I know we're all Jet fans, as several have commented here. But there are things about the OP that are worth considering. First of all Idzik's many believers here in the prior off season talked about the plan not as if it was some general notion as now referred to. You know the idea of building through the draft, which seems to be all that's left. But we can also remember that any concerns raised about his moves would be answered by his loyalists with "I am sure this is all part of the Plan! Don't worry!" And of course the defenders were often quite aggressive, questioning the intelligence, football knowledge, even worthiness as Jet fans, of Idzik skeptics for raising questions. So how did swinging and missing on Cb candidates in FA leading to Patterson being signed fit with building through the draft? Signing Vick? It's a long list. Then there was the creating cap space thing, as if that was so difficult. What looked to most people outside Jet homers to be a too conservative approach, leaving gaping holes in the roster, was defended as building up cap space to roll into next year. Only problem was he took a big chunk of that to sign Harvin when the Jets were already done for the season. And here we are today. Well, people make mistakes, and yes we all are Jet fans. And some Idzik defenders from before no longer are. Such people I think are people who show they are capable of changing their minds based on contrary evidence, and that is to their credit. But we also still have Idzik believers, hard as that may be to believe. Those people are forced to acknowledge that, so far, things have not gone as they predicted they would, and even that pressure is probably building against Idzik. But somehow some of those people think Idzik deserves more time. I say deserves because no one can seriously argue his track record to date is one of success. Please. Instead the more nuanced argument is that he's simply not had enough time, and that some of what is in play now can turn out well still. The poker game is still going on, and while his chips have diminished, he still has enough to combine with a winning hand (if he plays his cards right), and come out ahead for the night. I think such people should begin by questioning their loyalty to Idzik. Ask themselves what has he done that makes it LIKELY he will succeed. Ask themselves why the Jets are better off sticking with him than trying someone else. The metric should not be is it at all possible that the Jets might be somewhat better next year, or in two years, if Idzik is kept as the GM. That's far too low a bar, and those who have been supporting him, if that's all they have left, imo do not have the cred to make a persuasive argument. Their own track record of supporting him when he failed so far undermines the value of their opinions.
Here's the thing - are the Jets a better team than the one Idzik inherited? QB - Same. We're marginally better due to not having Sanchez' contract to commit to, but not better enough for Idzik to claim victory. Tons of turnover in this position, but we're still no closer to a franchise QB. RB - Better. Ivory was a good pickup. CJ2K is good, too, but underutilized. OL - Worse. Our good guys are getting older and our new guys haven't panned out. TE - Better. Amaro might actually be something. WR - Better. Idzik got rid of Holmes, and added Decker and Harvin (too late, though). 'Nuff said. DL - Better. LB - The same, I guess? Older? CB - Worse by a pretty wide margin FS/SS - About the same I guess but this problem is exasperated by poor CB play. Cap Room: Much, much, much, much better. So in Idzik's two years, we've improved improved in a few areas, stayed the same in a few, and really bottomed out in at least one (DB's). Two drafts and FA's is NOT ENOUGH to address every single issue, and when Idzik came in we had holes at every position AND no cap space. We have a good draft pick ahead of us, and we have cash to do something in FA (remember, Harvin can be cut for not commitment, or more likely renegotiated). Be patient, guys. It's exciting times in Jet land. If we're not considerably better next year, then we know Idzik's rebuild has failed. The only reason people are frustrated is because the team has been completely gutten and is rebuilding and we have a coach who's in denial about the whole process and acts like we can win right now.
You are in denial, bud. Regarding the bolded part, what in Idzik's track record to date makes you think he will do better in this stuff going forward? NOTHING!!! FACE IT!
Are you joking.. once I get home I will answer this properly.. come on with this, no disrespect meant.
I feel the same way. I'm not liking the trends but I do like the overall plan. His FA signings are worrisome to me. I still think we need to give his draft picks a little more time to develop. What scares me the most though is how he could have waited so long to draft a WR with this draft class of players that were available. He obviously wasn't banking on Percy Harvin being available at that time and he promptly cut the first receiver he drafted.
I'm not in denial about anything. Let's see why he wanted to rollover so much cap room. It wasn't pure incompetence and it wasn't to save Woody money. I don't love Woody, but in the guy's defense he's never been shy to open his wallet. YOU face it. Idzik inherited a team rife with projects. If you think the 2012 Jets could be rebuilt and made competitive in just two years, YOU are the one in denial. Idzik has gutted this team, a process that took waiting out quite a few bad contracts on players like Holmes and Sanchez. We can finally say now after two years that we are a talent-less team without a lot of guaranteed money going to players who don't deserve it. Idzik has been cautious and patience testing but the demolition is pretty much complete and now it is time to see if he can rebuild the Jets.
