A Conversation with Leger Douzable About the Top 3 Needs for the Jets (4/13)

good man. Stealing marital bliss marital marital blisses, they would say, So, you know, I'm walking on cloud nine. But you are one of the most hard working guys in this business. Are you gonna take a honeymoon at some point? We're recording one day after you put the ring on? Everybody says that, man, my wife knows who she married, and she knew that the draft was coming up. We agreed to go in mid May. So we're gonna take our honeymoon and in May. Good stuff. She's a real one.

Many blessings to you, guys, and I know you're gonna have great adventures ahead. Speaking of adventures, what is it like for you as far as your draft preparation because the one thing that really always stands out to me is that you love to watch guys in person. Tape is very important, but you like getting on the road and watching guys do it in front of you. Yeah,

my draft prep starts doing the fall EA. And I'm blessed to call college football, so I actually get a leg up on a lot of these things compared to other guys breaking down the draft because I actually get to see a lot of these guys up close and personal. So being able to call college games, I get to see up close and personal where it's you know, pre game, down on the field or calling the game live. You get to see, you know, some physical presence of guys.

You know, we were talking about this earlier, Darnell right right. You see the physicality on hey, But it's totally different when I went to the Senior Bowl and I got to see it at field level. Being on the field and seeing this guy dominate guys left and right. It's a whole different field when you get to see it up close and personal. I'm glad you mentioned Darnel right last year we were both in mobile. Robert Sala, of course and his staff were coaching up those guys, as

were the Detroit Lions. Both those teams, I would argue two of the NFL's biggest surprises. The Jets would have been in the playoffs last season had they not fallen apart down the stretch, largely due to injury. And Detroit really made a number of great strides. But last year

you came out of Mobile. I'll never forget this talking up Jermaine Johnson, and now you're talking up a guy on the other side of the line of scrimmage and Darnel right, Yeah, definitely, Jermaine Johnson was my favorite player in Mobile. A matter of fact, he dominated so well the first two days. Decided to leave because I think that could have helped. That happened with him hurt his draft stock after that. Darnell Wright technically could have did

the same thing this year. EA, But that shows what type of competitor is not the Jermaine isn't. Right. You gotta make smart business decisions. If you feel like you're at the pinnacle of where you could be draft at his wise, why put yourself in harm's away? And Jamaine Johnson was smart and he left Mobile. Darnell Wright, right, I think coming into Mobile, a lot of people saw

him maybe as a second third round pick. I think after Mobile and then going back and rewatching the tape and getting some affirmations, I would not be surprised this guy's a top fifteen pick in this draft. Honestly, some talent evaluators and guys I've talked to have him as a number one tackle, you know, in this draft class. And you can see why. Right the physicality that he brings now he struggled the year before playing at left tackle. I think he's more naturally built for the right side.

He's more dominant on that right side. And then if you turn on the film right versus Trey Von Walker, you know, two years ago and then this past year verst Will Anderson, who people cansider the best prospect in his draft class, he put them in the blender EA, like it was almost like they weren't even at the game. That's how dominant this guy is. Like, if you put your best rusher on his side, he can make them disappear.

And that's essentially what he did for the Tennessee Balls, and then again at the Senior Bowl, where you know you get some of the best players in the nation dominated there too, had some really good battles with Will McDonald from Iowa State, who a lot of people consider to be a probably a better pro prospect than College, had a lot of production two years ago in the year before that. They kind of switched their scheme up this year in Iowa State and kind of had him

reduced head up on the tackle. That's not what he's gonna be doing in the NFL. It's gonna be coming off the edge of Russian They had a lot of good battles Ea, and I think both of those guys that ultimately probably end up in the first round if the Jet stew indeed keep that thirteenth overall selection, which we believe they will. Many pundits think that ultimately it's

gonna come down to the best tackle available. Is that the way you view it right now, And also connected the Jets current landscape at the position he's Dwayne Brown basically toughted out all year. He could have took a payjack and he was playing on one arm. Unbelievable season

