When you wish upon a superstar, makes no difference which team you are, anything said star desires will come to you in that hopes that your dreams of winning come true.
Thusly, from New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh's view, his club bringing in some of new quarterback Aaron Rodgers' old teammates is hardly any kind of fresh concept.
There are no wish lists in Saleh's eyes, just a practiced approach in fostering familiarity and chemistry within the ranks.
"I'm going to try to say this as respectfully as I can. I am not attacking anyone," Saleh told reporters Friday. "It's just I do think it's a silly narrative with regards to wish lists, and I say that because there's 32 teams in the NFL, and it's common practice for when there's changes when you have a new coaching staff. When you have people coming in that, you surround those people with people they're familiar with. I had a wish list. There's Soloman Thomas, Marcell Harris, D.J. Reed, Kwon Alexander. Guys who I've worked with who are very familiar with our messaging, very familiar with our scheme, who can come in and play."
The Jets boast four former Green Bay Packers teammates of Rodgers' -- quarterback Tim Boyle, wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb and offensive lineman Billy Turner. And, of course, there's offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Rodgers' so-called wish list was initially reported by ESPN back in March, and the future Hall of Fame quarterback downplayed it, though he also conveyed his opinions on some of his preferred teammates to club brass when the Jets met with him at his home.
As Saleh noted, regardless of the headlines it garners, a coach or superstar QB looking to bring in talent he's familiar with is far from a novel concept.
"Shoot, Tom Brady goes to Tampa and he gets [Rob] Gronkowski and Antonio Brown," Saleh said. "So, it is very common for new faces to want old faces. To be able to come in and help accelerate the insulation of a program. And it's not just everything is being pinned on the quarterback. It's not just him. Hackett has something to say about it. He loves Lazard, loves Randall. Took Billy Turner with him to Denver, wanted here in Green Bay, so of course, you're going to surround a coach with people who he feels will be able to plant the flags. So, you know, that whole narrative of what people are trying to put on the quarterback, I think it's tired but it's common practice in the NFL."
Common could be a stretch, but it's certainly not new. Neither is Rodgers commanding the spotlight, and that's certainly not ending for him or his teammates -- new and old.
