FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ Adam Gase was upset about reports of a rift between he and Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan prior to the NFL draft last month.
Gase said he is in constant communication with Maccagnan and there are no issues.
"Unless I say it, it's really irrelevant to me," Gase said Friday. "I don't know who decides to put that stuff out there. It kind of pisses me off a little bit. We have discussions on everything. That's our job. We have to work through so much stuff. That's what we got to do. That's all we've done since we've been in there.
"Since we started, we're constantly in communication whether he's coming down to my office or I'm going to his office. That's all we're trying to do is just trying to make sure we're on the same page all the time and making sure that we're trying to put this thing together as well as we can in a short period of time."
Gase has been the Jets coach for less than four months, and with Maccagnan's help, they have re-tooled the team through free agency and the draft.
The Jets are holding a rookie orientation this weekend. This was the first time Gase addressed the media since the reports surfaced. Multiple reports stated that Maccagnan could be fired after the draft. Gase said he didn't read the reports but heard about them.
"I don't read much because I think a lot of the stuff is crap," Gase said. "No offense."
It's not out of the ordinary for a coach and general manager to see things differently about players, but Gase said it's healthy to have those kinds of discussions and debates.
"If it wasn't, what are we doing this for?" Gase said. "If everybody just agreed on everything it'd be boring. You need to have a little excitement once in a while."
The Jets were extremely active in free agency, signing Le'Veon Bell, C.J. Mosley, Jamison Crowder and acquiring Kelechi Osemele. But it was during that stressful time, one report said, that Gase and Maccagnan were at odds.
The report said Gase was upset that Maccagnan didn't pursue center Matt Paradis more aggressively. Paradis ended up signing with Carolina for three years and $27 million.
Center is a concern, but Gase said he feels comfortable with incumbent starter Jonotthan Harrison. Gase said tensions are high during free agency as he tried to dismiss the idea that he was frustrated over some decisions.
"Not really," Gase said. "The plan, we know what it was going into it. We got it executed and we moved on to the draft. It's just about, 'Can we get the guys that we're talking about getting?' You just never know because there's 31 teams competing against you. You don't really know who's telling the truth. What agents are BS-ing you. Which ones are shooting straight. Free agency is a nightmare procedure."
With Gase mentoring second-year quarterback Sam Darnold and overseeing the offense, and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in charge of what should be an improved and aggressive defense, expectations are high for the Jets this season. The team has high hopes for nose tackle Quinnen Williams, who was taken with the No. 3 pick.
The addition of Bell will be huge for Darnold and the Jets. Bell's absence from voluntary workouts has created a little stir, but Gase said it doesn't bother him. Gase doesn't know if Bell will be here for OTAs later this month. But he expects Bell to attend and participate in the mandatory minicamp the first week of June.
"It's voluntary," Gase said. "Everybody can get upset about it. It's no point. We know where he is _ he's working out. He's always been ready. Every year that he's played he's been ready to go. That's just what it is.
"We'll see how the OTAs goes. As of right now, I know the mandatory stuff that he said he's going to be here for that. I don't expect him to not show up for that. When we get a chance, when we get him in town and we can cover some things I know he'll come in, he'll get what he needs to get, and he'll go and get ready for the season."
