Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh chats with general manager Joe Douglas (not pictured) at 2021 training camp.
No matter how you slice it, the landscape of the AFC East changed the moment Tom Brady left the division. The Buffalo Bills have become the team to beat as the New York Jets look to fight their way out of the bottom.
Generally, that would make the Bills a target for coaching hires — like Brian Daboll this offseason — and front office promotions but the coin flipped on May 13. This time, Buffalo poached a Jets scout off Joe Douglas’ staff, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
He tweeted: “The #Bills are hiring Alonzo Dotson as a national scout, per source. Dotson – a former Oklahoma defensive lineman and nephew of Santana Dotson – most recently was the #Jets’ southeast area scout. A rising name in the scouting ranks.”
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Dotson Gets Rave Reviews Upon Departure
This news may have been the type some scroll past on social media but NFL scouts are often the backbone of a great organization. Douglas has made it his mission to construct this roster using the draft and trusted advisors like Dotson have helped make that a reality.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini noted that the area scout “spent 4 years” with the Jets in a follow-up tweet.
Source confirms that #Jets area scout Alonzo Dotson is taking a position with the #Bills, as @TomPelissero said. Dotson, who will be their national scout, spent 4 years with the Jets, the last 3 as their Southeast scout.
That means Dotson survived the regime change from Mike Maccagnan to Douglas, and actually earned a promotion in the process. “Prior to joining the Jets, he spent five seasons and six drafts with the Green Bay Packers, working as a Midlands college scout, selecting players that helped the team to four playoff appearances, and three division titles,” his Jets profile informs.
It continued: “Before working in the NFL, Dotson was a defensive quality control coach at the University of Houston, where he was responsible for working with the defensive line/linebackers, coordinating the offensive scout team, identifying opposing personnel packages, and directly assisting the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach. In his two seasons on staff, the Cougars finished 18-8, including a perfect 13-0 season in 2011, the most wins in school history.”
Bleacher Report’s lead draft analyst Connor Rogers called the scout’s departure a “well-earned promotion” and “big role” that Douglas must fill. “Always heard good things about Dotson when he came over from GB and throughout his time with the #Jets,” Rogers explained.
New York Daily News beat reporter DJ Bien-Aime seconded that opinion, tweeting: “I’ve heard a lot of GREAT things regarding Alonzo. The Bills got a good one.”
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Narrative Changing at One Jets Drive
Now, there are two ways you can look at this. Option A: Gang Green just lost a promising scout to a division rival.
Option B is much more optimistic though. The NYJ organization is now producing personnel that top teams covet while Maccagnan and Adam Gase are still out of a job. That is a very good shift from the “same old Jets” narrative of the past and it all starts at the top.
Douglas is the man who has led this transformation and although it has been rocky at times, the light appears to be getting brighter as the journey through the tunnel continues. After all, he brought in head coach Robert Saleh and made the final call on the two of the franchise’s top-graded draft classes in recent history.
Don’t forget all the wheeling and dealing it took to get there. Tough decisions like Jamal Adams, Sam Darnold and Avery Williamson have all worked to improve this roster long-term.
It’s the morning after the 2022 schedule was released, and Jets fans are anxious to see this team finally crack the code. Sure, the Bills just nabbed one of Douglas’ scouts. It isn’t good news — but let’s hope it’s not the last time we hear it.
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