FLORHAM PARK [url=http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/john-cominsky-je Joe Douglas stepped to the podium with a big smile — and plenty of pressure.bearded symbol of hope for a franchise desperate to find its way back to respectability.The 42-year-old Douglas paid his dues for years as an assistant in the front offices in Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia. He’s now the main man for the first time, and he assured Jets fans that he’s more than up to the task.“You’re getting a general manager that is a relentless worker,” Douglas said Tuesday during his introductory news conference at the team’s facility. “Someone that understands a winning culture. Someone that is going to strive to put a product on the field each Sunday that competes for greatness and that I hope will make you proud.”Douglas’ hiring last Friday night marked the end of a tumultuous offseason stretch for the Jets, who stunningly fired Mike Maccagnan last month — only weeks after he oversaw the team’s draft, spent big bucks in free agency and played a key role in hiring Adam Gase as coach to replace Todd Bowles.The timing was odd, and the Jets were criticized by some for appearing to lack focus and direction.Now, they have Douglas and Gase, who built what the GM called “a special bond” during a stint with the Bears and can’t wait to turn things around in New York.The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010 season, when Mike Tannenbaum was the GM and Rex Ryan the coach. New York is now on its third GM and second coach since the franchise finished one win away from getting to the Super Bowl — in which it hasn’t appeared since 1969.“Simply stated Qadree Ollison Jersey , Joe is the right person at the right time who our fan base will get to know and love,” team chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson said. “I feel that we now have the right people in charge of our football operations.”Douglas didn’t make any bold proclamations or flashy guarantees, but acknowledged he’s stepping into a unique situation — mainly because he’s already got a franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold leading the way.“There’s a lot of exciting pieces on this roster,” Douglas said, pointing out linebacker C.J. Mosley and running back Le’Veon Bell. “But it starts and stops with quarterbacks. It’s the most important position in all of professional sports.”Darnold is entering his second NFL season and coming off an impressive season-ending stretch during which he threw six touchdown passes and just one interception while completing 64% of his throws in his final four games.“I’ll say this: Building around a young quarterback, there was a sense of urgency in Philadelphia,” Douglas said, referring to the Eagles‘ Carson Wentz. “We had a young quarterback and we wanted to put the pieces around him.“I think there’s going to be that same urgency anywhere, but especially here with a young quarterback like Sam.”Douglas will have control over the 53-man roster, and he and Gase will report directly to Johnson. The coach and GM aren’t concerned about any perceived potential conflicts where they might not be on the same page — something that apparently caused some friction between Gase and Maccagnan, although both insisted that wasn’t the case.“We’re both competitors Brian Burns Jersey ,” Gase said. “And we hate losing.”Douglas and Gase spent only the 2015 season together in Chicago, but Douglas said he and Gase — then the Bears’ offensive coordinator — clicked instantly and recognized that they shared similar philosophies on building a winning program.“His evaluation skills are unbelievable,” Gase said of Douglas. “Coaches trust him. Like, you don’t hear the squabbles because he does such a great job of evaluating players.”Gase, known for having a high-energy personality on and off the field, thinks there’s already a comfort level between the two.“He’s such an easy guy to connect with,” Gase said. “He probably likes my insanity a little bit.”After Johnson told Gase last Friday night that he decided to hire Douglas, the coach quickly reached out to his old buddy — a few times.“It was, ‘When are you coming up? When are you coming up?'” Gase said.Douglas reiterated that he learned collaboration between the front office, scouts and coaches is the way to be successful, first in Baltimore under Ozzie Newsome and then in Philadelphia under Howie Roseman.There were reports that Douglas was going back-and-forth during the interview process http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/greg-little-jersey , trying to decide whether to stay with the Eagles or join the Jets.“I would say that if there were serious reservations, I wouldn’t be here answering the questions that I’m answering,” Douglas said. “We had the interview (last) Sunday and then had multiple discussions up until Friday night that led to me being here.”Douglas said he would spend the rest of this week getting together with the coaching staff to go over the roster, check out the remaining practices and begin to put his front-office staff together.And then, they’ll prepare for the season.“This is a game of wills,” Douglas said. “And we’re going to try to build a team that can impose its will on other teams.” The Kansas City Chiefs bolstered their young, relatively unproven backfield Saturday by signing veteran running back Carlos Hyde to a $2.8 million contract for the 2019 season.The deal includes $1.6 million guaranteed, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not disclosed.The 28-year-old Hyde was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, and the Chiefs moved swiftly in inviting him for a visit. They were seeking help behind Damien Williams and Darrel Williams, who became their top two running backs when Kareem Hunt was released last season.“We certainly like a bigger back,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said during last week’s scouting combine. “I certainly have a thing for 220-pound backs that can run and catch and block.”The 6-foot Will Grier Jersey , 229-pound Hyde certainly fits that mold.He was a second-round pick of the 49ers in 2014, and he came within 50 yards of eclipsing 1,000 twice during his four-year stay in San Francisco. Hyde signed a $15 million, three-year deal with the Browns last season, but he appeared in just six games before a midseason trade to Jacksonville.Hyde wound up making two starts and appearing in eight games for the Jaguars, though he never made much of an impact. He finished with 58 carries for 189 yards and never reached the end zone, and the Jaguars decided Friday to release him when no trade opportunities materialized.Still, he represents a low-risk, high-upside addition to a dynamic Chiefs offense.With league MVP Patrick Mahomes under center, the Chiefs shattered just about every franchise record — and quite a few NFL marks — while reaching the AFC title game last season. And while most of their pressing issues lie on defense, Veach and Chiefs coach Andy Reid said they’d be open to any offseason moves that could potentially put them over the hump.Damien Williams is expected to remain the starter after he assumed Hunt’s job http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/christian-miller-jersey , and he gouged Indianapolis for 129 yards rushing in the playoffs. In fact, Williams was so steady that Kansas City signed him in December to a two-year extension worth up to $8.1 million.“He just needed an opportunity. And when the opportunity presented itself, he kind of took it and ran with it. That is why we extended him,” Veach said. “He’s always been a talented player. He can run, catch and block. He can really do everything. He was great on special teams. I would say going into the offseason and going into the 2019 season, it’s Damien’s job to lose.”He’ll have a little more competition now, though.