Speculation was everywhere, and the speculation sounded really good, very logical.
But it only matters when the man in the middle of the noise says it loud and clear, and so that's what Jets head coach Aaron Glenn did Tuesday afternoon at the opening of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis when he said will call the defensive plays in 2026.
"First and foremost is how I'm going to be with the defense," Glenn told reporters in his second Combine news conference as head coach of the Green & White. "And I will be the playcaller.
"To me, play-calling is my superpower," he said. "I did it four years in Detroit and, man, just look at the maturation of how we improved every year and how I improved as a playcaller. I really missed doing that, and I think it's a huge part of helping us become the team that I and Mouge [GM Darren Mougey] see and that [owner] Woody [Johnson] sees us becoming."
Glenn for the first time publicly explained his rationale for going in a different direction after moving on from his first DC, Steve Wilks, late last season.
"I think that's one of the mistakes that I had last year," he said of his thought process for his first round of coaching interviews. "You hire a coordinator and bring in the guys you feel comfortable with. That hasn't changed, but man, there were a lot of conversations between me and each coach to make sure there was synergy between me and that coach. So I feel very comfortable with that."
One of the DC candidates he was very comfy with was Brian Duker, whom he named as his new defensive coordinator over a field of candidates that included, for instance, veteran NFL playcaller and coach Wink Martindale.
"In those interviews, my decision was made that I was going to be the playcaller," Glenn said. "When I brought Wink in and told him that, he was still a go. But as I thought about the whole situation, Brian had been with me for three years. Man, he had been through the fire with me. He knows exactly how I want to operate. And I think there's nothing more valuable than having that type of relationship with somebody.
"I just thought Brian Duker was the right guy for this job."
Deciding on his D-coordinator had strong implications for who he was going to bring in to replace his first O-coordinator, Tanner Engstrand. Talk about logical speculation: AG's decision was a solid one in Frank Reich.
"I know Frank was coaching at Stanford [last season] and I think that's another notch in our belt," he said, "because I do think there are certain things on offense that you can bring to the league, that are actually coming to our league, that he's going to be able to help us with. And there are a number of young coaches on this staff that are going to help him, and innovative coaches at that.
"I really wanted to make sure that I had someone on that side that was highly experienced and I was fortunate enough to be able to hire Frank, who's not only been a really good coordinator in this league but also a head coach. And I feel really good about that."
Having taking extended time after the end of last season to have those long talks with coaching candidates and restructure his staff — "and I meant it to be that way, it was a process that I enjoyed and a proceed that I needed to have — Glenn arrives at Indy ready to dive into the intricacies of the NFL's annual pre-draft workout session.
"The Combine is outstanding to be able to have conversations with these guys," Glenn said, "There's a lot of conversation, and at the end of the day, your character is going to show up at some point. ... You really figure out the love, the passion, and how they're endeared to their teammates, which is very big for us."
And Glenn will go through that process with a nearly brand-new coaching staff that he, with input from Mougey and assistant GM Rick Spielman, feels will provide the synergy — and, of course, the wins — that he, Johnson and Jets Nation are seeking in the coming season.
"I do want to make sure you know, listen, just because I'm going to be involved in the defense does not mean I'm not going to the the head coach of the team," Glenn said. "I'm going to make sure I'm involved in all three phases. But I just know defensively, I want to make sure that I get that part right."
