PALM BEACH, Fla. — Shhhhhhhhhh!
That could be the Jets’ new motto.
New Jets coach Aaron Glenn acknowledged Monday that the team has tried to keep a lower profile this offseason.
The Jets have been accused of “winning the offseason” in the past with big moves and bigger press conferences.
This offseason, they have been “moving in silence,” according to Glenn.
The Jets have not signed big names other than quarterback Justin Fields and they have not said much about those moves.
“It is by design,” Glenn said at the NFL’s annual meeting. “Listen, I’m a huge believer in just moving in silence and letting things play out like they need to play out.
“I think our staff has done a really good job of that. Just overall, let’s make the moves we need to make. Listen, this doesn’t need to be a big hoopla of what we’re doing. We just want to go about our business and coach these players and try to create a different atmosphere for the players that’s totally different probably than what they’re used to.”
It certainly is different than the last two years when the Jets made the splashy move to trade for Aaron Rodgers and then tried to construct a win-now team around him.
The Jets seemed to relish in the attention that Rodgers brought from “Hard Knocks” to being a featured team on prime-time games.
Glenn has brought a different philosophy. He sounds like the anti-Rex Ryan.
“I want to move in silence and just go about our business, go win some games,” Glenn said. “You don’t win in the offseason anyway. I know everybody has these grades, free agency grades, draft grades and when you go back and look at them they don’t really mean crap. The only thing that makes a difference is what you do during the season.”
With Glenn saying the Jets wanted to be a quieter organization, someone pointed out that Rodgers is never silent and was that the reason the Jets decided to release the four-time MVP. Glenn dodged the question.
“I know who I am and I know what I want to do,” Glenn said. “Regardless of how any person is, that has nothing to do with me. I know what I want to do. That doesn’t matter to me.”
The one move the Jets made this offseason that did make noise was the signing of Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract. Even so, the Jets have not had any press availability for Fields, a departure from how the team operated in past offseasons.
Monday was the first time Glenn had met with local reporters since the team signed Fields and he talked up his ability to be a complete quarterback and not just a runner.
“He’s dynamic and he can run,” Glenn said. “I don’t want that to be what we all talk about with this player. I want this player to know that he’s going to go out there and play quarterback for us. He’s going to have every opportunity to do that. I want to use his legs, yes, but I want him to go play quarterback.”
Glenn seemed to say that the Bears and Steelers, Fields’ previous teams, did not get the most out of the quarterback.
“We want to let him play quarterback,” Glenn said. “That’s what he’s always wanted to do. Listen, I’m not saying he hasn’t had the chance to do that in other places. That’s not my issue, but I know what I want to do with that player. I obviously want to utilize his legs but I also want to give him a chance to go out there and play quarterback.”
