including Smith.

“We flew him in before the draft and I gave him a test,” Lee said. “I gave him a pamphlet to study and told him I was going to test him the next morning. It was long and detailed and he aced it. He didn’t miss anything. No other quarterback that came in did that, but he did.”

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Todd Bowles’ opening Jets vow: ‘Going to work on getting rings’ (Brian Costello) New York Post January 21, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/01/21/todd-bowles-opening-jets-vow-going-to-work-on-getting-rings/

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The guarantees are gone.

That much was clear in Wednesday’s introductory press conference of Jets coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan. The brash days of Rex Ryan are over. Instead, Bowles and Maccagnan were measured and cautious in their first meeting with the media.

The closest Bowles came to sounding like his predecessor was in response to a question about Bill Belichick’s rings – always a favorite topic of Ryan’s.

“I’m going to work on getting my own rings,” Bowles said.

Jets owner Woody Johnson tabbed two guys from New Jersey to turn his franchise around. The Jets have not been to the playoffs in four seasons and bottomed out last year at 4-12. That performance cost Ryan and general manager John Idzik their jobs. Johnson set out on a 2 ½-week search for their replacements before hiring Bowles and Maccagnan.

“These gentlemen, in my estimation, are the people [who can turn the Jets around],” Johnson said.

In praising his new hires, it was clear what Johnson thought was lacking under their predecessors. He lauded Maccagnan’s ability in evaluating players, a weakness of Idzik’s, and Bowles’ ability to “be able to take a 30,000-foot look at offense, defense and special teams and how they interact to produce a winning team.” Ryan was often viewed as a coach who ignored aspects of his team other than his defense.

Bowles did not rip Ryan at all, but took a few digs at the culture Ryan created with the Jets.

“We have to get to some of the players and teach our culture, not that the other culture was bad, but it didn’t win,” Bowles said. “Our culture is going to be to try to instill different things in them from a winning organization, from a different point of view to make us go forward and make the playoffs.”

Bowles did not make any Super Bowl promises, but made it clear what he was here to do.

“We’re going to try to build a championship team here,” he said. “That’s my only job.”

Bowles comes to the Jets from the Cardinals, where he was the defensive coordinator the past two seasons. His entire background is coaching the defensive side of the ball. He said he will not call the defensive plays for the Jets, leaving that to his defensive coordinator, which is expected to be Dolphins defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers. Bowles said he will be involved with the offense, as well, working with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.

“Going forward, we’re going to be a tough team,” Bowles said. “We’re going to be an intelligent team. We’re going to do things the right way. It’s not about just playing great defense for me, being a defensive coordinator. It’s scoring a lot more points than the other team.”

A key for Bowles and Maccagnan was the way they got along when they got together last week. The two had crossed paths before, but did not really know each other. Maccagnan conducted Bowles’ second interview with the Jets.

“It just felt right,” Maccagnan said. “I’m very excited about going to war with Todd here over the next few years.”

Maccagnan and Bowles had very few answers about the Jets’ current roster, saying they need to do more work before assessing the situation.

“I do think there’s a good foundation of players in place,” Maccagnan said. “We obviously have to go forward and try to improve the overall talent. Everyone in the NFL has to do that. But I definitely think there are parts and pieces in place for us to turn this thing around.”

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The biggest question on that roster centers around the quarterback. Geno Smith, the team’s starter the past two seasons, is still under contract. Bowles said he would like to sit down and get to know Smith before making any statements on him.

“Obviously, he was a great college quarterback,” Bowles said. “Going in, with us just getting here, we’re going to evaluate Geno as well as everyone else on the team.”

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NJ.COM

Jets get pat on back from Giants for hiring Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media January 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/01/jets_get_pat_on_back_from_giants_for_hiring_todd_b.html

MOBILE, Ala. — The Jets introduced general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles to the media on Wednesday, and at least one longtime member of the Giants' public relations staff is totally cool with it—especially that part about Maccagnan and Bowles both being from Jersey.

Enjoyed listening to @nyjets GM Mike Maccagnan and HC Todd Bowles. Quality people and professionals AND New Jerseyans! Nothing but the best!

Here's Pat Hanlon, the senior vice president of communications who just finished his 22nd season working for North Jersey's other NFL team:

A Giants official making a public display of showing respect for the Jets? What's next? One of these teams actually getting back the playoffs?

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In another arranged marriage of sorts, can Jets make Todd Bowles-Mike Maccagnan work? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advanced Media January 21, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/01/in_another_arranged_marriage_of_sorts_can_jets_mak.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Summer of 1979, or maybe it was '78 or '80, and Mike Maccagnan wandered over to the Peddie School's football fields.

Maccagnan, long a football fiend, wanted to watch some of Elizabeth High School's practice. Football season neared, and this was the best Maccagnan could do, to catch a little in-person action, even if it was just a preseason practice.

So Maccagnan, whose father taught at the Peddie School in Hightstown, stood on the sideline and watched Elizabeth's players. Back in those days, they sometimes made the 37-mile trip south for summer practices.

Out there on the practice field, unbeknownst to Maccagnan, was a kid who would grow up tobecome Maccagnan's partner in trying to transform the Jets into a winner.

Todd Bowles, who played for Elizabeth and graduated in 1981, was introduced as the Jets' head coach Wednesday, alongside Maccagnan, their new general manager and an '85 Peddie grad.

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21 | P a g e

For the Jets, this is another arranged marriage of sorts, though not as forced as the last one. Can the Jets make it work this time around?

