OK, so FCK Idzik

Obviously my opinion on our GM John Idzik has drastically changed since my post in early September. I was really excited about this guy. I'll tell you why. Now I want him gone as soon as the season ends. I'll tell you why.

Idzik is a really smart guy who has been around this league his whole life. He believes in fiscal discipline and building through the draft. He came from a championship program and he is in many ways the exact opposite of Mike Tannenbaum. I also thought he made chicken soup out of chicken shit in 2013. That's why I liked him.

What changed? Well, I thought we were a 6 win team back in the beginning of the season. So, the fact that we are not going to make the playoffs and are in the running for the #1 overall pick in the 2015 draft is not why I am so down on Idzik. I knew we were in year 2 of a 3 year rebuild. I think I am a fan that has pretty realistic expectations, at least as real as any true fan can be. Having rose colored glasses is not a defect of a fan, its what makes you a fan. And there is a difference between wearing those glasses and wearing blinders. I always try to think positive, but I also call it as a see it on the field.

Unfortunately a lot of fans don't really follow or understand the NFL very well. Most of them only know we went 8-8 last season, so they expect 9-7 or 10-6 as a minimum expectation this year. Not taking into consideration the actual schedule or the fact that every hole isn't going to be filled from one year to the next. If there was no salary cap maybe a well run NFL team wouldn't have to rely on the draft so heavily and take time to develop players in house. But there is a cap, and spending just to spend never has and never will work.

Idzik really rolled the dice on our secondary and I addressed that before the season started. I said that they would look bad, but that they would hopefully be gaining invaluable experience. Well our 3rd overall pick went on IR before the preseason even started, and Milliner barely played at all, missing time being sandwiched between two different injuries.

Sadly Idzik had zero back up plan. When Idzik passed on Revis I said I thought the Pats way overpaid for him. I also thought it would mess up their locker room. With the information that I had, including Wilfork demanding his release right after the Revis signing, it looked like a desperate move. I also didn't care that we didn't pursue him because it was the first week of free agency. I never thought that we wouldn't bring in at least one high quality veteran CB to help run Rex's defense.

Well 9 months later the Pats are tied for best record in the AFC and Revis has looked good. He's not Revis Island anymore, but he has done a solid job for Belichick. Meanwhile our secondary is easily the worst in the entire league. Hindsight being 20/20 I must ask how an NFL GM didn't see how important it would have been to at least make a major run at this guy.

Essentially, if we resigned Revis, it would have not changed our overall situation. We would have won 6 or 7 games instead of 2 or 3... either way no playoffs. Revis can't play QB, just like Geno Smith can't. Revis can't pass block, just like three 5ths of or O-line can't. Revis can't stretch the field and catch TD passes, just like our WR corps can't. BUT, this is NY sports, not Seattle. Perception is reality, and perception is manipulated by the venomous NY Sports Media. Any executive running a NY sports franchise needs to understand how to spin public perception like a savvy expert.

Signing Revis would have meant:

• We traded a semi-popular player for a high 1st round pick
• We drafted the DROY with that pick
• We resign that same player back less than 12 months later
• We would not sit on over 20 million in unused cap room
• No one can claim the front office is sabotaging the head coach (because he gets his favorite player back)
• We have a quality veteran who knows the defense like the back of his hand to help us be competitive
• Every idiot with a Revis jersey in his closet busts a nut in his pants
• We keep a player, who fits our division rival perfectly, away from them

All of these things considered, there is no way you pass on Revis. You, at the very least, fight for him. If you lose an aggressive bidding war then Revis becomes the bad guy. Instead, Idzik left himself out to dry and has become a well deserved lightning rod for all of our short comings in 2014.

I made the decision to support Idzik being removed as GM when he had his weird mid-season press conference. This guy was so lost and off-putting it hit me like a ton of bricks that there is no way he has what it takes to run a NY NFL Team. End of discussion.

I'm not against him stepping down into a salary cap management position, similar to what he did in Seattle, but he needs to be out of the decision making department. He's a complete failure as the face of our front office.

Duane Charles Parcells

There is only one man who can save the NY Jets. Bill Parcells will never coach again and he is semi-retired. I know he will never coach again because he turned down the Saints gig when their coach was suspended. I knew he was focused on the Hall of Fame and getting in before he died.