from my vanished point. McKay Beckton, he's been on social media showing people the work that he's put into Shredded body throughout throughout the off season, and then the Jets were really happy about where Max Mitchell was at because when they drafted him in the forced rown last year, they were talking about, hey, this is more of a developmental player. He was forced in the starting lineup and they liked the play they got out of him. So can you talk about these tackles in the draft and

also where the Jets are at the position? Yeah, before we get into that ear, I would like to go ahead and give Joe d some love because I know he was kind of under scrutiny right because of what happened at the tackle position. But if you're a GM, what more can you do? Right? You literally brought into Wayne Brown, right, who was a parent of a pro bowler because McKay Beckton got her. George Fant was a guy I played at a high level of the year before,

and you drafted Max Mitchell. So you had four guys for two spots and all four got hurt. So what can you do in that scenario? If you're Joe Douglass, So you want to give him a shout out because we know that Joe Douglass likes to build his teams from the trenches back right, and he tried to do his best to make sure he had enough players for those two spots, but all four got hurt. And then a guy that they took in the first round the year before that, Elijah Vera Tucker, who I think it'd

be a perennial All Pro at guard. He moved out to left tackle and look really well, and then he got hurt. So it's like, what do you do? So if you're looking at this draft, right, I think they are gonna go off of to Tagle. We don't know what d Wayne Brown is gonna ultimately do. Is he gonna come back and play another year? I think I know.

Last time, you know, I talked to Robert Salad and the last time Robert solid at the press conference, he says they're working through that right now, right mcay Beckton, to your point, EA looks really good, but the injury history is there, right, he hasn't been available. Max Mitchell looked really good and then he ended up getting hurt and had to sit out for the rest of the year due to some untimely circumstances when it came to health, right,

So it was tough for that kid. It suck for him because he's playing really well too for a fourth rown pick to be thrust into the starting lineup, But I don't think that was the plan coming into the season. So now you look at it like this, does Dwayne Brown come back? If? Yes, all right, we got some debt, right, McKay Beckton's there, Max Mitchell. We have three guys hopefully that can stay healthy and play. I think you still got to add an offensive tackle for the future, right

because the Wayne Brown's on his last year. You gotta figure out what you're gonna do with McCay Beckton in the fifth year option. You're probably not gonna pick it up. So essentially he could be free after this year as well. So you talk about not having any depth at the offensive tackle position, being right back where you were last year. So as you break it down, Paris Johnson, to me, the offensive tackle from Ohio State is the best pure

left tackle on this draft. Now, he does have flexibility because he played guard all last year and before that before moving to left tackle, but as far as just pure left tackle, I think he's the best in his draft. Peter Scronsky, I don't think he's a left tackle in the League, even though he played that at Northwestern. I think he's better student to play right tackle. People talked about his arm length. I think it'd be a really

good guard as well too. But I think if you really play at right tackle and be good, and then if you need him to move into guard, I think they won't be any fall off if he does move

into guard. A lot of people have already penciled him in at guard at the next level because of the arm length and that being a concern right and if you look at some of the people that have given them issues before, some longer length, you know, defensive ents if he struggled with so I mean maybe that's the issue when you come when it comes to arm length and Peter Scronsky Roderick Jones to me, EA has the highest ceiling out of everybody. I mean the athletic ability

that he has. A lot of people have penciled him in at thirteen to the Jets, which makes a lot of sense because he does have the flexibility to play left or right tackle. So say Dwayne Brown does come back, you could play him at the right tackle. I think he maybe can even play some guard too, But I think he's a guy that you know coming out has a higher ceiling than Andrew Thomas. And we saw Andrew Thomas take a big leap this last year and he's a really good tackle. But I think Roderick Jones could

be even better. Let's not forget he's young, EA kids, twenty one years old, he has a lot of room to grow, so I think he could be. He could be. As far as having the highest setling out of the all four, I think it's him. And then talking about the most physically dominant tackle, it's without a doubt Darnell right right, I mean struggled last year at left tackle, moved the right tackle and was all a world this year.

