Let's compile the list of objectively stupid decisions made by the Jets leading into and during this season.

[Sonny Werblin]

Maybe there are not many. I think we may be surprised as to how many there are. I'll start with something fairly recent.

Cutting Michael Carter to help fix the offense and/or create opportunities for Izzy.  First, Izzy has not played. Second, there is very little you can point to in any effort to blame MC for the poor performance on the O on third down, many of which were third and long or longer. Third, MC was a popular player and positive influence in the locker room.

[TuscanyTile2]

Meh.  I don't care at all that MC was released.  

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

You start with Michael Carter? Of all things? 

He's not good and made a ton of mistakes. He had his chance.

[shuler82]

Just now, Sonny Werblin said:

Maybe there are not many. I think we may be surprised as to how many there are. I'll start with something fairly recent.

Cutting Michael Carter to help fix the offense and/or create opportunities for Izzy.  First, Izzy has not played. Second, there is very little you can point to in any effort to blame MC for the poor performance on the O on third down, many of which were third and long or longer. Third, MC was a popular player and positive influence in the locker room.

Are we really doing this? Nitpicking cutting a 3rd string third year RB who can’t really run or block? 
 

here are the actual dumb decisions-

1 - not bringing in a capable back up QB

2 - not bringing in a capable back up QB

3- not bringing in a capable back up QB

 

[section314]

It begins and ends with Woody forcing Rodgers and his traveling circus of misfit toys down the throats of the organization. Incompetence for $400 Alex.

[Saul Goodman]

Didn’t have the offensive line play together until the season actually started…due to relying on two players coming off significant injuries in Brown and Becton to play the tackle positions. It can take several seasons for an offensive line to effectively play together as one unit. Pretty wild that they threw a bunch of players in week 1 and thought it would work out.

Ignorance or overconfidence by Douglas, poor management either way. 

[Flea Flicking Frank]

while we are at it, can we make a list of reasons we don't like the grinch?

[JetPotato]

Does this thread count?

[Hex]

Not bringing in a backup QB, signing Lazard, signing Cobb, Signing Turner, failing tk get a backup QB at the deadline. Those are all worse than the MC one, which is just subjectively stupid. He wasn't contributing enough, so they cut him.

[Columbia Jet Fan]

1 hour ago, shuler82 said:

Are we really doing this? Nitpicking cutting a 3rd string third year RB who can’t really run or block? 
 

here are the actual dumb decisions-

1 - not bringing in a capable back up QB

2 - not bringing in a capable back up QB

3- not bringing in a capable back up QB

 

Its really this. It was obvious at the time - it was a major talking point in media & here. It was the equivalent of buying a new $20mm house and going eh I want to save some money now and not buy insurance. 

It was actually doubly stupid. Whether it was lip service or just an effort to save their asses - Saleh and JD both spoke about the importance of ZW getting a red shirt year. A year to sit back and learn from a vet and focus on his own mechanics/development rather than being burdened with the weekly grind of game prep and how hard it is to work on development when you're being thrown in the fire each week. 

When they made ZW the back up they basically gambled on this season (in an extremely short window) and his development. 

So I agree #1-#3 are how stupid it was to not bring in a veteran QB. Also they made the mistake twice. Once in the offseason, and again at the trade deadline when they were still in the playoff mix and it was obvious ZW wasn't the guy.

If I had to order the other dumb mistakes: 

1) How they handled Bryce Huff. Huff has been a player that advanced stats showed was an elite pass rusher. He was consistently our best edge rusher last year, and years past. The staff had him as basically a third string edge - as evidenced by him playing in meaningless preseason games in the fourth quarter when guys who would soon be cut were on the field. Huff has now proved what everyone else thought - that he is a legit difference maker. They will either lose him this offseason or need to pay him an extension that is likely multiples more than what it would have taken to extend him last offseason. 

2) Firing MLF. When Flacco or White played the offense was decent last year. MLF had his issues - the problem was you were never going to be able to attract an OC given there was no QB in place (months before Rodgers trade) and the coaching staff was on the hot seat. Who was going to risk coming here w/ no answer at QB for a coaching staff that was likely coaching for their jobs this season. Not surprisingly - we got stuck with an absolute zero in Hackett. 

3) Bringing in Dalvin Cook. Cook has played better but to spend $7mm on a RB2 who by every advanced stat was in massive decline was a terrible use of resources. Could have used that money to sign Brisett or Minshew or up your offer for a guy like Hopkins. Hell they could have signed George Fant and we'd be much better off. 