Well, the HOF gleam is off the rose, he released a new book recently, he's been out their dropping quotes about teams like the Giants and their lack of effort, and he's going to be on the NFL Network and ESPN in coming weeks. I for one will be watching.

I think this guy is bored and ready to get his hand dirty again. He has shown these patterns for decades. When you listen to this guy talk he doesn't sound like a guy who is ready to go to pasture. And their is such a void in this league right now of true "football guys" who know how to build a team from scratch.

Unless he signs a TV deal before the end of the season I think he will be working for an NFL team in 2015. WHY NOT THE NY JETS??? he brings our team and this program INSTANT credibility and stability. He can re-build the scouting department, front office and coaching staff... with Woody's phat ass checkbook.

• I see Parcells as our President of Football Operations.
• I see his piss boy son-in-law Pioli as our new General Manager.
• And I see them bringing in Todd Bowles, who coached for Bill in Dallas, as Head Coach.
• I see Charlie Weiss as OC and one of Bowles fine defensive assistants like Tom Pratt, Mike Caldwell or Kevin Ross stepping in as DC.

Bowles has a great foundation for his 3-4 defense already on our roster, and I really believe he can rebuild our secondary. I also like Weiss as an assistant, he just sucks as a head coach.

I am sure Parcells would completely gut our scouting department. Most importantly Woody will let him do whatever he wants. He won't have certain rules like not allowing Revis to come back, or pressure on the front office to bring in guys like Tebow to sell jerseys and PSL's.

All of the planets have aligned for Bill to make his triumphant return to NY football. He will have a top 5 pick in every round and 50-60 million in cap room. The key is Woody getting on his knees and begging while also letting Parcells to not only write his own pay check, but be able to spend on the other additions I mentioned to the front office and coaching staff.

No more bottom 3 paid head coaches and GM's. Woody needs to understand he offers only one thing to this team.... MONEY $$$$ Spend some richy rich, spend some!!!

Year 2 of a 3 year year plan...

Things are on track with the John Idzik master plan. JI inherited a horrendous situation when he accepted the job as the GM of the Jets in early 2013. He had a fat loser head coach who he was hand cuffed to, an unmotivated shell shocked QB who was draining the salary cap, a cancer at wide receiver who was also swallowing way more than his share of the cap (and was also coming off a major injury), a diva corner who was going to make negotiating a new contract an absolute circus (as well as his own rehab from a major injury up in the air), a D- backfield, a C- O-line, a D- WR corps... and we also needed all new coaches on the offensive side of the ball... and it was salary cap hell.  Talk about making lemonade.

Were the Jets impressive last year? No. But considering what they started with at beginning of the 2013 offseason, it's amazing they won more than 2 or 3 games. How did we end up .500 last year?

Our front office (led by JI) drafted the defensive rookie of the year, with the pick they got from unloading an injured diva corner who went on to waste the other teams money and time, and who played nothing like a guy who warranted a top 15 draft pick via trade. But it's not just about getting the pick, it's who he drafted. Richardson completes our D-line perfectly. I frankly didn't understand the pick at the time, but it freed up couples to move outside and elevated Harrison and Wilkerson. He played to our strength with that pick and scored a franchise 3-4 DE that should be here for a long time. Our front 7 is now top 5 in this league and our front 3 are probably the best in football.

Next big move was landing Marty Mornhinweg as our offensive coordinator. That move went so under the radar. For so many reasons it was brilliant.

Then he brings in Milliner with the #9 overall pick. He is still developing, but this kid can become elite and if our #1 overall pick this year develops to his potential, next year we are one veteran free agent CB away from a Seahawks style secondary.

With the 9th pick of the second round he lands Geno Smith. I am not a huge fan of this guy thus far, but there is no question he has totally outplayed E.J. Emanuael from the Bills and he was drafted in the perfect spot. Our division opponent totally reached and drafted their franchise QB way too early and he has bust written all over him. Because we waited on Geno his cap number for the first 4 years is below 1 million each year. That's huge. Smith has a chance to be the guy. That's something to build on.

Next big move was scoring Chris Ivory via trade for a 4th round pick. This move is so reminiscent of the Marshawn Lynch trade back when Idzik was in Seattle. Ivory has such a similar playing style and compliments Powell so well. Even before CJ2K was in the picture I loved this backfield. This is also an example of knowing who not to resign. Dumping Greene was a great move. IMHO we went from a D- backfield to an A+ in 12 months. Wow!