We talked about it. Some of the guys he's face, Will Anderson made him disappear on film, and a lot of people have Will Anderson as a number one prospect in this draft. Right, you talk about Trayvon Walker who went number one overall last year, ate his lunch too, So like, this is a guy that can be physically dominant and then he's gonna make your run game leap from day one. So if you're looking for somebody to come in and jump start your run game, look no

further than Darnelle, right. I think Douglas continues to be crafty and free agency, most recently with the signing of Quentin Jefferson and a guy who played well in Seattle last season, I believe a career high in sacks five and a half sacks. So you'll add him to the rotation because defensive tackle certainly a need after Sheldon Rankin's departs in free agency too, got a nice deal with

Damiko Ryan's in Houston. As they try to rebuild that thing, they kick get strained, Nathan Shepherd now in New Orleans, Solomon Thomas back, but so they add Jefferson. But the reason why I bring him up is do you think the Jets, possibly on the other side of the ball, could add a center before the draft so that they don't have to go into the draft with that immediate need. Yeah, I think so. They've been linked with Ben Jones right now.

They think about Ben Jones. He's tough, right, he ate toughest nails glass eater, but he's been banged up and he's older, right, So that's a concern when you look at it from that standpoint, because the Jets had so many injuries last year on the office line. If you bring in the Aaron Rodgers, who's an older quarterback, I mean it's passer rating when he's had a clean pocket his night and day from and he hasn't had a

clean pocket. So like you want to make sure you have some continuity on offensive line, you want to make sure that you can line up all five pieces for the majority of the season. And Ben Jones has had some issues. So I think whether they bring Brent Jones in or not, EA, I would not be surprised if they sell address center in this draft. I don't know what round it would be, maybe four, second round. We'll see. Right now, they got those two twos, I don't know

what they'll do. Who knows how things shake out, Say top the top four officive tackles are off the board at thirteen to the Jets trade back and get some more draft capital, right, that could be an option as well. So I could see them addressing that, you know, center, because I think that's more of a need right now,

especially with the signing of Quintin Jefferson than defensive tackle. Now, I don't get it twisted, right, with the way this defensive line rotates, you definitely need another defensive tackle to put in there with Quinnon Williams, right, because Quintin Jefferson, for all intents of purposes, is more of a pass rush guy on third down. He's a guy that can give you some five technique reps. But I mean the

Jets are deep at defensive end. They don't need enough the guy that can line up outside and you know, play on the rundowns. Jefferson can play in at the three technique on rundowns, but he's more of a pass rushing three techniques. So I think they need another guy that could be stout inside with Quinny Williams, but also has the ability to get up the field and recab it. It depends on what they do in the second round. Right.

Keano Betton as a guy I really liked from Wisconsin out of Tama while out of Bare from Northwestern's another guy that if he fostered the second round, makes a lot of sense because they fit the philosophy that Robert Salo likes. Right foot speed and strain. Both of those guys constantly try to get to the quarterback and there's no quitting them. What do you make of the receiver position? I know I'm jumping around a little bit, but you know that's the revamped room. You still have the headliner.

You know, that's Garrett Wilson. That's your number one. He was always gonna be your number one. We knew that. But the Jets go out in free agency they signed Allen Lazard. Of course, he's got the familiarity with Nathaniel Hackett,

He's got the familiarity with Aaron Rodgers. If a trade does indeed happen, then at the slot position, Elijah Moore in a third round pick, goes to Cleveland and exchange for a second round pick, and then the Jets bring in a versatile burner and McCole Hardman Jr. Of course, Bracton Burial signs with the Miami Dolphins. Yeah, so I think the jetson will be looking to add one more receiver. We don't know what round it will be in. There's actually pretty good depth and this receiver, you know class.

