Entering his third year as head coach of the New York Jets, Todd Bowles plans to have a bigger say on offense.
"It's just the way I feel as a coach and the way I've evolved to where I need to be," Bowles said at the AFC coaches' breakfast at the Annual League Meetings. "Everything from that standpoint, I need to be heavily involved."
Bowles has been in meeting rooms throughout the offseason and will continue to do so as the voluntary workout program approaches on April 17. Bowles realized he needed to spend more time with the offense at various points, including when he was too busy "yelling on the sideline" and didn't go for a two-point conversion at Buffalo in Game 2 last season. Consequently, he said he plans to be more involved with situational football decisions on Sundays.
"It doesn't mean I'm calling the plays," Bowles told Eric Allen. "It means I've been on the defensive side for two years and those guys are well aware of what they're doing and everything else. It's time for me to go to the other side just to sit in meetings. Offensive coordinatorJohn Morton is calling the plays. They have their system in place and I'll understand all that. I'll just know a lot more situationally on game day as far as understanding where we are, what we're trying to do and how we're exactly trying to do it from an intricate standpoint."
Bowles will be working with five new offensive position coaches—RBs coach Stump Mitchell, QBs coach Jeremy Bates, offensive assistant/assistant QBs coach Mick Lombardi, offensive assistant Jason Vrable and Morton. Bowles said one of the reasons he brought in Morton as the Jets' new play caller is because of his ability to work tailor a scheme around the supporting cast.
"It's going to fit whatever players we have," Bowles said of the offensive system. "It's not going to be a West Coast or a shotgun or an I or a spread or anything else. He's going to fit whatever type of players we have around him and fit that offense accordingly. Morton can go a bunch of different ways. Once he gets in and sees what everybody can do and see how everybody fits, it'll mold itself."