He also brought in outstanding role players like Nelson, Colon and Walls as well as drafting Winters and Bohanan who both started most of the season and looked good for rookies. All of this with no cap room and a dysfunctional locker room that free agents were staying away from like the plague.

Year 2... Dump the garbage like Sanchez, Holmes, Hill, and Cromartie. He also let guys like Howard walk because he knew he couldn't sign them for what they were really worth. I also like the free agents he didn't sign. We certainly had the cash to go spend like drunken sailors (Raiders anyone?) but instead he locked up solid role players for short/reasonable money like Cumberland, Pace, Nelson and Colon. He made a couple of splashes in free agency by landing CJ2K, Vick and Decker.

Most importantly he used the compensatory picks he got from letting mediocre players like Slauson, Greene, and Keller go and gave us 12 picks in the draft. No one knows what these picks will yield, but the formula is the key. Seattle had a few busts and a few bad Free Agent signings, but the formula is what made them world champs. Our previous GM proved that if you only have 3 or 4 swings in the draft each year, one strike out and you're fucked. And Mr. T had way more than one strike out (Gholston, Sanchez, Keller, Wilson, Ducasse, Hill.... etc.)

Building through the draft does two things. It keeps a flow of inexpensive talent on your roster as well as creates a culture of unity. Seattle showed this with Sherman and Wilson. They cost them barely anything towards the cap in 2013 and delivered star performances. At the same time a number of the young high quality talent they have on their roster have only known one locker room, the Seahawks. It all about building a championship environment. Idzik saw this happen in Tampa when he was a part of that legendary staff and again in Seattle.

When you are drafting players you get guys that fit into 3 groups. The 1st is "busts". Self explanatory and EVERY GM has them. No way to avoid it. The next group is "solid contributors" who help win games and play well enough to warrant an inflated contract on the free agent market, but just simply aren't good enough to pay to stay here. The great thing about those guys is they help the team while they are here, and they are the gift that keeps giving because they can also land your team compensatory picks down the road (which keeps the drafting machine running). Guys like Slauson and Greene were perfect examples. The final group are your franchise players. Guys like Wilson, Sherman and Thomas from the Seahawks or if you would like to go back to Tampa you had Lynch, Brooks and Sapp. Soon ALL 3 will have yellow jackets.

That being said, by year 3 things need to start to click. Also sometimes major changes happen during the process. Tampa flipped head coaches during their climb form the dog house to the penthouse and everything fell into place at the right time. This year I expect 6-8 wins. If we hit 8 Rex buys one more year. 6 or less and I think he's gone. My prediction for next year is this: Rex gets his walking papers and Idzik hires Darrell Bevell as our new head coach. My dream scenario is that the Jaguars fall flat on their faces (yet again) and they fire Gus Bradley and we land him as our Defensive coordinator. Very unlikely. I also like Spagnuolo from the Ravens for the DC spot.

With the JI's handpicked staff in place he builds on the previous 2 years drafts and free agent moves.

I keep D'Brick and Mangold with the hopes that Giacomini and Winters both establish themselves as rock solid starters on our O-line. That leaves us one starting guard short... and I love our 4th round pick Dozier possibly filling that role. That covers the O-line.

I desperately hope we find a way to resign Kerley. I think he and Cobb from Green Bay are the exact same player, but #11 wasn't lucky enough to play with Rodgers. He and Decker are outstanding #2 and #3 wideouts. I also like TE's Amaro, Sudfeld and Cumberland as pass catchers. If all 5 of these guys take the next step (and we retain them all) we are simply one #1 WR away from a formidable receiver corps. Again, one player fills out this squad just like the O-line.

The front 7 is just crazy. Yes we are short a pass rushing OLB. Babin and Pace can hold the fort this year, but they are goners next year. I also think Harris is on his way out. He will be an expensive luxury in 2015 and Davis has developed so well. Just won't need him after this year. Obviously our #1 offseason priority will be signing Wilkerson to a big deal. It will happen and our front 7 will continue to get even better with more veteran free agents and draft picks.

The secondary could get some invaluable experience this season even though they will look bad a lot of the time. But if Milliner and Pryor stay the coarse and live up to the hype, in 2015 we could be one solid #2 CB away from the best and youngest game changing secondary in football. Especially if Allen establishes himself as a starter next to Pryor. Again one player away in 2015. Noticing a pattern?