I think Jaden Reid is a guy that if he's there in the fourth round, makes a lot of sense from Michigan State for the Jets. And then we talked about it, right ea, say all four of the top official tagles are gone, Does Jackson Smith and Jigbua become a name at thirteen? Nova Texas pick at twelve. So I don't know if they, you know, would let him go, especially if they get Bryce Young at number two. I think it just makes too much sense for them not

to take him. I don't know if you take Quentin Johnson. That's why you kind of signed Alan Lazard. Same type of body type, same type of molde. They don't have a you know, unique route tree. But there are guys that can go up and get the fifty fifty jump balls, those those drag routes coming across the middle. They're both good at that. So I don't think you go Quentin Johnson. Maybe Jordan Addison is a name that you look at right.

He's got some position back flexibility where he could play in the slot as well, So that's the guy that could potentially look at. I just think if Jackson Smith and Jigbud has gone, the top four tackles are gone. I would not be surprised if Joe Douglas traded back, But receiver could be a pick they take in the first round only if all four officsive tackles are gone. But it's also because I talk about it's pretty good depth at this receivering class. I could see him wait

until the fourth rounds go get a receiver. A trade back would be interesting, no doubt about that. What did you think about the Jets interest in Nodell Backham and the money he got from the Baltimore Ravens and Joe Douglas continues to stick to his plan And I think that's another example of it, isn't it? Oh one hundred percent and shout out to Odell? I couldn't be more ecstatic.

And I knew that Jets were never gonna pay that much, right because he essentially got fifteen million guarantee with a chance to make eighteen mill, Like that's literally like top number one receiver money in the league. And he didn't play all last year. Hea he's coming off in ACL and I think he turns thirty one this year. And I love O'Dell, but father time is undefeated. Right, Teams at a GM tell me once, we'd rather pay a guy, you know, let a guy leave one year too earlier

than one year too late. Right, that's the philosophy for steel or philosophy. Yeah, that's that's the philosophy of a lot of these teams. So like, I'm so happy from a player's point of view, that O'Dell got that, specially coming off an injury. I just know Joe Douglas was never gonna pay that. Now, I think the Jets were willing to pay more than people thought they would. Now I've heard around twelve million dollars, which I was surprised, right.

I thought it would be more of a nine million dollars type deal with incentives to make it up to like fifteen or you know, sixteen million dollars. But from what I've heard that potentially the Jets were willing to pay twelve million dollars with some incentives to to you know, to bump that number up. But I don't think they were ever going to get close to eighteen million dollars, whether it was incentive based or not. Jets fans were

in our final push and the clock is ticking. Windbett is giving you a golden opportunity to win VIP prizes for the twenty twenty three season. The Windbet Green Room is the most exclusive space at the stadium, with all inclusive food and beverage, lower level seats and appearances by Jets, legends and celebrities. New Jersey customers, all you need to do is wager at least one hundred dollars on Windbett's

sports book or casino. For New York customers, all you need to do is wager at least one hundred dollars on Windbett's sports book. The best part, you get an entry for every one hundred dollars you wager. Rogers he's still a member the Green Bay Packers right now in Arizona at the league meetings, saying that, hey, these teams have had productive conversations. I know Jody was at an event the other nights of where a lot of fans were at and then he was asked about to buy

boomer size. And the Packers continue to be asked about the situation themselves. When do you see the next flashpoint. We're two weeks out from the NFL Draft right now. Yeah, Ea, it's it's getting to the point where something just needs to get done. I think literally the day they were looking at is either the twenty seventh or the twenty eighth.

Those are the first two days in the draft. So you're Green Bay, like you would have to think something has to get done before them, because you would want draft capital to add to your roster, right to truly evaluate Jordan Love, you would think, right, the betting man would believe that. And from what I've heard, Ea, I know they've had production converenation, productive conversations, but it seems lately that both teams are kind of dug their heels

in and nobody's willing to blink. Essentially, it's the word that comes to mind EA to me, if you're Green Bay, and this is not even just being a homer, right, Aaron Rodgers was going to retire, that means forty million dollars is gonna be stuck on your books. Now, you could have allocated that through multiple seasons, but at the end of the day, you still would have had to pay that bill. Right, the Jets were taking that bill

off your hand. Right, And if Aaron Rodgers decides to change things up and show up when obviously he's in programs started for Green Bay, you owe him sixty million dollars. In the locker room where everybody thought that you guys are moving forward with Jordan Love, you've already come out publicly and said, you know, the only way Aaron Rodgers is back with us, is things don't go the way we want them to go. That was your president, Mark Murphy.

