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Jets won’t make same mistake twice, will hire GM first

By Austin Belisle

Dec 29, 2014; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets chairman and chief executive officer Woody Johnson addresses the media regarding the dismissal of general manager John Idzik (not pictured) and head coach Rex Ryan (not pictured) at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
Dec 29, 2014; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets chairman and chief executive officer Woody Johnson addresses the media regarding the dismissal of general manager John Idzik (not pictured) and head coach Rex Ryan (not pictured) at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O /
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After firing Rex Ryan and John Idzik on Monday, the New York Jets plan to learn from their mistakes and hire a general manager before signing their next head coach.

It was no surprise that the Jets parted ways with Rex Ryan and John Idzik earlier this week — the pairing was a disaster before the season had even started.

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Rex Ryan has always been known as a defensive genius, creating mismatches with blitzing schemes and sound man-to-man coverage. But Ryan’s Jets had no chance to succeed with Idzik running the show. In his two-year tenure, Idzik watched Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie walk out the door to join other teams.

Left with a rag-tag group of cornerbacks, the Jets’ defense finished with 6 interceptions, tied for fewest in the league and a disappointing number for Ryan’s staff.

Part of the problem was Idzik’s vision or lack there of for the franchise. No one knew if the general manager even had a vision for the franchise. In San Francisco, Trent Baalke has repeatedly told reporters that he wants to win a Super Bowl. Sure, every team wants to win the Super Bowl. But the 49ers built a team around their highly-ranked defense.

What did Idzik do in his tenure to build an identity, to give his team a vision? Well, not much. He drafted Geno Smith, who consistently looks like the worst quarterback in the league. He brought in Eric Decker via free agency in the offseason and traded midseason for Percy Harvin, both contributed little in the team’s 4-12 campaign this season.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network,Woody Johnson has apparently learned from his mistakes and will hire a general manager with the same plan as his head coach by hiring a general manager first.

Any competent franchise in the league approaches the hiring process this way. If their GM isn’t already in place, the owner and team management will look to hire a general manager with a coach already in mind. That way, personnel decisions and roster moves can be made by both parties for the better of the team.

The process of rebuilding the Jets has begun, but it will take more than a decent hire to turn the organization around. The new general manager will need to have a good draft, building the team with a young core of players while utilizing the talents of veterans already on the team. The newest coach will hopefully be on board, and the Jets may soon start flying again.

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