That leaves us with the RB's and QB's. I am fine with CJ2K being one and done. He's got way too much mileage and a Ivory/Powell backfield could be amazing in 2015. Powell will turn heads this year. I obviously hope Geno works out, but if he goes down with Rex in 2014 he will still be a reasonably priced back up for 2 more years, and we would be drafting a QB in the top 15. There are some great options coming up in the 2015 draft and that player would be stepping into a team that will have outstanding talent and depth around him much like Wilson did in Seattle. Either way 2015 looks like the turning point for this team.

My dream 2015 is Bevell as HC, Spagnuolo as DC, Mornhinweg as OC (especially if we stick with Geno as the starter). An O-line anchored by Brick and Mangold, a front 7 led by Richardson, Wilkerson and Davis, a secondary with Milliner and Pryor shining bright, Decker, Kerley and Amaro getting a #1 wideout as the missing piece to the puzzle and totally opening up the defensive coverage's, and Ivory & Powell leading the running attack.

If Geno Smith and Quinton Coples emerge as stars in their respective roles by the end of 2014 (these are big "ifs") we are going to make a championship run in 2015. We will take the #1 receiver in the 2015 draft, bring in a top notch veteran CB and find a pass rushing OLB (somewhere) and we dominate. If these two players fizzle out in 2014 we will still be a top 10 team in 2015 but it will take more time to become elite and possibly, dare I say, champs.

1st week of Free Agency comes to an end

The New York Jets are officially being run like an elite organization, maybe for the first time ever. To be clear... we are NOT an elite organization yet, but we are following the best practices and the overall blueprint for an elite club. I read online somewhere that "John Idzik is challenging the myth that you can't rebuild in New York". That stuck with me.

Because we were 8-8 and our defensive line looked so impressive I think some fans may have lost sight of who we are as a franchise heading into this offseason. We don't have an established franchise QB, a number 1 WR (or a 2), a superstar TE, or any game changers in our secondary. Oh, and 60 percent of our O-line are below average players. When you have major holes on both sides of the ball the last thing you do is start filling them with cast off, over priced free agents. You BUILD THROUGH THE DRAFT!!!!!! (in my best 'you play to win the game' sarcastic Herm Edwards voice).

It's admirable that our lame duck coach finished the season .500, and I'm impressed with our GM for fielding a decent team last year considering what he walked into. That doesn't necessarily mean we win 10 games this year. From the day Idzik arrived every move has been about 2015. Last year we got outstanding production out of Richardson, solid production from Geno, Milliner, and Ivory (acquired with a 4th rounder via trade) and multiple starts from Bohannon and Winters. 6 significant contributors from 6 draft picks.  The Revis trade may be the best in team history. Like I said last year, it's not just maneuvering yourself and collecting draft picks, it's about who you ultimately draft. We traded away an aging, diva CB for the defensive rookie of the year who immediately turned our D-line into our #1 strength. Wilkerson, Harrison and Richardson (The Sons of Anarchy?) were responsible for at least 5 of our 8 wins.

The players who we drafted at 2 key positions (CB, LE) with our first 2 picks will be seasoned vets by 2015. Demario Davis, Couples and Wilkerson will also be savvy vets. These 5 players will be the heart and soul of our team by 2015. This year we will be stocked up with 11-12 picks heading into the draft in early May, and this years haul of talent will get a year under their belts in 2014. In the 2015 draft we pick up the final pieces to the puzzle. That's the perfect time to land some impactful rookies at positions like RB, Kick returner, and pass rusher.

That being said... I am spending a lot of time on last year and the draft, and this thread is about free agency and the 2014 Jets.  My draft threads will be forthcoming.

The big news in the league revolves around teams with aging QB's breaking the bank and throwing money at players who are past their prime in a last ditch effort to win the big one before their QB's ride off into the sunset. And, aimless organizations with cap money simply offering contracts to ANYONE who looks good in a uniform. The Browns, Raiders and Jaguars are spending like drunken sailors. If you need any proof that you can't "Buy" a super bowl look at the 3 franchises I just mentioned.

So far the Jets landed an offensive lineman from Seattle that Idzik obviously knows a lot about. He's projected as starting RT. I know absolutely nothing about him, but Idzik snatched this kid up quickly and he's young, so obviously they must think highly of him.

