New York Jets GM Joe Douglas on his NFL Draft philosophy: 'scared money doesn't make money'

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas said 'Scared money doesn't make money' when it comes to the NFL Draft.

Joe Douglas wasn’t afraid to defy the narrative about the New York Jets offseason heading into free agency. It appears that two days ahead of his first NFL Draft as general manager of the Jets, he won’t be playing the safe pick or doing what is expected of him. 

Instead, the pragmatic and thoughtful Douglas will rely on his homework and his staff to address the Jets needs over the course of the draft’s three days. 

Speaking to Alan Hahn and legendary former Jets linebacker Bart Scott on ESPN Radio New York on Tuesday afternoon, Douglas made it clear that his outlook on the draft is one that will rely on his personnel department’s preparation and evaluations. The Jets sit at No. 11 in Thursday night’s first round and they will likely face a choice between left tackle, the most pressing need on the roster, and adding a playmaker at wide receiver. 

When asked about his outlook on how he will continue the rebuilding of the Jets, Douglas didn’t mince words. It may not be a risk with a player pick, he said, if the Jets have done their homework on a player. This, even if it defies conventional wisdom, mock drafts or what analysts are saying about the player. 

“I think what sometimes can be perceived as a risky decision, internally may not be perceived as a risky decision because we’ve gone through the process, we’ve gone through the evaluation, we’ve done our homework,” Douglas told Hahn and Scott. 

“I guess, there’s an old saying ‘Scared money doesn’t make money.’ You can’t be afraid to take your shots but it’s got to be a calculated shot. You just can’t walk blindly into a high-risk decision. You have to back it up with a lot conversations, a lot of you know, with a lot of people that you trust. So I think we’re not going to be afraid to make an ‘unconventional decision’ or risky decisions. But for us, it’s not going to be risky because we’re going through the process.” 

In free agency, Douglas defied what the Jets were supposed to do, instead taking his thoughtful approach to rebuilding the team. He didn’t panic in free agency but stuck to a plan and patiently navigated the landscape. 

Whether it works out is another issue and remains to be seen. But Douglas stuck to his vision and didn’t waver. 

He didn’t spend big, instead finding underappreciated assets among the second and third tier free agents, building up an offensive line by signing players  who may be under the radar but who all showed promise and development last year. He didn’t bring in the star names but instead utilized the Jets cap space efficiently while still upgrading with four free agent signings (and one re-signing) along the offensive line. 

Now two days out from the draft, Douglas appears to have a similar mindset. He may not swing for the fences and grab a wide receiver in the first round although Jerry Jeudy and/or CeeDee Lamb might be available at No. 11. 

Instead, he will trust his draft board and evaluations. The good news though is that the Jets, desperate for a playmaker to spark the offense, might be able to find one on Day 2. 

When asked about the deepest position group in this draft, Douglas made it clear. 

“I would say wide receiver has been getting a lot of pub. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or an expert to tell you that wide receiver is a deep draft this year,” Douglas said.  

“I also think there’s plenty of other depth at other positions I think it’s a really strong running back group. I think it’s a good tackle group. It’s a good corner group, it’s a good d-tackle group. I think you’ve got plenty of positions that aren’t getting as much fanfare as wide receiver but there’s depth at plenty of positions on the board.”