I was a huge fan of Idzik when we first got him, and guess what, I still am. His approach (building a team up long-term through smart cap decisions and financially sustainable and flexible moves) is absolutely the right way to build a championship contender, as opposed to the short-term go-all-in approach that's been so popular in the NYC area because of impatient and whiny fans and media. Despite me liking him, it is way too early to objectively evaluate Idzik either way, as 2 years is not enough time for any GM, particularly one that came to a team in complete disarray, with no franchise QB, and almost no young talent, as well as a terrible cap situation. Most of the criticism leveled at Idzik is pretty ridiculous: - this year's record: if a team like the Colts can lose Manning to an injury for one year, and go from a Superbowl contender to the worst team in the league, then why would you judge a team in the 2nd year of a massive rebuild, beset my injuries, bad refereeing and a tough schedule, and lacking a franchise QB? Makes no sense whatsoever. - drafting/playing Geno: Geno fell to us in the 2nd round after being projected as a 1st round QB, and since there was no better QB prospect available at that point, it was a very good move to draft him, and then to give him a couple of years to see what he has. In the NFL, many QB prospects don't pan out, Geno isn't the first and won't be the last, but you still have to take your chances if you ever plan on landing on a franchise QB. - not addressing the CB situation/not signing Revis/Cromartie: if you keep in mind that Idzik is building forward, then it makes sense that his secondary plan was centered around the young players, Milliner and McDougle, as well as some of the lesser prospects (Dixon, Dowling, etc). Why bring in aging overpaid veterans to a rebuilding team? It makes no sense whatsoever, all they do is take up cap and ruin your chances at higher picks. The only reason that it became a problem is because the young guys got injured, but that's just an obstacle on the road, you have to keep going and get other young players if your first choices don't work out. Revis is gone. - he can't draft: another silly myth based on fans' unrealistic expectations. Not only is it too early to judge Idzik's drafts, but even with what we've seen already, his drafting is not that bad, when compared against other teams and not some unicorn-land. He got the best player in the 2013 draft, and several other starters (Aboushi, Bohannon, Milliner if he can play). I imagine Pryor will become a solid starter once he is allowed to move to SS for good, and Amaro is looking really good on a team with a feeble passing attack. If only Dozier manages to become a starter at some point, that's already a decent draft. - a lot of his FA signings didn't work out: except that most of these were literally for peanuts, short term deals with a low cap hit that go off the books if they don't work out. It is like money in the bank, you give some questionable players a chance to show what they got, and if they don't work out, they are gone without any harm to the team. So what does it matter, and why should this be used against Idzik? It's not like he's giving out Tanenbaum-like contracts to washed up players that lock the team in to large cap hits. Even Kerley's deal, for only 4 mil a year, is only guaranteed for like 1 or 2 years. Harvin's deal is guaranteed for 0 dollars after this season, so we can let him go whenever, not that we would want to, the way he s played. So who cares if Goodson or Colon or CJ hasnt worked out? It's money in the bank on a rebuilding team. - he hasn't been active enough in FA signings: another ridiculous claim, considering that he has no cap room to sign anyone significant his first offseason, and in the 2nd offseason, he signed the WR considered to be the #1 FA available, and the best FA QB available. Again, this claim is proposed by the spoiled fans who think Idzik can just wave a magic wand and get everything he wants. To them, he should've signed Decker and Sanders and DeSean Jackson all at once. Except in the real world, there are all kinds of constraints, like maybe Sanders wanted to go to Denver instead of the Jets, or some other team offered more money, or some other cap issues. It is unrealistic to expect Idzik to sign everyone you want. This isn't Madden NFL. I personally feel like, and you may disagree with me, that Idzik has done a good job given the limitations of the real world. And I feel like if given more time, he will eventually build the Jets into a real contender.
Also let's not forget why Geno isn't panning out - maybe because he was rushed to play before he was ready because REX GOT SANCHEZ HURT
There is no conflict between recognizing Idzik's plan and preferring that direction and being disappointed in this season's outcome. Idzik's plan came with an inherent and likely risk this would be a down season, even if we hoped for the best. The cap space was always about subsequent years. That is the plan his supporters have applauded and nothing about this season makes that less of a viable and intelligent plan. Idzik's criticism should be his talent evaluation but that isn't what this thread is about.
