New York Jets’ Youth Movement Seems To Have A Double Standard

The New York Jets released veteran cornerback Pierre Desir on Tuesday, and head coach Adam Gase said Wednesday the reason was to get more playing time for rookie Bryce Hall. 

That makes sense for a winless team going nowhere and preparing for the future.  

Yet, at the same time, Gase seems committed to continuing to give the same amount of rushing attempts and offensive workload to 37-year-old Frank Gore. 

That doesn’t make sense for a winless team going nowhere and preparing for the future. 

Instead, it can’t help but make one wonder if there is a double-standard at play here. Gore, who is currently third on the all-time NFL list for rushing yards gained, is a Gase favorite and certainly someone he pushed hard to be signed by general manager Joe Douglas. 

Conversely, Desir plays on the other side of the ball, which the offensive-minded Gase has outsourced to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. It is true that Desir’s play doesn’t warrant keeping him around. The 30-year-old cornerback, who signed a one-year deal for $3.25 million in guaranteed money in March, was a disappointment with New York although he has a team-high three interceptions. He currently is rated 105th out of 120 NFL cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus.

Although he came to the Jets with a reputation as good press-man cover corner, Desir was benched twice by Williams, and a major problem was the amount of cushion he gave opposing receivers. 

“Where we’re at right now,” Gase said Wednesday, “we’re looking to play as many of these young guys as possible. We just felt like it was the right decision to give (Desir) an opportunity to go and try to get an opportunity somewhere else.”

Gase said it wasn’t fair for “a guy with that experience and a guy who’s been a starter for multiple teams having to play scout team or possibly be inactive or a backup. … We felt like this was the best decision to make and get these young guys out there and play those guys.”

Hall has plenty of promise, but a devastating leg injury cut short his 2019 senior season at the University of Virginia. Considered perhaps a first- or second-round talent before the injury, he was selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. When he played against New England on Nov. 9, it marked his first game action since the injury in October 2019. 

Hall allowed a key 20-yard reception to Jakobi Meyers to set up the Patriots’ game-winning field goal. Desir had been benched after giving up a crucial 31-yard catch to Damiere Byrd on the previous series.    

Hall has a lot of potential, but given his inexperience and rust, expect him to get picked on by opposing quarterbacks, at least until he gains experience. 

The point is he likely will not be an instant upgrade over the underachieving Desir. Still, it’s understandable why the Jets want to get Hall experience now. 

But if those are the criteria at this point in a lost season, then why is Frank Gore still starting at running back? 

His 3.6 yards per carry place him next-to-last in that statistic among 50 qualifying NFL running backs this season. (A back needs 6.25 carries per game to qualify for the list.) 

This hardly is anything new. Counting this year, in the last six seasons, Gore has failed to attain the benchmark of 4 yards per carry in five of six seasons as he chugs his way through the twilight of his pro career. Gore still has a 4.3-yard career per-carry average, despite his diminishing production in recent years. 

There is no doubt that Gore is a consummate professional who still is in great shape, and prepares himself well, and does all the right things. But if it’s time for youth to be served in the defensive backfield, what about the offensive backfield? 

Here is what Gase said: “Frank is probably playing at one of the higher levels of anyone we have right now.”

The aforementioned stat would seem to belie that, rookie fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine also is averaging 3.6 yards per carry, in only 47 attempts, as opposed to Gore’s 108. Gore is on a one-year deal worth $1.05 million, per overthecap.com. Perine struggled earlier in the season at picking up blitzes, but has gotten better at that in recent weeks. 

Of course, Perine should not play the whole game. But why can’t he get the bulk of the carries, with Gore spelling him? Here’s Gase’s explanation of the running-back rotation:

“At the running back spot, it’s all about how many plays we have in the game,” Gase said. “It’s what you envision pre-game, before we go in this thing, and how the game goes, that’s why sometimes the reps look the way they are.”

Kansas City coach Andy Reid doesn’t run that much misdirection before the snap. And if Gore had that kind of evasiveness, he’d be averaging 10 yards per carry. 

Also, don’t forget waiver claim Ty Johnson, who rushed for 8 yards on his first carry as a Jet on Oct. 18 at Miami, 34 yards on his second attempt, and has carried the ball only four times since. All because of Gase’s bias toward Gore. 

“I always see Perine having more reps and Frank having valuable reps and touches throughout the game,” Gase said.

But although Perine does indeed get more snaps, Gore gets more touches, without providing more production. And what exactly is the point of that? Much like the Desir/Hall situation, which player is more likely to be a part of New York’s future?

“We’d love to get Perine some more touches, though,” Gase said.

If the New York Jets’ mandate is to play the youngsters and to bench/cut/trade struggling and/or underperforming veterans, that’s OK in a lost season. But the policy has to be uniform across the board. Adam Gase should not be permitted to pick and choose, based upon which players he likes.