Todd Bowles and Chan Gailey Are a Perfect Pair for New Era of Jets Football

The New York Jets have a sense of direction now that they have quickly filled the vacancies on their coaching staff. It could be a bit before we know if that direction is the right one, but based on the mistakes of the previous regime, the Jets are already off to a sterling start.

The hiring of scouting-centric general manager Mike Maccagnan was a smart decision after the failings of his cap-happy predecessors, Mike Tannenbaum and John Idzik. It wasn't more than a few hours later that reports began trickling in that the Jets had hired Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to be their new head coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, and shortly afterward, the news came in that Chan Gailey had been chosen as the offensive coordinator, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The beauty of this marriage between Bowles and Gailey is that both men can focus on their respective sides of the ball. 

With Bowles running the defense, the Jets will be like a change in Pepsi labeling: new look, same taste. The Jets have been a 3-4 defense for six years under former head coach Rex Ryan, and that will probably not change with Bowles at the helm, bringing his experiences with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. 

On defense, many of the pieces are already in place for Bowles to execute his scheme, although the Jets will need to upgrade the cornerback and outside linebacker spots. The Jets have drafted six defensive players in the first round over the past five seasons. Bowles has an opportunity to take a defense loaded with talent and rub his fingerprints all over it. 

Bowles' experience as a defensive backs coach could be beneficial; cornerbacks Dee Milliner and Dexter McDougle are talented, but they could use some sanding around the edges.

Gailey does not have such luck on offense, however, as the Jets are without a quarterback and are still in need of help on the offensive line.

Gailey has coached NFL offenses in one capacity or another for 18 years and has five years of experience as a head coach. His offensive style is heavily oriented in the passing game, so the need for a quarterback is magnified. He runs a spread scheme, which asks for a plethora of gifted receivers; the Jets already have some pass-catching talent in wide receivers Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley and Percy Harvin, along with tight ends Jace Amaro and Jeff Cumberland. 

Gailey's track record is impressive: He has coached four offenses that have finished in the top 10 in points scored. He made a $60 million man out of journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, despite wild limitations. He also made a multitalented player like Kordell Stewart into a weapon so versatile, defenses were powerless to stop it.

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Chan Gailey has always been a creative offensive mind. Recall that he's the guy who made Kordell Stewart "Slash" with the Steelers.

— Bart Hubbuch (@BartHubbuch) January 14, 2015"

And he somehow managed to get more than 3,000 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games with Tyler Thigpen as his starting quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Perhaps he could work his magic once again with Geno Smith, but it would probably be smarter for the Jets to give him better options at quarterback. It shouldn't be too difficult for the Jets to find a quarterback, as they hold the No. 6 overall selection in the 2015 NFL draft and should be considered one of the teams in the running to draft a top quarterback like Oregon's Marcus Mariota or Florida State's Jameis Winston. 

Gailey's experience as a head coach could be beneficial to Bowles as he enters his first stint as a leading man. Not only will it take pressure off of Bowles, allowing him to focus all of his energy on the defense while he acclimates himself with the offense, but Gailey could also serve as a sounding board for many of the issues Bowles will come across as a head coach—organizing practices and meetings, workout routines, etc. 

Let's just hope, for Bowles' sake, that Gailey doesn't offer him any pointers on why it's smart to punt on 4th-and-1 from midfield. 

But for both men's sake, Maccagnan will need to dramatically overhaul certain areas of the roster. The quarterback, offensive line, cornerback and outside linebacker spots could all use upgrades, and nearly every position on the roster is lacking depth due to the Jets' recent failings in the draft.

With a GM who can directly affect the draft with his scouting background, one who will be equipped with a plethora of cap space (close to $50 million, according to OverTheCap.com), the Jets could have the best of both worlds with regards to their acquisition of personnel this offseason.

The Jets will have to make good use of all their resources if they are to turn things around anytime soon. With a solid defensive mind as the head coach and an experienced offensive mind to coordinate the other side of the ball, the Jets should have confidence that they've found the right men for the job as long as those men are given the right talent to do their jobs.