What has retirement done to Joe Benigno? He is actually hopeful about the Jets now??
After spending 25 years on the WFAN airwaves famously ranting about the relentless struggles of Gang Green, Joe hopped on Evan Roberts’ Saturday morning show to discuss the NFL Draft with his former co-host, and he is indeed feeling optimistic about the direction that the Jets are headed in.
Joe is as surprised as anyone to say those words out loud.
“It is stunning that I actually have a good feeling about the Jets,” Joe said.
In fairness to Joe, the Jets have given their long-suffering fanbase reason for optimism with a much stronger sense of direction than the last time the team took a quarterback with a top-five pick. After drafting Zach Wilson second overall on Thursday night, New York immediately went to work adding offensive weapons to put around the 21-year-old, all with the intent to fit seamlessly within first-year head coach Robert Saleh’s West Coast offense.
“It’s really stunning to say,” Joe said. “I actually think they have a management team that has their head on straight. I love Saleh. He hasn’t coached a game yet, but this is the best I’ve felt about the hiring of a Jets head coach since Parcells in ’97. There’s something about this guy.”
This draft is also the second for general manager Joe Douglas, who wasn’t afraid to trade up in the first round after taking Wilson to acquire USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker to help protect Wilson, and continued to bolster the offense in the second round.
“You like what they did in the first round to trade up for Vera-Tucker,” Joe said. “Hopefully him and [Mekhi] Becton will be on the left side of that offensive line for a long time. I like them taking the wide receiver [Elijah] Moore in the second round. They need game breakers. This team need offensive weapons and skill players. So I was happy about that.”
The Jets have been busy and efficient over draft weekend, but of course, a draft can’t be evaluated until those draft picks show what they have on the field, something an emotionally tested Jets fan like Joe knows all too well.
“Douglas looks like he knows what he’s doing,” Joe said. “The bottom line is, this quarterback better be the right guy. It really comes down to that. Zach Wilson has to be the right guy.”
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Joe and Evan had that same discussion when the Jets took Sam Darnold third overall in 2018. Only this time, it appears the franchise has a plan to improve the product around their young quarterback. So maybe, just maybe, this time will be different.
“There’s a totally different feeling, because it does seem like Douglas and Saleh know what they’re doing here,” Joe said. “You really do get that feeling with the Jets right now.”
Joe has known mostly pain in his decades as a Jets fan, but it appears Douglas, Saleh and company are starting to crack that tough exterior, and he is starting to hope again and can better enjoy retirement.
“So far, everything is good,” Joe said. “They haven’t played a game yet, Saleh hasn’t coached a game yet and Wilson hasn’t thrown a pass yet, but you do feel good about the direction that they’re going.”
Listen to Joe’s full interview with Evan below!
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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