New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn won't shy away from stacking his roster with young players.
The first-time coach once received that roster-building advice from New Orleans Saints executive Jeff Ireland.
"You can't be afraid of young players," Glenn said last week of Ireland's guidance, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.
Some coaches would prefer to start their tenures with veterans they trust, particularly those who know the system, in hopes of getting off to a good start. Glenn, however, is most interested in acquiring the best players, regardless of age.
"Listen, do we want younger players? Absolutely. It's a young man's game," Glenn said. "It's a young man's game, but we want players that can help us win. So if those players happen to be 30 years old, we get those players. It just so happened that we got younger while we got players that could help us win."
Gang Green sported 12 players over 30 last year. Currently, Glenn's crew has five: quarterback Tyrod Taylor (36), long-snapper Thomas Hennessy (31), wide receivers Allen Lazard (30) and Josh Reynolds (30), and guard Zack Bailey (30).
The Jets hope that skewing younger can keep them healthier and get off on the right foot in Glenn's tenure. Flipping the script makes sense for a New York squad that finished 5-12 with an older roster last year. The Jets haven't ended a season over .500 since 2015.
