Not sure where you're heading with this
I don't want "excuses" for Sam. I want him to be given the opportunity to prove himself. I think we have a franchise QB. We just have him coupled with an awful coaching staff and not enough weapons.
Where I was going is potentially into Douglas' mind.
If I am Douglas and this team appears to be actually as atrocious as it might be, and I think I might be about to luck into the #1 overall pick, am I really about to make a serious move (for example, go get Allen Robinson for a conditional 4th that can escalate to a 3rd with a new contract signed before the new league year starts) which if I believe in Robinson (which obviously I do if I am making that move mid-season) I am taking myself out of the running for the #1 overall pick. This means that I definitely will not get my hands on Lawrence, the best QB prospect I am likely to be within striking distance of in my initial contract as Jets GM (and hopefully my entire career). That means I am hitching my wagon entirely to Sam Darnold, a guy that Gase might have actually ruined over the past two years.
Man that is a scary thought. Especially if Robinson actually wants to leave Chicago. If that's real, he is likely to hit the market in March, and then I can just go pay the man then without risking my draft capital/chances at Lawrence. Add to it, if Sam wins enough games to avoid the #1 pick, then I can just go get him Robinson in March to bolster the squad, and again I don't alter my draft capital to build up a roster which is quite clearly a disaster every where on the roster.
In my mind, it really comes down to 2 things, how much does Douglas believe in Sam despite his poor start to the season, and how cheaply are the Bears willing to part with Robinson?
For me as a Jets fan, I would rather pay the mid round premium for Robinson right now to try and save Sam, even if it turns out that Robinson both takes us out of the Lawrence race and fails to save Sam while he does it. But I can absolutely see why Douglas would not be willing to do it, depending on the level of belief he has in Sam's long term future right now.