Ideal GM hire shows that Aaron Glenn is already paying out in dividends for the Jets

There is reason to be optimistic, New York Jets fans. For as frustrating as the last two decades have been, hiring former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was best candidate for the job. He starred for Gang Green in the defensive backfield in the mid-1990s before eventually getting into coaching. Who the Jets decided to partner with him as the general manager was going to be crucial.

The guy tabbed to replace Joe Douglas as general manager is Denver Broncos front office executive Darren Mougey. He may not be a household name (yet), but people around the NFL seem to really like the guy. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic gathered a bunch of interesting factoids surrounding the supposed next general manager for the Jets. Denver raves about him, so that might be a huge plus.

Mougey is survived multiple regime changes in Denver in a scouting role. General manager George Paton loved him so much that he promoted him quickly upon being hired there. Keep in mind that Denver is now led by Sean Payton, one of the biggest mentors to Glenn in the coaching profession. Glenn had been on Payton's New Orleans Saints staff prior to leaving for the Lions gig.

There is another interesting nugget: Mougey is very close to his college teammate, Kevin O'Connell.

Mougey and the Minnesota Vikings head coach played their college football at San Diego State.

Why Aaron Glenn/Darren Mougey partnership can change New York Jets

What I like the most about this emerging partnership on deck for the Jets is it plays into exactly what I think this team needs. Whenever the Jets have been highly successful during my lifetime, they have won with defense behind an alpha male head coach. The fact that Glenn has ties to the organization from his playing days is huge. I also wanted the Jets to hire a general manager who seems to be very likable.

With Mougey being compared favorably to his former college teammate in O'Connell, that bodes well for the Jets being cool, calm and collected in the front office. This franchise has often been explosive because of the people they bring into the building. To me, I think the partnership of Glenn and Mougey seems to quell some major concerns I long had for the organization. I can get behind this.

What does strike me as odd is neither of them ended up going to the Saints. This is a job Glenn was also up for, but picked the Jets over. It makes me wonder if the New Orleans job is not as good as it should have been. This may have something to do with the Saints choosing to ignore their biggest problem in how their long-time general manager Mickey Loomis goes about building this franchise.

For the first time in a while, I really have no complaints when it comes to the Jets making a big hire.