 

[Columbia Jet Fan]

4 minutes ago, Hex said:

Not bringing in a backup QB, signing Lazard, signing Cobb, Signing Turner, failing tk get a backup QB at the deadline. Those are all worse than the MC one, which is just subjectively stupid. He wasn't contributing enough, so they cut him.

Lazard is definitely a good one also. 

[dbatesman]

1. Trading for Rodgers

[LIJetsFan]

2 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

1. Trading for Rodgers

This.  When you swing for the fences you strike out 3/4 of the time.  JD was building a winning roster.  We could have signed a 2nd tier QB and continued the build w/o mortgaging the future and bringing in all the AR8 hangers on.  Now we're f'ked.  The end.    

[chirorob]

Drafting McDonald in the 1st round.

He was 24 when the year started, which is fine.   However, if he is 24, he should be ready to play and contribute.  Nope.

In addition to not being ready to play, he is too small, at 240 pounds.   There are currently about 20 NFL defensive lineman taken in the draft with more sacks than his 1.0.

Could have gone WR, could have traded back, could have traded up to ensure you get the tackle you wanted.

[Larz]

Let’s make a list of favorite sexy ladies

[SAM SAM HE'S OUR MAN]

2 minutes ago, Larz said:

Let’s make a list of favorite sexy ladies

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

3 minutes ago, LIJetsFan said:

This.  When you swing for the fences you strike out 3/4 of the time.  JD was building a winning roster.  We could have signed a 2nd tier QB and continued the build w/o mortgaging the future and bringing in all the AR8 hangers on.  Now we're f'ked.  The end.    

Still don't understand how they mortgaged the future or how we're f'ked? What are they not able to do moving forward? 

[sourceworx]

 

It all started when Ol' Smooth Brains was approved to buy the team. 

[chirorob]

11 minutes ago, LIJetsFan said:

This.  When you swing for the fences you strike out 3/4 of the time.  JD was building a winning roster.  We could have signed a 2nd tier QB and continued the build w/o mortgaging the future and bringing in all the AR8 hangers on.  Now we're f'ked.  The end.    

Swinging for the fences gets you Becton instead of Wirfs

[Biggs]

Hiring Gase

Gase hiring JD

Drafting Becton ahead of Whirfs

JD hiring Saleh

Saleh hiring an OC who while a talented positiion coach wasn't ready to be the play caller and develop a raw QB starting from day 1

Drafting Zach at 2

Making Zach the starter Day 1

Scapegoating Lefluer and replacing him with Hackett

Signing Lazzard

Trading for Rodgers and grossly over paying Green Bay who didn't want him and nobody else was interested

Starting Rodgers on opening day when he had a calf injury

Ending the "reset" on Zach because they didn't have an adequate backup

Ignoring the trade deadline when the team needed OL and WR help

1 Chicken, greased. 

[#27TheDominator]

I think a bunch of the signings were dumb.  I defended them because they were NFL players and give the staff benefit of the doubt, but I did not like many.  I understand the logic behind them, even if I don't like the players much.  It is on the staff to pick the guys that will work and they did not, but I don't bury them until they don't.  They haven't.  Lazard and Hardman in particular.  I would never have signed those guys, but they had NFL resumes - how good can be argued, but the staff makes those choices and has to stand by them.  Same with Cobb and Turner.  They seem like Rodgers moves which is okay if Rodgers is playing and playing well.  They look much worse with him in rehab.

I hated the Cook signing.  Seemed like WR was where to spend the money.  I get worrying about Hall coming back, but I don't see $7M difference between Cook and, say Ty Johnson.  I can see passing on Hopkins as a fear of him not practicing, etc.  If they had Hopkins this sh*t probably would have come to a head way sooner.  

I get the hate for the McDonald pick, but I see it like the signings.  They made it and have to stand by it.  I see the logic behind it.  Will it work out?  Time will tell.  He hasn't busted like Cobb, Lazard, Turner, Cook and Hardman.  I get all the NEED guys are up in arms.  My choice would have been Christian Gonzalez, so I can't whine about need since CB is arguably less of a need than EDGE.  Still in wait and see mode on this one. 

The team seemed to hold it together better last year, which is odd since last year seemed more doomed than this.  Rodgers will be back.  Do they believe in him?  Should they?  Who the **** knows?

[Beerfish]

Go see my 'worst gm in the last 30 years' thread, it's mostly there.

[GangGreened]

Doesn’t MC Still hang out with Jamal Adams? Bad company. Maybe I’m thinking of someone else.