Bowles, Maccagnan and owner Woody Johnson did their best to portray a united front Wednesday, as a first-time head coach and first-time GM (who had never even interviewed for a GM job before) embark on this challenge together.

Johnson just hit his 15th year of Jets ownership. This is the second time, and first since 2001, that he has hired a coach and GM at the same time. This is his chance to prove he knows what he's doing. It's been four years since the Jets made the playoffs -- their longest drought since 1992-97.

"In 15 years, hopefully I've gotten better," Johnson said. "I hope I've gotten better. I can't underestimate the importance of these two decisions here. I'm very, very impressed and encouraged that they can put it together. I'm optimistic."

Johnson and his consultants, former NFL GMs Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, conducted concurrent coach and GM searches. Maccagnan was able to meet Bowles during his second interview, but not his first. Johnson had clearly already established Maccagnan and Bowles as his leading candidates before the two men even met.

This is not identical to the failed Rex Ryan-John Idzik partnership. After the 2012 season, Johnson hired Idzik as his GM and forced him into a relationship with Ryan, who was entering his fifth year. Ryan and Idzik would last just two years. It was a rocky pairing, with disconnect aplenty between the coaching staff and front office.

Bowles and Maccagnan insist they have enough chemistry, even though they just formally met last Tuesday, and even though Maccagnan was only directly involved in the tail end of the coaching search process. Bowles is the lone candidate he sat down with.

But between their brief interactions and research they did on each other, they felt comfortable enough to offer glowing praise Wednesday.

"He's a great evaluator of talent," Bowles said of Maccagnan. "He's a masterful operator in terms of people. We hit it off pretty well. Going forward, it's going to be a dream working with this guy."

As Bowles and Maccagnan both emerged as candidates for the Jets' jobs, Maccagnan called around about Bowles and did some research. Maccagnan said he heard "exemplary" things. After Johnson told Maccagnan he would be the new GM, Maccagnan sat down with Bowles -- and felt his research was confirmed.

"In doing that, it became very clear to me in a very short period of time that everything I heard about him was validated," Maccagnan said. "It was a very natural fit. It just felt right. I'm very excited about going to war with Todd here over the next few years."

Maccagnan said he didn't want to conduct a formal interview with Bowles, but rather a "fluid and loose" conversation about their philosophies. They actually first started chatting on the drive from the airport to the Jets' complex. That's when Maccagnan brought up how he used to watch Elizabeth High's practices at the Peddie School.

"Although I've never really worked with Todd, it's kind of ironic our paths have kind of crossed, even though we're from two different backgrounds, 40-some miles apart," Maccagnan said.

Maccagnan, 47, is four years younger than Bowles. Maccagnan believes he probably met Bowles in 1990, when Maccagnan was a scouting department intern for Washington's training camp -- his first job out of

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college. Bowles' first stint with Washington was from 1986-90. Maccagnan said he likely checked Bowles into camp or drove him around on a golf cart, though the two didn't have any memorable interactions.

Now, they will work together every day, in a front office-coaching staff relationship that can be tense, at times. But not in the most successful NFL organizations.

"You can't go into a job not feeling comfortable with the people you're working with," Bowles said. "I've been around front offices where they're in disarray, and I've seen how those things work. You definitely don't want that kind of job."

Bowles said Maccagnan "not having an ego" was something that "eased my mind" about taking the job. In Houston, where Maccagnan was the college scouting director, he saw how a well-oiled front office and coaching staff work in partnership.

"I realized the relationship between the head coach and the general manager has to be a team," Maccagnan said. "You're not always going to see things the same way. (The Texans) had a very good relationship with the head coach and the GM, which is I think intrinsically so important in this process, because there are so many things we have to work together on."

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Jets expected to hire Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger for front-office role, per sources (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media May 6, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/01/jets_expected_to_hire_rams_scout_brian_heimerdinge.html

MOBILE, Ala. — Mike Maccagnan is beginning to put his stamp on the Jets' front office.

Maccagnan, who was introduced along with head coach Todd Bowles at a press conference back in Florham Park on Wednesday, is expected to hire Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger for a front-office role soon, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. Those people spoke to NJ Advance Media on condition of anonymity because neither was authorized to talk publicly on the matter.

That Heimerdinger was expected to be hired soon was first reported by the New York Daily News.

It's not clear exactly what role Heimerdinger, 28, will take in the front office. The Jets last week fired their top two college scouts, senior director of college scouting Terry Bradway and director of college scouting Jeff Bauer.

Heimerdinger, 28, spent the last three seasons as a Rams scout, and he worked for the Titans before that. But he and Maccagnan have a connection: Heimerdinger began his career as a scouting intern with the Texans, where Maccagnan worked in the scouting department for 14 years—the last three as director of college scouting—before being tapped last week to be the Jets' GM.

Heimerdinger is the son of the late Mike Heimerdinger, who spent 16 years as an NFL assistant coach, including a run as the Jets' offensive coordinator during the 2005 season. Mike Heimerdinger died in February 2011 after a bout with cancer. He was 58.

Brian Heimerdinger played wide receiver at Colorado State before transferring to Northern Colorado. With the Rams, he evaluated both pro and college players. On the pro side, he analyzed all players on nine NFL rosters and cross-checked any wide receivers, quarterbacks, and tight ends for free agency, in addition to providing advanced scouting reports. On the college side, he cross-checked all wide receivers as an area scout for the southwest.

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Jets bend over backwards to say Todd Bowles is more than just a defensive-minded coach (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media January 21, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/01/jets_bend_over_backwards_to_say_todd_bowles_is_mor.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Todd Bowles, the Jets' new head coach, has only ever coached defense -- as a secondary coach and defensive coordinator.

