Examining how close the New York Jets and Robert Saleh are to a deal

Some think it's already a done deal. Others do not. Today, we examine how close the New York Jets and Robert Saleh might be to a deal. Just in case you decided to sleep all day Tuesday, let's roll through the latest on the New York Jets head-coaching search front. Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley interviewed Sunday, and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and New Orleans Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn took their turns Monday, upping the total interview count to nine. On Tuesday, however, the day you decided to lounge around in your comfortable bed, one name emerged beyond the crowd. Robert Saleh was brought back for a second round of interviews, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1348992446215168000 While he's also received interest from other teams, the Jets are the first to meet him in-person. https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1349001256090660869 At this point, the rumors are running rampant. Some say it's a done deal, while others are telling Jets fandom to hold those horses. A few notorious "look at me" individuals are throwing out careless reports as if accuracy doesn't matter a bit in this world called journalism. (Many would argue we've reached that speed-over-accuracy point of no return in today's digital sports media world, but I digress.) Exactly how should Jets fans view the current situation? Saleh must view viewed as one of the favorites As the lone candidate to enter the Atlantic Health Training Facility, Saleh must be viewed as one of the favorites---not the favorite. And the reason for that might fly a bit under the radar. Saleh, 41, brings an excitement and energy that's tough to duplicate. His sideline antics are always worthwhile, and his coach-to-player relationships never seem to hit a speed bump. It's exactly what Joe Douglas and Christopher Johnson are looking for in a head coach. Moreover, rumors that he'd bring over Mike LaFleur and/or Mike McDaniel to help on the offensive side of the ball help ease any concerns about his defensive background in an offensive bonanza that is NFL 2020. https://twitter.com/CYJpod/status/1349036610608795649 LaFleur, 34, is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who came over from the Tennesee Titans a couple of years back. He served as Kyle Shanahan's passing game coordinator over the last two seasons and was the team's wide receivers coach in 2017 and 2018. LaFleur was also with Shanahan from 2015 to 2016 in Atlanta, meaning he's already coached in two Super Bowls. McDaniel, 37, served as the Niners run game coordinator since 2017. He was also previously with Shanahan in Atlanta, with the Falcons, from 2015 to 2016, similar to LaFleur. Perhaps that combination of Saleh as the head man and the Shanahan youngsters on the offensive side has already sold Douglas and Johnson. Perhaps not. Maybe there's much more that needs to be decided in this tricky period of history. It's all about the in-person party One of the under-the-radar aspects of this hiring season is the lack of in-person festivities. The Jets have interviewed nine candidates, but they've only met one man in person. Could Douglas and Johnson feel comfortable enough with Saleh after having met with just one man? Is a Zoom call enough to sell any one candidate to an entire organization? Is it enough to eliminate any one man from contention? At this moment, the candidates whose current teams are still in the playoffs do not have the ability to meet with the Jets face to face. This includes the previously-mentioned Staley and Glenn, as well as Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. The delicate balance between locking up a guy they like, Saleh, before anybody else could grab him and allowing more candidates to come to Florham Park, NJ is a tough one to wrestle with. Arthur Smith's Titans have been eliminated, so perhaps he's in line next for an in-person meeting. The Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers are also interested in Saleh. Each has already conducted a Zoom interview with the defensive mind. The Philadelphia Eagles, fresh off the Doug Pederson firing, have become the latest team to put in an interview request for Saleh, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1349017187214888969 How the Jets respond to this move will be an interesting thing to follow. Does Douglas feel good about Saleh to the point he's ready to lock him up, or must he meet with a couple of more candidates in person before he can move forward with such a monumental hire? By Wednesday night, we should have a much clearer idea of where the Jets brass is leaning. This pandemic world that's thrown a monkey wrench into the daily lives of everybody continues to create speed bumps all over, including the National Football League. It's all about the face-to-face activity. If an Arthur Smith in-person meeting doesn't surface soon, think of Saleh as the lead horse or possibly Daboll as the next guy Douglas is waiting on. If Smith or another of these candidates who are no longer in the playoffs surfaces Wednesday, understand that the detailed process the Jets stated initially is still in the midst of its most tiresome work. Stay tuned. The next couple of days should reveal a lot.