That's what he said, right. Bryan Goudakas said, Supposedly the conversations weren't as fluid with him and Aaron Rodgers going into the all season when he went into the dark hole. You know, you know that he was supposed to call us and didn't happen. Aaron Rodgers says, you know, after coming out of the black hole, he's supposed to have a conversation with him. When he came out of the black hole, it was Jordan Love's gonna be our quarterback? So like, what are we doing here hea end of

the day? Like I know, you know, the Jet fans are tired of this. The Green Bay Packers fans have to be tired of it. They think they're getting the first like Joe Douglas is not given the Green Bay Packers the first round pick for Aaron Rodgers one. He's a thirty eight, thirty nine year old quarterback, I believe, And we don't know how many years he's gonna play.

Now we know he'll play the twenty three season, but who knows what's gonna happen in twenty four So you're right back in this position again a year from now, EA, needing a quarterback if Aaron Rodgers doesn't play two years. So at the end of the day, I think they just need to come to terms whether it's a second round pick this year, conditional third next year, depending on Aaron Rodgers if he plays, and then they can even

do it where it's per raded by stats. EA. Right say Aaron Rodgers hits a crazy stat line he throws for four thousand yards to Jets, go to the Divisional AFC championship game, then it moves up to a second round pick and get the deal done so both teams can move forward, because right now both teams are at the standstill because if you look at what Green Bays

done this off season, they've done anything. Ea, they're in the standstille because of that number that Aaron Rodgers has on the books, and the Jets have made some moves right Allen's are McCole, Harman, quinnin Jefferson, but they're still kind of had a standstill as far as what they're gonna do in the draft because right now they have those two second round picks that you talked about, But a lot of people assume one of those picks are

going to Green Bay. So I think Joe Douglas and the staff probably have two, you know, they have two routes they're gonna take, whether the trade gets done before the draft or after the draft. Right now, they're probably assuming that the trade gets done, so they're gonna probably assuming they only got one second round pick. But as time gets closer, they're gonna have to have a plan drawn up where they're gonna have to use both of those second round picks just in case the trade doesn't

happen before the draft. Man, that would be such an interesting Thursday night if oh yes, it would if it gets through a round one no trade. But that's why I said the twenty eighth, because you gotta think the first two day to draft, the first two days, the draft starts later in the afternoon, right, say things like seven o'clock, right, if I'm not mistaken, So you literally have all Thursday night throughout the draft and then Friday morning.

A lot of those drafts, you know, things happen literally like minutes before the picked happen, and so I think that could happen. We saw the A. J. Brown trade happen on draft night, right, So it's like, you gotta have your plans ready if you're Joe Douglass in the staff, just in case things go left and the trade doesn't happen before the draft. You got to be prepared to use both of those second round picks where you trade back on the second one, or you're ready to pick

two players at forty two and forty three. Jets had they had a health down the stretch, they were a playoff team last year, but they didn't have health, and then we're in a playoff team when we saw it fall apart. What are they if Rogers is wearing green and white next season, what are they their playoff team

competing for the AFC East Crown. Right, They competed for it last year for most of the season, and you talked about the EA injuries and then you know up and down quarterback play kind of hurt them last year

down the stretch. So if they have Aaron Rodgers in quote unquote in a down year, Aaron Rodgers through for almost thirty seven hundred yards EA, twenty six touchdowns and twelve interceptions in point to your poor Randy lang are a great statistician here, editor, feature writer, He's done everything here for the Jets. He looked up Rogers numbers twenty twenty two and compared it to every single season passer in Jets franchise history. That would have been one of

the best in Jets franchise history. Sea, That's what I'm saying. So, even in the down year, Aaron Rodgers would have had the Jets in the playoffs because that would have been statistically one of the best years of Jets quarterback has ever had. And it's crazy they think that's a off year for Aaron Rodgers if you look at the league as a whole, like that's a good year for most quarterbacks in the NFL, but that's a subpart year for

