Francesa: Todd Bowles' Lax Attitude Toward Player Punctuality Alarming
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Jets coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday he wasn't overly concerned about players showing up late to practices or meetings, remarks that got Mike Francesa all worked up.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL meetings in Phoenix, Bowles said:
"You're going to always have tardiness with players. It's part of it. Sometimes you're late for work. That's not life-threatening. Those guys after that were sharp, and they were fine, and we didn't have a problem with them after that. Sometimes your alarm clock's not going to go off."
The coach's comments were referring to defensive ends Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, who were benched for the first quarter of a game last season for being tardy to a team meeting.
Oh his WFAN show, Francesa ripped into Bowles for his lax approach toward discipline.
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"'Alarm' is the word, as in alarm clock and being alarmed in hearing that," Francesa said. "Here's a coach whose team last year clearly did not play hard, clearly had veteran players who did not show up, clearly had players who were, without question, malcontents. And he was the guy who ran this team and this defense, and for him to take that tact is a mentality -- why would you ever say that?
"You're not going to let that bother you? Everybody's late? No, they're not! And everybody's team doesn't lay down like that, either."
Francesa also didn't care for Bowles' comments that the team is considering selecting a quarterback with the sixth overall pick in next month's draft.
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"The only scenario that they can give you that they would take this quarterback is if they tell you, 'We believe we have been so blown away by his skills that he is our future and he is our quarterback from Day 1,'" Francesa said.
"If you are not completely on board with that take on the player, you cannot draft him at 6. Because if you would dare bring him in at 6, line him up with one veteran and two other young quarterbacks, keep four quarterbacks again and not play any of these kids and then would dare have another bad year and go take a quarterback at 1 (in 2018), you would prove you have no idea how to use the assets. ... You cannot take a quarterback this year and next year again.
"Here's the question I got right now about Bowles and Maccagnan: Are they trying to get fired?" Francesa continued. "I'm starting to get the idea that they're trying to get fired."
To listen to the segment, click on the audio player above.
