Jets' new GM Joe Douglas: Solid hire, but it guarantees nothing

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The first time anyone noticed Joe Douglas in the NFL was the summer of 2001, when he played a bit role in the debut of HBO's "Hard Knocks" series. A low-level personnel assistant for the Baltimore Ravens, Douglas was "The Turk" -- the league's version of the Grim Reaper.

A camera followed him on cut-down day as he walked the halls of the Ravens' facility, breaking the bad news to players. He was only 25, and he looked it. He wore a blue baseball cap, khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt with "Sloppy Joe's" on the back. For what it's worth, he didn't seem to relish the assignment.

Douglas has gone from the most thankless job in the NFL to one of the toughest -- general manager…