Yes idzik had a plan.. the problem was he couldn't execute it. It's been nothing less than a total failure. You can't play money ball and win. He made same cuts ANY gm would have made to get out of cap he'll. It was not the daunting task everyone assumed. Cutting sanchez, holmes, pace and cromartie was logical not ingenious. Not re signing cromartie and giving patterson3 mill showed how arrogant idzik is and how little he knows about personal. I was one that always hated Idzik's do nothng plan.. the reason was, I had a feeling this would happen.. he was never THE GUY.. he was always assistant to the assistant of the gm. Ny is a brutal marketplace and there would be no patience with his ideas.. while philisophicly correct would never work here unless he demonstrated an extreme eye for talent.. in jet fashion he has done the opposite. His personal moves have been terrible, he took away and strengths Rex had as a coach, and forced a qb down his throat he probably didn't want. He done a job so poor it's indefensible. What's the bright spots? He fell as backwards into ivory.. great.. For anyone who believes in idzik still(unbelievably) how do you feel at his rambling press confrence where the media abused him and he came across like a guy guessing and saying anything to justify his job. That's not a leader.. Real boss would have dictated to the media and had confidence, not back peddled and squirmed.. Idzik and kotitie are the worst hires in the organization history. Shocking were in same position with idzik at the helm as we were when kotitie was.
I could see Alex Trebek giving a stern tongue lashing to Geno007 saying "the correct phasing would be "I would like to know where all the "Idzik has got a plan" people are at?"" Actually, I can't even fix that thread title. _
I can fix the thread title to what the OP meant it to mean. "I likes to no were all tha Idzik got a plan peple at" His troll schtick is hindered by needing people to actually understand what he is trying to say, even if it takes them 12 attempts.
Except you left out the other part. What ANY gm, in particular one like Tannenbaum, would have done after that is spend whatever money was saved from cutting Sanchez, Holmes, Cromartie, Revis, etc to cave in to the local fan and media demands to win right now at any cost, and use it to go all-in again on average or over-the-hill players, probably on the likes of Dominic Rogers-Cromartie at 10 mil a year (to outbid the Giants), Jairus Byrd (who s been out for the year), maybe Revis. This wouldn't have gotten us to compete for the trophy, since obviously there are way too many talent deficiencies, but it would have locked us into salary cap hell again, with heavy contracts and lots of guaranteed years for flawed (DRC) or aging(Revis) players. It would also make us more entertaining in the short term, but cost us higher draft picks and any chance at Mariotta/Winston. Idzik, on the other hand, has kept most of the cap flexibility by NOT overpaying an average or below average player like DRC in an overpriced market, and not locking in a ton of cap for Revis who will NOT be part of our next good team due to age. Instead he added Decker at 7 million a year, which is a reasonable contract, got Ivory for a budget price in a trade, and then added Harvin, who does come with a heavy price tag, but no guaranteed money after this season, which means he doesnt lock us into anything. Going forward, they will either renegotiate his contract to a smaller sum, or just be able to cut him whenever it suits the team.
imagine this thread started by someone who has to live with the shame of a screen name of Geno007 says it all, can I change my name to Gholston69?
I want to plant the flag now: I still support JI. Most of the area that are now widely considered his shortcomings are either not or majorly blown out of proportions. QB. Geno sucks. Smith was drafted in the second round. It was and still is a good pick. Not drafting QB last OS was also understandable: Geno showed progress at the end of last season. Progress that falls in line with young developing QB improvement line. With this in hand and so many other needs, drafting another QB was not needed. CBs. Everyone seems to forget that JI did draft CBs and that two of them, the two projected being numbers 1 and 2 were injured on the same day, in preseason. Now the same people chastising media happily regurgitate BSPN's line that CB position wasn't addressed. It was, and I expect the secondary to be much better next year. WR. JI signed Decker who was the no 1 WR available in the OS, as well as ... What was that 2 or 3 WRs in the draft. I wished he packaged some picks to move back into higher rounds and get a star WR, but tell me who was advising re draft? Should that by any chance be the same shitty group of evaluators? In retrospect knowing what happened with Geno JI should have gotten a QB. Be real though: this was a rebuilding year from the start. What it showed however (and I was and am a huge RR fan, I love the man) is that Rex is not the man. It's one thing to not being able to develop QB or pay too much attention to defense. My problem is Rex's buddiness with players resulted in not being able to kick their asses when needed. There is no excuse for lack of effort; this is on the coach, squarely. What I'm saying is that it's still too early to judge JI. His choices are easily explained by circumstances and his decision are not as bad as they are made out to be. He might be as bad as he looks now, but none of you have enough info to support that. Rex's inability to motivate players however is obvious and was highlighted rather nicely during this off year. Frankly, I'm glad it happened now -- 2 wins are the same as 7 as far as I'm concerned, but I'd rather this inaptitude showed now rather than when Jets are on the brink of shooting for the sky.
This would have all been avoided if NFL teams can admit that they're tanking. If Idzik has just come out and said from the beginning, "hey guys, we're gonna start demolishing this team, we're probably not getting into the playoffs and there's a very real chance we're going to be outright horrible for the next few years", Woody would have lost some serious cash.
Serious question: How many GM's survive a >10 loss season coming off an 8-8 season the year before with more than 7 picks and ~50 million in cap space?