But Jets owner Woody Johnson believes Bowles will be a complete head coach -- and not just a guy with his eyes on the defense.

This is Bowles' first head coaching job, though he did go 2-1 as the Dolphins' interim head coach at the end of the 2011 season.

The Jets have again hired a defensive-minded head coach, just like Bowles' predecessor, Rex Ryan, whose teams were never consistently successful on offense.

A frequent criticism of Ryan was that he didn't pay enough attention to the offense. He alsonever had a very good quarterback. You can argue into the night about whether that's because Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith just aren't talented players, or because Ryan's offensive staff didn't do a strong enough job of developing them.

Johnson knows that offensive shortcomings remain the Jets' biggest and broadest problem. Though it will mostly be offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's job to fix that side of the ball, Bowles insisted he will not be disconnected from the offense.

"It's not about just playing great defense, with me being a defensive coordinator," Bowles said Wednesday in the opening statement of his introductory press conference.

Later, Bowles said his defensive coordinator (likely to be Dolphins defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers) would call the Jets' defensive plays during games. But Bowles said he would have "a big hand in the defense." He also said he would be involved in the offense, though Gailey will "run the show" on that side of the ball.

Johnson clearly wants a head coach with a more complete view of a team than Ryan had. Whether Bowles is that guy remains to be seen.

In his opening statement, Johnson raved about Bowles' ability to examine the overall picture of a team -- and not just the defensive side of the football.

"One of the things we can do better is consolidating everything and making sure we play as a team -- offense, defense, special teams," Johnson said. "Everybody is on the same page."

Though Bowles has coached defense for his entire career, he learned how to take a broader look at football from Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells. Bowles worked for Parcells with the Jets, Dallas and Miami.

"He taught me the overall game," Bowles said. "He taught me how to see the overall game, not just my position, not just defense. But he taught me how to see offense. He taught me how to coach coaches. He taught me about the personnel side. He really taught me a lot of things. I learned a great deal from him."

Parcells said recently that he has "a high regard" for Bowles.

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How did New Jersey shape Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles, the two guys now running the Jets? (Maria Guardado) NJ Advance Media January 21, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/01/jersey_roots_run_deep_for_jets_mike_maccagnan_and.html

FLORHAM PARK — Jets owner Woody Johnson opened the team's introductory press conference on Wednesday by highlighting a common thread between new general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles.

"Today we have two New Jersey guys," Johnson said. "Unbelievable."

While Maccagnan and Bowles took divergent paths to land parallel seats on the Jets dais, both men made it clear their journeys began in the Garden State. In fact, their trajectories may have even intersected at certain points along the way.

Maccagnan hails from Hightstown in Central Jersey and attended the Peddie School, a private boarding and day school, where his father worked as a teacher. Fittingly, it's likely that Maccagnan and Bowles' paths first crossed on that institution's football fields more than 25 years ago.

encountered was Bowles, who had gone undrafted out of Temple University in 1986 but then signed a free agent contract with the Redskins.

"It's kind of ironic that our paths have crossed, even though we come from two different backgrounds, 40 miles apart in terms of where we grew up and what we did," Maccagnan said.

The duo's connections to Charley Casserly, who advised Johnson during his search for a new general manager and coach, also originated with the Redskins. When Casserly became Washington's general manager in 1989, Bowles played for him as a safety. Additionally, Casserly later hired Maccagnan as a Redskins scout in 1994.

After the conclusion of his eight-year career in the NFL, Bowles returned to New Jersey in 2000 to accept his first professional coaching opportunity as a secondary coach with the Jets. Fifteen years later, Bowles is enjoying yet another homecoming with the same organization that gave him an initial shot as a coach in the NFL. Except now he holds a much glitzier title.

"I started out here, probably had a little more hair then, probably a little thinner then," Bowles said. "But to come full circle, to come back home, it's a dream come true. It's an honor and a privilege to be here. I'm just looking forward to leading this team."

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

As Jets welcome Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan, it’s time to build Gang Green to compete for the long run (Filip Bondy) New York Daily News January 21, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/bondy-time-build-jets-long-run-article-1.2087030

One after another, Woody Johnson’s new coaches have arrived here over the past 15 years with great fanfare and immediately enjoyed considerable success. Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan all

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turned things around very quickly, installing effective systems and reaching the playoffs in their first seasons.

But then, each time, it fell apart for the Jets. No foundations were built. No franchise quarterback was discovered. None of these coaches was able to sustain winning for very long, because the personnel fell off. The staff relied too heavily on aging players. A few top free agents fled elsewhere and the draft picks weren’t good enough. Injuries hurt, and there weren’t enough quality replacements.

So now we get a new duo in town, and we just have to wait and see. Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan have solid football reputations, dutiful resumés, and they made strong first impressions during a press conference and informal gathering with reporters. They seem like normal guys, decent bosses. They have no experience, however, in the jobs they now take over, and there really is no way of knowing how this will go. Anybody who tells you differently, who is making a specific prediction right now, is throwing dice at a craps table. And that includes Johnson.

Two Jersey guys, together into the fray. Maybe this turns out spectacularly, a dynasty. Maybe Johnson is looking for his next coach in two years. Back in 2000, most of the New York media, including this columnist, decided it was just as well that Bill Belichick resigned from the NYJ HC job with a note on a rumpled loose-leaf paper. “Good riddance,” we wrote about Belichick, which shows how much anybody knows about these sorts of things.