Aaron Rodgers. So that lets you know the skill set that Aaron Rodgers brings, even in an off or quote unquote down year, right, him throwing for almost thirty seven hundred yards pushed the Jets probably in you know, AFCA's contention to win it, because let's not forget, I believe five games is the Jets loss, right, the defense of up twenty points or less. So if Aaron Rodgers just averages twenty one points. They just have five more wins

at twelve wins AA on the season. To put that into the perspective, I know, obviously a lot of pressure on any gum Joe Douglas. It's got to feel a little bit different this year as opposed to last year. Yes, the Rogers thing is the big piece out there. As Woody Johnson said at the beginning of the offseason, quarterbacks been kind of the missing link. So let's just to

assume that down the line, this trade's gonna happen. Douglas last year had to hit a home run in the draft, and you look back at it, you might have hit a Grand Slam. Yeah. Yeah, I think we said this last year on the podcast and throughout other shows. To me, it was a franchise deciding draft. Right when it came to what Joe d did last year. You're talking about getting Sauce Garden and Garrett Wilson with your first two picks. Right.

Garrett Wilson, for all intentsive purposes, should have been for the Pro Bowl because he played with four different quarterbacks. EA, we saw what Sauce Gardner did, he was All Pro four reason right, he literally shut down everybody that was outside to come in and lead the league and PBUs as a rookie is something amazing. And again DJ Reid and let's not talk about what Joe Douglas did in the off season two right, getting guys like DJ Reid and Tyler Conklin who had a quiet actually really good

season as well. So like that, and then getting Breece Hall in the second round, Jermaine Johnson who was playing really well before the foot injury, got him in the first round, and then Max Mitchell and Michael Clemens in the fourth round. Like how many times is your fourth round picks are they called upon their first year and they take significant snaps, but hold up right, that rarely happens. Ea. So the due diligence of this, you know, you know,

scouting department and Joe Douglas and his staff. You have to give him a kudos because they did a really good job in that draft, not only in the draft but also in free agency. All right, I don't want to give everything away that you said during the Jets overtime, and you can watch that CBS Saturday Night, eleven thirty. We're gonna preview the offense, the offensive side of things as far as the twenty twenty three NFL Draft, and then next week we're gonna preview the defense. But one

of your favorite guys overall. You talked about your infatuation with Darnell right, how impressed you are with him. You like another guy in that sec a playmaker, a running back. Everybody's talking about b John Robinson, You in fact have your eyes set on somebody else. Yeah, Jamir Gibbs. I have him as a first round running back. And I don't think that lightly because I'm a big on position of value guys. I feel like you can get more value in the second, third round with running backs. But

he's an elite talent. Right when you talk about first and foremost, let's just go to special teams. Droute Ea, the return ability and the kickoff return game. He's a game changer when it comes to that. Then you're talking about a guy that has contact balanced like Alvin Kamara, where guys just bounce off on I mean, Dress Sanders a lot of people because of to him the number

one linebacker in this draft class. Go turn on that Arkansas film and see how many times Drew Sanders missive tackle on this guy and just bounced off from where people thought he was tackled for loss. They say, you know he's got five or six yards ea. So you talk about the contact balance and then the explosiveness and speed, right, game changer screenplays, zone plays, being able to take it sixty seventy yards and outrun angles. That's what Jamir Gibbs

gives you. Now. Bjon Robinson gives you a lot of that as well too, as far as catching and catching the ball out of the backfield. He's a tough guy to bring down, right. I just like the explosiveness of Jamir Gibbs a little bit better. Interesting, this has been great. You gotta roll. Let's end here. Top three needs for the Jets quarterback aside top three needs, I would say offensive tackle for sure, center and then defensive tackle in

that order too. Offensive tackle, center than the exactly perfect For those of you locally, you can check dudes out Saturday Night Jets Overtime CBS eleven thirty and we're also gonna make that available on Eurochess dot com and YouTube. Great seeing you, my friends, you as well appreciate it.