Lance Newmark looked like a strong candidate for the vacant New York Jets general manager opening. But something happened that caused the AFC East team to go in a different direction.
The Washington Commanders won't be complaining about that. General manager Adam Peters moved swiftly to lure Newmark from the Detroit Lions to be his assistant. The pair had an aligned vision for the future and undertook a drastic makeover of the playing personnel. Their gamble paid off handsomely.
Peters and Newmark laid the table. Dan Quinn's culture shift and ability to mold this new-look roster into a cohesive, competitive unit saw the Commanders come within one win of the Super Bowl. That is a significant accomplishment that bodes extremely well for the future.
This came with the inevitable alluring glances from other teams. Newmark was tipped to link back up with Aaron Glenn on the Jets. After lengthy in-person discussions, they went with Darren Mougey instead.
Insider suggests NY Jets 'dodged a bullet' with Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark
Tony Pauline from Sportskeeda proceeded to launch a smear campaign on Newmark citing anonymous sources. The insider stated many thought the Jets had a lucky escape with the front office figure, proclaiming his overall body of work as unimpressive despite the recent success in Washington and Detroit.
"Many believed the Jets dodged a bullet not signing Lance Newmark, who seemed like a shoo-in for the job just last week. While Newmark has had a good run recently as assistant with the Washington Commanders after coming over from the Detroit Lions, people say his overall body of work has been terrible. The Jets hired Darren Mougey to be their next general manager. Mougey is a great story, starting as a scouting intern and working his way up the ladder. People from Denver that I’ve spoken with say he’s smart, hard-working and knows talent. The best compliment of all? Someone from the Broncos said Mougey is “an Adam Peters type,” referring to the general manager of the Washington Commanders."Tony Pauline
It's funny how often this happens when questions get asked.
Newmark played a leading role in Detroit's renaissance. He did the same in Washington and received lavish praise from Peters along the way. The Jets had every right to go in a different direction, but to discredit his work when the evidence should be staring critics in the face is unwarranted and disgraceful in equal measure.
This wasn't a good fit for whatever reason. It's not a big deal and the Jets aren't exactly the poster child for stable franchises under team owner Woody Johnson. It was their prerogative to go with Mougey, even though it's ironic that they were looking for someone like Peters without appointing the man who worked closest to him over the last year.
Their snub is the Commanders' gain. Newmark will continue to work alongside Peters during a pivotal offseason. Starting better than anticipated is one thing, but kicking on with the same urgency represents a different challenge entirely.
Having stability will help. Peters knows how to take the Commanders forward and Newmark is a respected evaluator despite what Pauline (or those talking to him) would have you believe.
And if the Commanders say in the Super Bowl hunt next season, Newmark will get the respect he already deserves.
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