We didn’t know about Belichick, who at least had some kind of track record as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. We certainly don’t know about this new regime.

Johnson kept saying on Wednesday that this was “a people activity,” and how he had been impressed with the people skills of both Bowles and Maccagnan. He praised Bowles’ broad vision, beyond just the defense, and he made it clear that he listened to the counsel of Charley Casserly in hiring Maccagnan, which is probably a good thing. At first glance, Bowles and Maccagnan get along fine, even if this is something of a random, shotgun wedding.

“It’s going to be a dream, working with this guy,” Bowles said of Maccagnan.

Bowles and Maccagnan inherit a flawed roster, some high draft picks and plenty of cap space. Bowles will need new corners if he is going to make his Rex-like, aggressive defense work. He’ll need a better quarterback if the offense is going to challenge New England. Both coach and GM were noncommittal on Geno Smith, offering vague approval but little more. Maccagnan made his bones on the scouting front. He’ll be responsible for filling those key positions.

“We do have a lot of cap space,” Maccagnan said. “I don’t want to dictate what our strategy is. . . . I do believe philosophically you have to build through the draft. The draft is a fluid thing.”

Bowles and Maccagnan both played it very close to the vest, tough reads. They don’t wear their ambitions or plans on their sleeves, the way that Ryan did. When Ryan came in for Day 1 intros, he practically promised a Super Bowl title and then informed everyone how he would go about getting it: a blitzing defense and a conservative offense. During that introduction, Ryan told the press he would not abide a quarterback who threw from his heels. He wanted ball control and he wanted a running game.

Maybe we can assume some of these same things from Bowles, who made it clear he is an old-style football guy just by naming his chief mentors: Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells. But we don’t know yet how much power he’ll cede to Chan Gailey, or to his defensive coordinator.

Bowles broke character only a couple of times, when he insisted he can be a sarcastic cut-up and when he was asked about the specter of Belichick and the Patriots in his division.

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“I’m gonna work on getting my own rings,” Bowles said. There was no talk of kissing, or not kissing, Belichick’s rings. But this was a start, something to hang a headline on.

The story under that headline is yet to be written. It would be nice if this Jet coach’s tale built slowly, steadily for once, to an extraordinary climax. Too many others have started fast, then fallen right off the cliff.

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New Jets coach Todd Bowles not worried about kissing Bill Belichick's Super Bowl rings: ‘I’m going to work on getting my own rings’ (Seth Walder) New York Daily News January 22, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/new-jets-coach-todd-bowles-rings-mind-article-1.2086723

Just like his predecessor, Todd Bowles isn’t here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings: he’s here to win his own championships.

“I’m going to work on getting my own rings,” Bowles said on Wednesday at his introductory press conference, along with new GM Mike Maccagnan, at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, N.J.

It was basically Rex Ryan’s message from six years earlier — just in a more understated fashion.

“We’re going to try to build a championship team here,” the new coach added. “That’s my only job.”

So when can Jets fans — tired from years of losing, in particular last season’s 4-12 disaster — expect to see their team in the postseason? “It’s not going to happen overnight. We have pieces in place and we’ve got to build and we know that,” Bowles said. “Obviously the Patriots are in the Super Bowl, and they’re in our division, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. There’s no timetable on it.”

Maccagnan and Bowles are the latest tandem that will try to get owner Woody Johnson his first Super Bowl. It didn’t work with Ryan or John Idzik or Mike Tannenbaum or Eric Mangini or Herm Edwards, but Johnson believes he’s got the right tandem now.

“These gentlemen, sitting to my left, are the people to do it,” Johnson said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in them based on the short time I’ve known them.”

Johnson also took a little dig at Ryan by praising Bowles’ ability to work with all phases of the game. Ryan intensely focused on the defense but wasn’t hands on with other parts of the game.

Bowles indicated that the defensive coordinator will be the Jets’ play caller, unlike Ryan, who called the plays for the majority of his Jets tenure. But that will likely be one of many differences with the new coaching regime.

“I think anytime you take over a team or go to a different place there has to be a culture change, obviously or there wouldn’t be change,” Bowles said. “We have to get some of the players and we have to teach them our culture. Not that the other culture was bad, but they didn’t win, so our culture is going to be try to instill different things in them from a winning organization, from a different point of view, to make us go forward and get to the playoffs.”

Talking about a winning culture is all well and good, but what the Jets also is need is a quarterback. Bowles, however, offered faint praise for Geno Smith, saying he was “a great college quarterback.”

Ouch!

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Bowles’ honesty about Smith might just be a sign that he hasn’t fully evaluated the second-year signal-caller. But the fact remains there was no overwhelming praise from the new Jets leadership for Smith, who ought to be nervous about his oh-so-tenuous job as the team’s quarterback.

The Jets will probably bring in at least one quarterback to compete with Smith as the starter, but that will be just one of their many offseason moves this winter. Maccagnan was short on specifics Wednesday about his plans for the roster, but he did recognize that the team has vast quantities cap room (likely in the $20 million range), which should make for an interesting free-agent season.

Maccagnan said he immediately hit it off with Bowles in the interview process. The two actually met for the first time roughly 25 years ago when the GM was an intern with Washington and Bowles was a safety. In fact, Maccagnan said, he may have seen Bowles even earlier: Maccagnan recalled that Elizabeth High School, where Bowles played, used to have preseason practices at the Peddie School, which Maccagnan attended. In the early 1980s, the future Jets GM may have stood on the sidelines and watched the team’s future coach practice playing football.

