FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- It didn't take long for Joe Douglas to address one of his predecessor's mistakes. After a few weeks on the job, and before the start of training camp, Douglas commenced his secret Ryan Kalil pursuit. It culminated Thursday with a contract agreement, giving the New York Jets an experienced center to pair with young quarterback Sam Darnold.
Douglas, hired in June to replace Mike Maccagnan as general manager, recognized it would have been borderline malpractice to play his still-developing quarterback behind a journeyman-type center (Jonotthan Harrison) with limited experience.