As a Jets fan, I hate to be correct on this, but things are happening pretty much exactly how some people here and I predicted after last season. While the masses were screaming for Idzik's blood, and then anointing MacCagnan to be the 2nd coming when he splurged all our money in free agency on high profile signings, I talked about how canning a rebuilding GM 2 years in will force the next GM to go all in for now and ignore the future. Obviously, that's exactly what Mac did in order to avoid Idzik's fate, he gave out these huge contracts to Revis, Cromartie, Harris, etc, and brought in other key players on the wrong side of 30 (Fitzpatrick, Marshall). After a nice start to the season (mostly due to weak schedule), reality has set in. Don't get me wrong, I think there is actually a decent chance for the Jets to make the playoffs, just because of how weak the rest of the schedule is. But the truth is, we are still an average team. Despite all the money spent, our defense isn't really elite, with no pass rush, slow linebackers that can't play in space, and aging secondary, some (Cromartie) aging way faster than others. Our offense still has QB issues, regardless of who the QB is. Our special teams suck. But the worst part is, there is no future for us. We have some nice young players, but much of the core of the team is old and will be gone in a few years. Marshall, Fitzpatrick, Mangold, Brick, Colon on offense, Revis, Cromartie, Harris, Pace on defense. Our arguably best player on defense (Wilkerson) might be gone after this year, and so could Snacks. Criticize Idzik all you want, but in the 2 years he was here, constrained tremendously by the salary cap and bad contracts that he inherited, he still managed to bring in quality young players that became some of best on the team (Richardson, Ivory, Decker, Pryor, Amaro), while giving chances to other young players that might or might not work out (Geno, Milliner, McDougle). It was definitely a youth movement, and unlike many here, I would've been interested to see what Idzik's rebuilding approach would've done with all the money we had this year and the high draft picks. Instead we got a bunch of overpaid over the hill guys just to be a middle of the pack team this year, just like the Knicks have done throughout the 2000s. What is there to look forward to now?
Lets see what happens the rest of the way and then this off-season. Lots of the vets are cuttable at low or no future cap impact, including Cromartie, Marshall, Giacomini, Coples and Cumberland. Pace, Fitzpatrick and Powell are vet FA's. Realistically the Jets cap hogs next year are Revis, Ferguson, Mangold, Decker, Skrine, Harris and whatever Mo is going to cost. That's not a bad group of players to have for 2016 at the top of the cap. 2017, well that's a different story.
Good God are pining for Idzik now? He was awful as a GM. Restrained by the cap? Didn't he have tens of millions to spend but inexplicably didn't and built a 4 win dumpster fire of a team? For fucks sake I didn't think it would get so bad that people would be pining for goddam Idzik! The average lifespan of an NFL player is what, 3 years, 4 years? Teams are always playing for now and rebuilding, it's a constant process. It's not like the NBA where if you're lucky enough to land two great players you just ride them out for 10-15 years and fill in a few spots along the way.
It's exactly like the NBA, where if you land a great QB and one or two other great supporting players you can ride them out for 10-15 years and fill in a few spots along the way. Peyton Manning/Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne Aaron Rodgers/Always has 1 star asset and 1 supporting player to throw too Tom Brady/Always has 1 star asset and 1 supporting player to throw too
I'm pretty sure idzik fucked us by blowing every single draft pick he had in a 2 years he was GM. The only one he hit on was the Sheldon pick...outside of that nothing has panned out. Sheldon is also a giant off the field issue away from being suspended..the only thing I credit idzik for is getting Ivory for a 4th rounder...outside of that you can't expect talent to be filled when you blow on 18 some odd draft picks in a 2 year span....you need to at least give this regime more than one offseason free agency period and draft to start judging. Salary cap can always be altered and cuts can be made to free up space. Maccagnan has done a solid job and I expect it to continue. This board has gone from Fitzpatrick sucks!....to oh shit were fucked now that Fitzpatrick is hurt!....without mac bringing fitz here along with Brandon Marshall I highly doubt we sit at 4 wins through 7 games right now...
Are you Idzik's agent? His drafts were HORRIBLE, a little hard to follow a rebuilding plan without spending on FA's when you draft horribly. If you want to give him credit for Sheldon fine, but not hitting on a top ten pick is basically a fireable offense and his other top 15 pick Milliner's busted.
Calvin Pryor worked out. Breno Giacomini worked out. Eric Decker worked out. Willie Colon worked out. Trevor Reilly worked out. Other young players it's not clear yet in many cases if they worked out or not.
haha shit. You can tell the OP was just dying to make that post from the moment they let go of Izdick. It turned out the Jets didn't lose 2 in a row until week 8 so he could make his post but he was probably chomping at the bit since January
I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head on that one. I was one of the few that thought it was stupid to let go of a GM so quickly, but this thread, burn it.
That's not really telling the whole story, we've dropped two straight and the last one we dropped in terrible fashion, our one strong suit the defense looked epically bad, we lost two QB's, our SS, our center, Ivory is banged up, we may sign Matt Flynn and Bryce Petty who we've been told is no where close to being able to run this offense may be starting on Sunday. No we're not 0-7 but we're also not a Raiders or Rams 4-3 with Carr playing lights out and Gurley looking like the best RB to enter the league since Barry Sanders. Those teams are teams on the up at 4-3, we're one on a precipitous decline at 4-3.