For both Bowles and Maccagnan, their new jobs represent a return to New Jersey, the state they grew up in.

“To come full circle and to come back home, it’s a dream come true,” Bowles said.

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Geno Smith ‘killed us’ says former NY Jets quarterback coach who followed Rex Ryan to Buffalo Bills (Seth Walder) New York Daily News January 22, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/geno-smith-killed-jets-qb-coach-david-lee-article-1.2087448

The Jets’ season has been over for weeks, but Geno Smith took a hard sack Wednesday.

David Lee, the former Jets quarterbacks coach who shuffled up to Buffalo with Rex Ryan, told the Bills’ website that Smith “killed us” last season and his play “cost us.”

“Rex and I talked about it, he had some inconsistency and the up-and-down part is what killed us,” Lee said. “He would get loose with the football. We played good enough defense over there to win both years, but his play, it’ll cost you and it cost us.”

Ouch.

Lee is only a couple of weeks removed from being Smith’s position coach and he’s already burning him. Now, Lee had some more positive things to say about Smith, but the damage was already done.

“He also did some great things,” Lee said. “The last five games this season he was the seventh-rated passer in the league. He had a perfect passer rating in his last game at Miami. The potential and ability is there.”

HAPPY LANDINGS

Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Karl Dorrell is expected to join the Jets staff, the Daily News has learned. Dorrell worked with Todd Bowles in Miami. . . . Former Vikings TE coach Jimmie Johnson is expected to assume the same position with the Jets, The News has learned. . . . The Ravens hired former Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg as their quarterbacks coach. . . . Former Jets assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn will join Ryan’s staff in Buffalo, according to a source.

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First up for NY Jets new bosses Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles: Find a quarterback (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News January 21, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-job-no-1-jets-bowles-maccagnan-find-qb-article-1.2087671

MOBILE, Ala. – Here’s the oversimplification of the millennium for the new-look Jets: Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles must find a quarterback.

Although the new Jets brain trust didn’t exactly throw Geno Smith under the bus Wednesday, it’s obvious the team will be searching for an answer at the game’s most pivotal position. Smith hasn’t given any indication that he can be a consistent presence to get the Jets back on track. Former quarterbacks coach David Lee admitted this week that Smith’s erratic play “is what killed us” in 2014.

Simple, but true.

Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the consensus top quarterbacks in the 2015 draft, likely won’t slide to the Jets at No. 6, leaving Maccagnan in a precarious position. The next three quarterbacks in the pecking order: UCLA’s Brett Hundley, Oregon State’s Sean Mannion and Baylor’s Bryce Petty. Each comes with plenty of questions.

“I think this is a tough quarterback draft,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said during Senior Bowl practices this week.

Petty had the most impressive numbers of the trio, but it’s difficult to project how he’ll adapt to a pro system.

“When you have a guy like that, you’re retraining him because they can be third-and-goal from the 3-yard line and he’s still in the shotgun,” one personnel executive said. “You have to retrain his eyes. You got to retrain how he looks at the rush when he drops back. So he’s a bit of a project.”

Petty threw for 3,855 yards and 28 touchdowns this season, but it’s unclear how long it will take him to make the necessary adjustments to be able to play at the next level. He admitted that sharpening his footwork, pocket presence and reads will take time.

Smith, of course, is fully aware that young signal callers no longer have the luxury of a three-year window to prove their worth in the league. A few are lucky to get two seasons to prove they belong.

“I hope they’re patient,” the 6-3, 230-pound Petty said. “It’s a production type of business. It’s what are you doing for me now. That’s the nature of it. All I can do is control what I can control. . . . (I’ll) show and prove that I can pick up an NFL offense. Hopefully it won’t be two (years) and out. Hopefully it’ll be 15 and out. . . . I have no doubt that I can transition.”

Mannion’s disappointing senior season (3,164 passing yards, 15 TDs, eight interceptions) was a by-product of a porous offensive line and lack of support at the skill positions, Mayock said. The 6-5, 229-pounder has plenty to prove in the run-up to the draft.

“I think the toughest thing about him is lack of escape-ability,” Mayock said. “He can’t get away from anything. He’s got a good arm, not a great arm. For him, he really didn’t have much help this year. No protection. No receivers. His tape isn’t great. This is a big week for him.”

Mannion, projected as high as a third-rounder, is more NFL ready than Petty. His ability to make all the throws is appealing, but he’ll have to prove that he isn’t a sitting duck in the pocket.

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“I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m not the fastest guy in the world,” Mannion said. “Pocket awareness is a different sort of quickness. Being quick in short, small spaces, I think that’s something I can do well and something I’ve done well over the years at OSU. I always try to be quick and move well in the pocket. It’s more important to keep your eyes downfield and really feel the rush and not look at it. It’s something that I think I do well. It’s a different sort of speed than running the 40.”

Winston and/or Mariota aren’t necessarily an elixir — “Neither of them is a slam dunk,” Mayock said — but they sure would help clear up the Jets’ quarterback situation. How much longer can the franchise live with Smith’s inconsistency?

The smart play for the Jets would be to select a quarterback in the second or third day of the draft, assuming Winston and Mariota are off the board in the first five picks.

“It’s not a bad idea to take a quarterback every year,” the personnel executive said. “You develop a guy, because you never know.”

