With the news that the Jaguars and Lions have both fired their General Managers over the past couple days, you start to think who could be next? The Bears, the Jets, and the Eagles are just a few of the terrible teams in the league with very little hope of improving this year or next so the question is, how patient can ownership be when a team is “rebuilding”?
The most common way for a GM to get fired is simple, spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a roster that only wins 3-5 games each year. Repeat that process a couple times, and boom you are out on your ass. Basically the exact reason why the Lions and Jaguars fired theirs this week.
However, even when ownership is being patient during the rebuilding process, there’s an easy way for a GM to get fired…..the top prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft decides to stay in college an extra year rather than joining your organization.
I’m obviously talking about the Jets and the very real possibility that Trevor Lawrence decides to return to Clemson for his senior season. How can a GM possibly look their owner in the eyes and talk about the future when a once in a generation player decides he would rather “go to class” than make bank.
In this case, Lawrence would be passing up millions of dollars and the opportunity to play in the NFL’s largest market because he doesn’t want to wear the Green and White. But can you blame him, who was the last Quarterback the Jets actually developed? You could say Mark Sanchez, but is that really the argument you want to make to Lawrence…come to NY and you could be the next Mark Sanchez?
The Jets GM and their entire football operations department better pray that if they land the #1 pick that Trevor Lawrence declares for the NFL Draft. If there is even a rumor that he is returning to Clemson, they may as well pack up their office because they should be fired immediately.
What would be really interesting is if the Cowboys somehow ended up with the 1st Pick and Trevor Lawrence decides to return to Clemson rather then play for the Cowboys. Who does Jerry Jones have to blame? He certainly won’t fire himself…..though Cowboys fans have been asking for that for the last 10 Christmases.
Regardless of what happens, the decision Trevor Lawrence makes when it’s time to declare for the draft is one that with impact NFL teams and GM’s careers for years to come.
