Latest On Jets’ GM Search

The Jets are set to interview Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas this weekend for their general manager opening. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that the “scouting community” assumes that Douglas will ultimately be hired for the gig.

If this ends up being the case, La Canfora notes that it will have an impact on some of the organization’s other front office hirings. For instance, the reporter says NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah would not be joining Douglas’ hypothetical staff. On the flip side, former Browns GM (and recent AAF GM) Phil Savage could be a possibility for a role.

Douglas has been considered a frontrunner for the position for some time. The executive spent the past three seasons as the Eagles’ vice president of player personnel, and he played a major role in constructing the Super Bowl LII-winning roster. He was reportedly in consideration for the Texans’ GM position in 2018, but the Eagles denied Houston’s interview request.

The Jets have been connected to a number of additional GM candidates, including Scott Fitterer (Seahawks co-director of player personnel), Terry Fontenot (Saints director of pro scouting) and Champ Kelly (Bears assistant director of player personnel). We learned yesterday that Vikings assistant general manager George Paton turned down the Jets’ request for an interview.

Following former GM Mike Maccagnan‘s firing, Jeremiah surprisingly emerged as an option for “a prominent front-office position.” However, the NFL Network analyst later said that he never talked with the organization. Considering his lack of front office experience, it’s unlikely the Jets considered for much more than a lead scouting role.

Savage has served as both a coach and an executive during his long football career. He had a front office stint with the Ravens that lasted almost a decade, and he eventually moved on to Cleveland as their GM. Savage made headlines during the 2007 draft, when he selected lineman Joe Thomas third-overall before trading up for quarterback Brady Quinn. Savage was fired in 2008, and he spent the following few years with the Eagles. In 2019, the 54-year-old served as the general manager for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football.