Our other big signing is a player you may have heard of, Eric Decker. I want to capsulize my feelings on this player. He's got good size, average speed, above average hands and he has been pretty durable. He's a rock solid #2 WR and everything considered he was the #1 WR on the market. He doesn't cost us a draft pick, he's young, and I'm sure Mr Johnson is thrilled that he will sell jerseys. The best part is that his 36 million dollar 5 year deal has only 15 million guaranteed. It's essentially a 3 year 15 million dollar contract. That's perfect.

Revis became available suddenly and he played Belichick like a child. He and his people put up a smoke screen about how much he wanted to come back to the NYJ. Why would that guy want to come here after we shipped him off to FLA last year at this time, and he knows we won't over spend??? All he cares about is money. If we wouldn't give him a big long term deal last year, why would we pay him now? He simply scared the Patriots into giving him 12 million bucks for one year when guys like Wilfork and Brady have taken pay cuts, renegotiated and given crazy hometown discounts.

After all of the years of Billy B letting key veterans like Branch, Seymore, McGinist and Welker walk and refusing to pay them, he breaks the bank for one of the most well known former Jets. The media painted it like the Jets getting beat out for Revis, but our team was clear that they never attempted negotiating with Revis and our GM and owner had "no interest in bringing him back". Meanwhile, the core of their defense and maybe the 2nd most respected player in their locker room, next to Brady, Wilfork immediately demands his release. And ESPN calls it the best free agent signing so far this year. This reminds me of the Ty Law situation from back during the Herm era (wow 2 Herm references in one thread!) in reverse. This time they are overpaying for our sloppy seconds.

There are still some talented players left out there. The Jets and Giants are both meeting with DRC, the corner from Denver. There is no question we land him if we want him. Why would a defensive player want to go to the Giants over playing for Rex? If the Giants land him they were willing to pay much more. Our front office has put very clear monetary values on any and all FA's and they won't over pay... period.

Moving forward, I have ZERO interest in Finley from Green Bay. Bringing back #31 for the right price is something I'd take a look at,  LeGarrette Blount is on my radar, Kenny Britt because he's a Jersey guy and this is a great time to buy low with him, I'd love to see Cotchery back in green & white on a 1 year deal, the injury prone Andre Brown would be a nice addition to our backfield since we wouldn't need to rely on him as a #1 back, Fred Davis at TE would be great paired up with Cumberland, Kyle Love is a DT who has been up in New England... he'd fit in well for a great price, James Ihedigbo would fit into our secondary well. I'd be surprised if we sign even one of these guys, but they would all help us win games.

The final 2 players I will mention are a bit more controversial. 1st is Mike Vick. He would beat Geno, Sanchez or anyone else we could land at this point for the starting job. Especially in Marty's offense. That's why he will probably land here, however, I'm not sure the Jets want him. I have a weird feeling we end up with Josh Freeman, not sure why, but I think Rex and Tanny were ready to take him if the trade with Cleveland wouldn't have worked out in 2009. I don't like him for us, but I think if he took a 2 year deal (with a ton of incentives)  with the Cardinals and was humble enough to sit behind Palmer, he could eventually be in a position to lead that team and have some serious success as early as 2015.

And finally Richie Incognito. YUP. I think he's a complete scumbag, but the Dolphins already paid the price for his antics. We would land him for the league minimum, Rex will take him under his wing, and Mangold will keep him in check. And, he has every reason to be on his best behavior and lay low. He may actually be improving as a human being because of all the counseling he's been through over the past few months. But most of all he can play. He would actually fill out our O-line quite well. There's very little risk if we also draft a guard to compete with him.

All the experts can go DUCK themselves...

All the experts claim they have figured out Johhny Football. Oh Really??

He's been projected as high as #1 overall and referred to by one anonymous NFL GM as "undraftable". I have never been one to get caught up in the hype of any college QB leading into the draft. I was not thrilled with any of the QB's we have drafted in the past 15 years including Pennington, Sanchez and Smith. Ironically I did like Kellen Clemens in the early 2nd round, who obviously never panned out. I also ended up becoming a big fan of Pennington even though I hated taking him in the 1st. (Sidebar: I'd love to have him back as a part of this organization in some-sort-of coaching capacity, but that's another thread.) I have a hard time thinking of any QB I've truly been excited about from the draft, mainly because you simply can't tell from watching a guy in college how he will translate to the pro's. That being said, having the right guy behind center is the key to winning a championship in this league (especially in 2014).

