44 replies to this topic

[kelly]

Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross, among the first group of candidates to interview for the Jets' general-manager vacancy, has withdrawn his name, according to the New York Post.

In other news, I'm announcing that I won't run for President of the United States in 2016.

Ross was a non-factor in the Jets' search for Mike Tannenbaum's replacement, according to sources. Ross is a young executive with a bright future, but it wasn't going to happen with the Jets.

At this point, based on the direction of the search and what people are saying, I wouldn't be surprised if the Jets pick a so-called "cap" guy -- either Seahawks VP of football administration John Idzik or Steelers director of business and administration Omar Khan.

To that, I quote former longtime GM Bill Polian, who told SI's Peter King: "Football teams need to be led by football men who know how coaches think, how players think. You can't learn that in business school or law school."

> http://espn.go.com/b...-exec-pulls-out

[Greenseed4]

So I guess the 2014 Super Bowl in our own stadium is out of the question then huh? :-/ oh boy.....2013-2014 season may be a LONG one guys!! Who do we get with #1 draft pick in 2014? I say Terry Bridgewater. The tattoo (and the $) buys Sanchez another year. Rex can go 0-16 and still have his job. Crazy cap issues...we went from SB contender to bottom of the barrel in a very short time

This brings up an excellent point. The big game is played in our house next year. How sweet would it be to have us in the SB in our own house? Exactly. Woody knows that.

The 2013-14 season should be one of re-building and flushing out some cap issues, and It's actually perfect timing given the talent coming out in the 2014 draft if we were to have another sub .500 season. However, Woody is going to want the big dance in his house. I can see us making some ridiculously splashy signings just to make a push for the Super Bowl next year...even if it sets us back another five.

btw, what is this "bottom of the barrel" business you're talking about... 16 teams in the NFL had 7 wins or less. It was just a funky year. A LOT of injuries this year also.

[kelly]

Sources : Jets to pick GM soon


After searching for more than two weeks, the New York Jets are poised to name their next general manager. They will hire Mike Tannenbaum's replacement as early as Thursday, according to league sources.The front-runners are John Idzik and Omar Khan, front-office executives from the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively, sources said. Jets assistant GM Scott Cohen also is considered a finalist.

Idzik and Khan were brought back for second interviews this week. In fact, Idzik was scheduled to meet Wednesday with team officials. Khan's second interview occurred Tuesday.

The Jets have interviewed no fewer than nine candidates, only two of whom have GM experience -- Jerry Angelo and Ted Sundquist, formerly of the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos, respectively. Angelo has been involved in follow-up discussions with the team, but he hasn't been invited back for a second interview.Because they've talked to so many candidates in a seemingly meandering search, the Jets have come under criticism from those who believe it's an unattractive job. Sources close to the search, however, said from the outset it could take three weeks.

The Jets decided to expand the search after interviewing the top four names on their list, including former Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Dave Caldwell. They were reportedly prepared to offer him a $1 million housing allowance, but Caldwell was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars.CBSSports.com had earlier reported that the Jets would hire a new GM by Thursday.Idzik and Khan weren't among the first round of interviews.

The Jets also changed their objective along the way. The initial goal was to hire a GM with a strong scouting background, but Idzik and Khan are experts in salary-cap management and contract negotiations. If the Jets go in that direction, it could mean a greater say in personnel for coach Rex Ryan.Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Khan shouldn't be stereotyped as a cap guy."He's very knowledgeable about how this business works -- I mean the football business, not just the business side of it," Colbert told reporters Wednesday in Pittsburgh. "He's been very strong in salary cap administration, but he's also observed and learned a lot about how the player personnel side of things works. We think he's ready and, if he gets the opportunity, good for him."