[Another Guy]

Obvious mistake made multiple time and it is fireable by JD:

not hedging the risk that  your blue chip investment (defense) could be taken down by a high risk, high upside investment (AR8 and the QB room).  
JD made this mistake last year prior to and during the season. He did the same thing once again this year.  He seems to have failed to observe and learn how to do this at his prior organization (the Eagles) which had a history of successfully hedging the QB position while JD was there. 
Bonus mistake:  JD hiring a defensive minded coach made the mistake of fighting the last war. The best  NFL teams have offensive minded coaches now. 

[rex-n-effect]

Carter was claimed by Arizona and he's their third string RB. Not like the team missed some diamond in the rough there. The Jets have three RBs on the roster. In terms of bad decisions this year, this isn't one of them.

[Barry McCockinner]

Trading for a future HOF QB as if you're going for it and not adding another top wr to pair with GW is right up there.

Signing the corpse of Dalvin Cook instead.

[greasyt]

4 minutes ago, rex-n-effect said:

Carter was claimed by Arizona and he's their third string RB. Not like the team missed some diamond in the rough there. The Jets have three RBs on the roster. In terms of bad decisions this year, this isn't one of them.

He had a strong rookie year.  As did Gardner.  I think many players tone it down after a year at club Saleh because they get a pat on the back and a slap on the ass if they perform or not.  By our coach not holding players accountable and preaching positive vibes only they aren't pushed to give it that extra effort in the weight room or on the practice field......................a reward awaits them regardless.

[nyjets1969]

1 hour ago, section314 said:

It begins and ends with Woody forcing Rodgers and his traveling circus of misfit toys down the throats of the organization. Incompetence for $400 Alex.

This is the #1 reason of why this team collaspe like it did.

[More Cowbell]

2 hours ago, Sonny Werblin said:

Maybe there are not many. I think we may be surprised as to how many there are. I'll start with something fairly recent.

Cutting Michael Carter to help fix the offense and/or create opportunities for Izzy.  First, Izzy has not played. Second, there is very little you can point to in any effort to blame MC for the poor performance on the O on third down, many of which were third and long or longer. Third, MC was a popular player and positive influence in the locker room.

It wasn't  stupid, it was just devoid of any results. 

[bitonti]

@Maxman will have to add more servers to the cloud to handle the entire list of ALL the stupid decisions the Jets have made, continue to make 

 

[More Cowbell]

The single dumbest decision was after Zach became the starter, JD going to sleep and not trying to improve the QB position and settling in with a QB that you didn't  want to be the starter even before you traded for Rodgers

[CanadienJetsFan]

Ok, objectively. I'll bite.

It's simple not signing a viable backup QB is the true objective error. I was happy and pleasantly impressed when JD et al pivoted from Zach and went searching for a true #1 QB. Carr was available, Garoppolo too, but they went all in for the big fish. No complaints on my end. But not buying insurance ( getting an experienced QB) MADE NO SENSE AND STILL MAKES NO SENSE.

You can make an argument that keeping Zach as QB1 for most of the season was nothing but a tanking strategy...

think about it. If we could see it, then why would the football brains running this organization not accept that Zach is inconsistent AT BEST.

If JD thought that Zach wasn't the "guy" at the beginning of the season, thus getting Rodgers, what made him believe that Zach suddenly was the "guy" after Aaron went down?

Illogical. so my only conclusion was to tank

[bitonti]

1 minute ago, More Cowbell said:

The single dumbest decision was after Zach became the starter, JD going to sleep and not trying to improve the QB position and settling in with a QB that you didn't  want to be the starter even before you traded for Rodgers

JD wanted Zach to go out there so he can justify the pick and prove to all us dum dums out there that he's right and we're all just pretzels waiting to be broken 

the Jets dont understand sunk cost fallacy 

[bitonti]

2 minutes ago, CanadienJetsFan said:

think about it. If we could see it, then why would the football brains running this organization not accept that Zach is inconsistent AT BEST.

Who Knows? It's one of those mysteries of life humans will never figure out 

[More Cowbell]

5 minutes ago, bitonti said:

JD wanted Zach to go out there so he can justify the pick and prove to all us dum dums out there that he's right and we're all just pretzels waiting to be broken 

the Jets dont understand sunk cost fallacy 

They wanted Zach to sit and learn for a season. That was the plan. They abandoned that plan when Rodgers got hurt. They should have brought in Wentz and sent Zach back to the bench. I'm totally convinced, Wentz would have made this team at least watchable.