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Jets Unveil Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan, Stress Harmony (Alex Raskin) Wall Street Journal January 21, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/jets-unveil-todd-bowles-and-mike-maccagnan-stress-harmony-1421893115?tesla=y

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—If it wasn’t already clear that the Jets are starting over in 2015, Wednesday’s dual introduction of new head coach Todd Bowles and new general manager Mike Maccagnan drove the point home. The overriding theme of the day was not how the Jets plan to improve on offense or lure a new batch of free agents. It was simply that Bowles and Maccagnan are not Rex Ryan and John Idzik, their respective predecessors, who failed to present a united front and ultimately took the fall for the team’s 4-12 record this season.

“I’m going to work on getting my own rings,” Bowles said, making a considerably more sanitized first impression than the one Ryan made in 2009. At the time, Ryan was taking aim at the New England Patriots and their coach, telling WFAN that he “never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s, you know, rings.”

Bowles was confident, but skipped the hyperbole and bold predictions that defined the Ryan era. “Not that the other culture was bad,” he said, “but it didn’t win.”

Maccagnan, for his part, promised that the team will be “very active in free agency,” similarly distancing himself from Idzik, who left the Jets with around $40 million in salary-cap space next season. Unlike Idzik, who was criticized for failing to provide Ryan with starting-caliber cornerbacks this season, Maccagnan insisted that he would work with his head coach to fill out the 53-man roster.

“First, obviously, we do have a lot of cap space. So that’s a very positive aspect for going into free agency,” said Maccagnan, though he stopped short of outlining anything resembling a plan. “I don’t really want to get too far ahead because Todd and I, this is going to be a decision we kind of work on together.”

What went unspoken is that Maccagnan doesn’t have much of a choice. The NFL’s collective-bargaining agreement stipulates that teams must use at least 89% of their cap space between 2013 and 2016, meaning most of the money Idzik didn’t spend will be used before the end of the 2016 season.

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Regardless, the broad strokes painted on Wednesday seemed to coalesce, especially in regard to a coach and general manager who know that collaboration is what fans want to see. Maccagnan said he instantly “clicked” with his head coach.

“I kind of opened it up to him and said, ‘Hey, listen... I want you to kind of ask me questions and see if I’m the guy you want to work with,’” Maccagnan said. “But it was a very natural fit, and again, I knew what [owner Woody Johnson and consultant Charley Casserly] had thought about him that he was their number-one guy.”

Besides the harmony of their first week together, and in spite of their scant contact with each other through the years, Maccagnan and Bowles share common roots. Both Maccagnan (Hightstown) and Bowles (Elizabeth) are New Jersey natives, and each spent time with Casserly and Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs in Washington. In fact, Maccagnan got his first NFL job in 1995 from Casserly, who hired him again in Houston in 2000. Maccagnan rose to director of college scouting with the Texans before signing with the Jets on Jan. 13, a day before Bowles was hired.

Bowles, meanwhile, played eight NFL seasons as a defensive back before joining the coaching ranks, first as a collegiate defensive coordinator and then, in 2000, as the Jets’ secondary coach under Al Groh. Most recently, Bowles served as the coordinator for an Arizona Cardinals defense that yielded 5,891 yards (24th in the NFL), but just 299 points (fifth) in 2014.

Bowles’s coaching pedigree is as good as there is in the NFL. He coached under Bill Parcells in Dallas (2005-06), Andy Reid in Philadelphia (2012) and, for the past two seasons, Bruce Arians, who coached Bowles as a college player at Temple. “I think I learned a little bit from everybody,” Bowles said. “It started in college with Bruce Arians. He taught me confidence. He taught be discipline. He taught me perseverance. He taught me to always fight.”

But the positivity that pulsated through the Jets’ facility on Wednesday was diluted by the very real challenges that Bowles and Maccagnan will face in improving the team’s offense. The offensive line likely needs to be repaired, and the running game could use an injection of youth (Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson are 26 and 29, respectively). But it is quarterback Geno Smith, whom Bowles referred to at one point as “a great college quarterback,” who could ultimately determine whether the new Jets regime will have any success.

Tapping whatever potential Smith has and avoiding another catastrophe under center will largely be up to new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, though Bowles acknowledged that he bears that responsibility as well.

“[Gailey] understands that Geno is our guy going forward and we have to get some people around him and do a lot of things better,” Bowles said. “And Chan is outstanding at that. And that made it a priority for me to get him.”

Smith tossed 13 touchdowns and 13 picks in 2014, so unless they truly believe he can improve, Maccagnan and Bowles will need to find an alternative plan or risk losing their new jobs.

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets' Todd Bowles won't kiss rings, won't take shot at Patriots (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York January 21, 2015

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http://www.metro.us/sports/jets-todd-bowles-won-t-kiss-rings-won-t-take-shot-at-patriots/zsJoau---vpArKjmJTeKm2/

No bombastic promises, no bold guarantees. Just some quiet determination from Todd Bowles on Wednesday as he was introduced as the New York Jets head coach. He wouldn't kiss anyone's rings he said, but he wouldn't take any shots at the best team in his new division.

Bowles enters a powder keg of a situation with the Jets, replacing a popular head coach in Rex Ryan who was brash and unapologetically unforgiving in his over-the-top belief in his team. During his first two seasons with the Jets, Ryan promised the Super Bowl and very nearly delivered, twice coming within a single win of the big game. But he never did bring this snake-bitten franchise to the promised land and over the last four seasons saw his squad he regress.

Now the newly-minted Bowles walks into a Jets team that was 4-12 last year in a division that sends the New England Patriots to this year's Super Bowl. Ryan infamously claimed during his first few months on the job that “I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s, you know, rings. I came to win. Let’s just put it that way. So we’ll see what happens. I’m certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else.”

It sparked a rivalry that was deep, even as the Jets struggled in recent years.