> http://espn.go.com/n...ion-sources-say

[kelly]

Seattle Seahawks executive John Idzik has emerged as the clear front-runner to become the New York Jets' general manager and could be offered the job as early as Thursday night, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Pittsburgh Steelers executive Omar Khan is the other finalist for the job, according to league sources.Idzik and Khan both were brought back for second interviews this week.The Jets have changed their objective during their two-week search to find a replacement for GM Mike Tannenbaum, who was fired Dec. 31. The initial goal was to hire a GM with a strong scouting background, but Idzik and Khan are experts in salary-cap management and contract negotiations. If the Jets go in that direction, it could mean a greater say in personnel for coach Rex Ryan.

Idzik's strengths include managing salaries and the salary cap, but he has also worked in player personnel. He has been with the Seahawks the past six seasons after previously working in the front office for Tampa Bay and Arizona.The Jets have interviewed no fewer than nine candidates, only two of whom have GM experience -- Jerry Angelo and Ted Sundquist, formerly of the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos, respectively. Angelo has been involved in follow-up discussions with the team, but he hasn't been invited back for a second interview.

Because they've talked to so many candidates in a seemingly meandering search, the Jets have come under criticism from those who believe it's an unattractive job. Sources close to the search, however, said from the outset it could take three weeks.

> http://espn.go.com/n...cording-sources

[kelly]

Jets GM John Idzik inherits a big mess

A case can be made that John Idzik just accepted the toughest general manager job in the NFL this offseason. The New York Jets, who agreed to terms with Idzik Friday, are a mess in more ways than one. The former Seattle Seahawks executive has inherited a long checklist of things to fix in New York. Let's examine the many challenges that await Idzik:

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  Among the top items on new GM John Idzik's to-do list: get the Jets' salary cap in order and find a quarterback.

• Fix the cap :
• The Jets are nearly $20 million over the salary cap, according to a recent report from ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton. Former general manager Mike Tannenbaum put together an old and overpaid roster the past couple of years and left the next person – Idzik -- to foot the bill. Idzik will have to gut New York’s roster of expensive veterans and immediately get younger. Older, high-salary players like Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, Jason Smith and Eric Smith are the most likely targets to be released.
• Find a quarterback :
• The Jets will pay Mark Sanchez $8.25 million in guaranteed salary next season. But that doesn’t guarantee Sanchez will be the starting quarterback. Idzik’s job is to find the best quarterback New York can afford to compete against or supplant Sanchez. That could come via free agency or the draft. Sanchez had four seasons to prove that he is the long-term solution and failed. The Jets will have a new offense and a new offensive coordinator. If things work out properly, New York could also have a new quarterback.
• Relating to Ryan :
• Reportedly one of the big holdups during New York’s general manager search was candidates weren't going to be able to pick their own head coach. Jets owner Woody Johnson made it clear that the charismatic Rex Ryan is here to stay. Ryan led New York to back-to-back AFC title games in 2009 and 2010 and still has some equity from that. Idzik must successfully work hand-in-hand with Ryan for the Jets to turn things around.
• In-house free agents :
• The Jets have a few tough decisions to make with their own free agents. New York Pro Bowl safety LaRon Landry, starting tailback Shonn Greene and tight end Dustin Keller are all looking for contract extensions. As we mentioned earlier, New York’s salary cap will be very limited. It is possible the Jets could lose all three.
• Tebow dilemma :
• It’s clear that the coaching staff -- and particularly Ryan -- wants nothing to do with Tebow. An educated guess is Idzik agrees with Ryan and will trade or release Tebow sooner rather than later. The distraction that Tebow brings simply wasn’t worth it. He was never a good fit in New York. Idzik will try to pull off a coup by getting something, perhaps a late-round draft pick, in exchange for the polarizing backup quarterback. But an outright release seems more likely.

There is a reason the Jets were the last team to find a general manager this offseason. This was not an attractive job for many of the reasons we listed above. But Idzik obviously is a person who is not afraid of big challenges -- and it's time to get to work.

> http://espn.go.com/b...rits-a-big-mess