Instead of firing up the rivalry with the Patriots, Bowles instead deferred to the Patriots as the top team in the division. When asking about kissing Belichick's rings, he artfully sidestepped that question.

“I'm going to work on getting my own rings,” Bowles said on Wednesday. “They're the cream of the crop in the division. That's why they're in the Super Bowl. That's somewhere we're striving to get to and that's what we're going to work towards.”

Jets notebook

Owner Woody Johnson said that the relationship with Charlie Casserly and Ron Wolf, two former NFL executives who were brought in to consult on the hiring of the general manager and head coach, is now over. But Johnson left the door open for both Casserly and Wolf to be retained for future services if need be.

Bowles was asked about replacing Ryan, who was popular with the media for his sound bites and humor, and he answered by saying that “I'm just going to be myself.” He impressed on Wednesday with his poise and clarity during the press conference. “As long as I focus on football, everything comes around secondary,” Bowles said.

The quarterback situation for the Jets is uncertain, with incumbent starter Geno Smith facing a murky future with this team. “Obviously he was a great college quarterback. Going in with us just getting here, we're going to evaluate Geno as well as everyone else on this team,” Bowles said. “When we get a good feel and get the coaches in the building, we'll sit down and do it then.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Smith, who in two years in the league has failed to show on a consistent basis that he can be a long-term solution for the Jets.

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Todd Bowles brings 'balance' to Jets (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York January 21, 2015

http://www.metro.us/new-york/todd-bowles-brings-balance-to-jets/zsJoau---TWrYA6vQvYGbc/

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Todd Bowles will in many ways be the anti-Rex Ryan. And for this New York Jets team, now four full seasons removed from the playoffs, it could well be the right move.

With Ryan now gone, the happy-clappy, always full of mirth and joy and nary with a negative word to say tenor around this team will change. Enter Bowles, a former NFL safety who has been hailed by the players he coached as being an ideal blend of disciplinarian as well as someone who is a teacher and a mentor.

The pendulum hasn't swung fully from Ryan, who in his six years with this team achieved some early success but also earned the reputation – whether right or wrong - as a coach who established a “Club Med” vibe to his team. Bowles isn't the polar opposite to Ryan's philosophy but he isn't ready to be fully vested as a player-friendly coach either. There's a balance, he says, and a willingness to listen to players, even as he vowed to be someone who will demand hard work from his roster.

During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Bowles spoke about his mentality as a head coach who won't necessarily be an in-your-face disciplinarian or one who allows the inmates to run the show.

“I know I have to grow in this business. Obviously as a coach, every level you move up you have to grow. My philosophy is the same as everyone else's: Smart, tough and physical football but there's a way in dealing with players and there's different types of coaches. I can yell at guys, I can talk to guys, I can get through to guys in different ways. Understanding and knowing what you have on this team and relating to those guys is what kind of coach you're going to be,” Bowles said on Wednesday.

“As long as they know it's not personal, you can get at them the way you're going to get at them. You have to understand your team and you have to understand your players. As a coach, I'll be demanding; it's a demanding sport and you got to get the best out of your guys. At the same time, you have to hear them out and understand and know what they feel so you can get a good feel for the person.”

What helps Bowles is his credentials coming into this job. He spent eight years in the league, something that Ryan who had been a career assistant coming into his stint with the Jets, can never lay claim to. And he was a head coach, albeit briefly when in 2011 he was interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins for the final three games of the season.

But he can point to a 2-1 record during that stint as well as a Super Bowl ring as a player. And it surely doesn't hurt that this past season he was named by the Pro Football Writers Association as the NFL's 'Assistant of the Year.' While players loved playing for Ryan, there is a certain swagger to Bowles that can't be denied.

How Bowles in his first true head coaching job fares likely falls on the compilation of his staff. Already, he's brought on board a seasoned offensive coordinator in the 63-year old Chan Gailey, a man who turned the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick into a successful NFL quarterback.

If Bowles can bring on board some experienced hands to his staff, then he stands a better shot to build something sustainable. Again he's looking to be the anti-Rex in this regard as Ryan built his staff upon many close relationships and friends from college and then at his previous stop as a defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. This wasn't a staff necessarily that did a tremendous job in terms of developing talent and coaching up players.

Bowles has a reputation as someone with an eye in helping players take that next step, something the Jets need on a roster and two-deep that is somewhat underwhelming.

In recent times where was never consistency on the offensive side of the ball, with three offensive coordinators during Ryan's six years with the Jets. Bowles is initially sounding open to bringing his

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expertise to the field as a defensive-minded head coach but as someone willing to let his coordinators and staff go out there and coach.

“The biggest thing for a head coach is that in order to lead, you have to listen. I'm going to hire some coaches that are going to know how to coach football and coach their position,” Bowles said.

“Defensive coordinator will call but I'll have a big hand in the defense in terms of understanding the scheme and terminology and the way we go forward. Offensively I'll have my hand on the print, I'm the head coach of the football team. We have an offensive coordinator that is going to call the plays and run the show. But we have to do what is best for this team to play complimentary football and it's my job to do that.”

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Maccagnan out to prove he isn't an Idzik (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York January 21, 2015

http://www.metro.us/new-york/maccagnan-out-to-prove-he-isn-t-an-idzik/zsJoau---jZTrmBTMyoBZw/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Mike Maccagnan said precious little of note on Wednesday in his introductory press conference but that's not a problem. His resume will do most of the talking anyway.

In hiring Maccagnan, the New York Jets went the opposite route of their last two general managers, both of whom were seen as number crunchers and salary cap experts. In particular, the recently fired John Idzik was painted as a bean counter, a perception that took on reality after two drafts with 19 selections yielded just one bonafide starter in Sheldon Richardson. Most of the other picks by Idzik have done very little in terms of contributors. In Idzik, the Jets got what they hired – a man with little experience on the player personnel side of the game but who could crunch numbers with the best of them.

So perhaps it isn't surprising that Maccagnan inherits a team with plenty of salary cap space, an Idzik strength, but also a team that lacks talent up and down its roster – the outgoing general manager's most serious of weaknesses.

But in their new general manager, the Jets have found the antipode to their recent general managers. Maccagnan is a player personnel specialist. He began his career as a scout and has since worked his way up the player personnel side. In fact, he has no formal background in salary cap or contract negotiations. He was most recently the director of college scouting for the Houston Texans, an organization with a track record for solid drafts.

His resume in that regard could not be further from that of Idzik and for the sake of his career, he had better hope his future is the polar opposite of the fired Jets general manager.

Maccagnan outlined precious little on Wednesday during a press conference where he was introduced alongside new head coach Todd Bowles. The coaching staff is far from completed and he can't accurately outline his thoughts, even initial ones, until after that point.

But for a team whose fans are itching for a winning season after four years without the postseason and a 26-38 record during that stretch, Maccagnan wouldn't promise a quick turnaround.

“I wouldn't necessarily put a timetable on everything. I do think there is a good foundation of players in place. We do obviously have to go forward and try to improve our overall talent; everyone in the NFL has to do that,” Maccagnan said on Wednesday.

“I do think there are parts and pieces in place to turn this thing around.”

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As he outlined his past, which included a start with the Washington Redskins as an intern where he came up through the system under famed head coach Joe Gibbs and well-respected executive Charley Casserly (who was hired as a consultant on this search), it was clear that Maccagnan has actual experience on the football side of things. He knows and understands the game, has been vitally involved in the draft and player evaluations.

It is a breath of fresh for an organization that outside the selection of Richardson in 2013, has seen very little in terms of star power added via the NFL Draft. The returns on the free agent front, in particular over the past two years, haven't been much better.

What sticks out about the Jets new general manager is that he knows and understands this team, having grown up in the tri-state area and knowing a thing or two about this organization.

There's been a perception both locally and nationally about the Jets in recent years, with terms such as 'circus' and 'joke' making this an organization that is a perpetual laughingstock and backpage fodder. Maccagnan knows this, understands this and still took the job.

Why? Because he doesn't see it.

“I grew up in New Jersey so I'm very familiar with the history of the Jets. I think for me from afar, the Jets always seemed to have a lot of things in the media. For me when I got in the building and started interacting with the people, for me this was a first-class organization through and through,” Maccagnan said.

“And the people here – at the end of the day you're really [drawn] to the people – and everyone I've met here is very nice and friendly and they're very passionate about winning. For me, I was quite impressed with the organization as a whole. I think the parts and pieces – Woody has built an amazing facility here, all the pieces are in place. We just need to go out there and coach and find the right players and hopefully put this whole thing together and build a championship organization.”

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WEDNESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

Houston Astros - Acquired pitcher Akeem Bostick from the Texas Rangers in exchange for catcher Carlos Corporan.

Major League Baseball - Announced a five-year labor agreement between MLB and World Umpires Association through the 2019 season.

Milwaukee Brewers - Signed pitcher Dontrelle Willis to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Washington Nationals - Signed pitcher Max Scherzer to a seven-year contract.

BASKETBALL

Cleveland Cavaliers - Recalled guard Joe Harris from Canton (NBADL).

Los Angeles Clippers - Recalled guard C.J. Wilcox from Fort Wayne (NBADL).

New York Knicks - Signed forward Lance Thomas to a second consecutive 10-day contract.

FOOTBALL

Baltimore Ravens - Named Marty Mornhinweg quarterbacks coach.

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Chicago Bears - Named Adam Gase offensive coordinator and Ed Donatell defensive backs coach.

Cleveland Browns - Named John DeFilippo offensive coordinator.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Named Greg Olson offensive coordinator.

Ottawa RedBlacks (CFL) - Signed wide receivers Skyy Simmons and Michael Campbell, linebacker John Kanongata'a and defensive lineman Cory Henry.

HOCKEY

Anaheim Ducks - Assigned defenseman Mark Fistric to Norfolk (AHL).

Arizona Coyotes - Recalled goaltender Mike McKenna from Portland (AHL); assigned defensemen Brandon Gormley and Philip Samuelsson, forward Lucas Lessio and goaltender Mike Lee to the Portland.

Dallas Stars - Assigned defensemen Jyrki Jokipakka and Jamie Oleksiak to Texas (AHL).

Detroit Red Wings - Assigned forward Teemu Pulkkinen to Grand Rapids (AHL).

Los Angeles Kings - Assigned defenseman Jeff Schultz to Manchester (AHL).

Minnesota Wild - Activated defenseman Justin Falk from injured reserve and placed him on waivers.

Montreal Canadiens - Assigned forward Christian Thomas to Hamilton (AHL).

Nashville Predators - Assigned goaltender Marek Mazanek to Milwaukee (AHL).

Pittsburgh Penguins - Recalled defenseman Derrick Pouliot from Wilkes- Barre/Scranton (AHL); assigned forward Bobby Farnham to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Winnipeg Jets - Activated defenseman Jacob Trouba from injured reserve; placed forward Mathieu Perreault on injured reserve.

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