So how do we find our guy? The Jets have had a philosophy for many years that has survived 2 owners and a bunch of GM's. They've chased the fading veteran. Boomer... O'Donell... Vinnie... even Favre. Now they are talking about brining in Schaub from Houston or Vick from Philly. I do understand the importance of a seasoned veteran in a QB competition, but I would frankly take Sanchez over either one of these washed up dudes. I'd like to refer to them as "formerly great" but that would be a lie. Formerly average QB's in their 30's rarely equal success. Rich Gannon is a one in a million shot.

My ideal scenario this off-season would be restructuring Sanchez (drastic pay cut), obviously keeping Geno and Simms, and drafting Johny Manziel from Texas A&M.  If we use our multitude of draft picks this year (9 in all) and our projected $40 million plus in cap room to make a huge impact on the overall talent level of our offense, one of the aforementioned signal callers can be the guy we need to lead this team into the playoffs. Especially considering the state of the other 3 teams in our division.

All 4 are interesting players with very different skill sets. Simms would be the obvious long shot, Geno would have a leg up on everyone after winning 8 games with Mornhinweg, and Sanchez would also have a steep climb to get back to the #1 spot. This group makes sense financially, we could afford them all, unfortuneately to score Manziel we would have to move up into the top 5. A player taken that high is pretty much an automatic starter. So this whole scenario falls to pieces because of how hot Johnny Football has gotten now that we are only 10 or so weeks from the draft.

I'll write about the other 3 QB's who are already on the roster including why I have changed my tune about keeping #6 for the right price, but this thread is about Johnny. My feelings on this prospect are dynamic and passionate.

What I like: His arm strength, elusiveness, speed of his release, (which have all been criticized by a lot of scouts) and obviously his foot speed/acceleration. His intangibles are by far the most appealing thing about this special player. He's one part Eli Manning, one part Tim Tebow, and one part Doug Flutie in big moments. He's very simply fun to watch because you know he will leave it all on the field every week. He's insanely cocky, but in a way that will rally his teammates because he's a bit undersized.

That leads me to what I don't like: His overall footwork is wildly inconsistent, he has way too much confidence in his arm (he thinks he's Dan Marino... which he certainly is not), his frame is way too small and fragile to survive the beating he will take in the NFL (see RG III and Mr. Vick who I mentioned earlier in this thread). You will not be able to stop this kid from running with the ball, which you wouldn't want to do, but you would want to control it. Russell Wilson is smart and humble and has outstanding offensive coaches up in the Pacific Northwest. We simply don't have the right people to develop Manziel. ;(

I think this special player could win a Super Bowl, but he would need to be in the right system with a solid franchise. Playing for Rex Ryan would be the kiss of death. My other big issue with this kid is that his draft stock is way too inflated. He would ideally be an early 2nd rounder like Kapernick or Geno Smith. I'd even consider his late 1st round if you were really thirsty for him. But he may actually go #1 overall, and that's just way too high of a pick for a player with so many question marks/ durability concerns. Risk/Reward go hand in hand. You have to roll the dice from time to time to jump start your franchise, but this kid could seriously use a year on the bench to learn, which isn't a reality when you are a top 5 pick at QB.

Either way I will be rooting for this young man and watching him. My fingers are crossed that he will land in the right place and stay healthy. The 2 places I'd love to see him land would be Denver or New Orleans. He could sit a while and then step up in 2015 or even 2016. That would give this kid a real chance to develop into a force like Aaron Rodgers. Dallas would be a nice sleeper to chace him, but they gave Romo that horrendous contract that handcuffs them as an organization for a while. Frankly any team in the top 5 of this years draft may take him, and he won't make it out of the top 5...  but if any team could really use him, and has a realistic shot at moving up it would be Minnesota. If Houston and St. Louis don't bite, I think Minnesota could move up from the 8th spot to the 3rd by flipping draft picks with Jacksonville. That would launch that franchise into being a contender with one draft pick. Defending Johnny and Adrian Peterson, with Patterson and his elite speed on the outside would be a daunting task for any defense. Just an idea.

The Matt Millen effect...

Mr Millen ran the Detroit Lions into the ground over a number of years during the beginning of the millennium. He is a head strong, tough as nails guy who convinced the ownership of the Lions that he was the second coming of Jesus Christ. They simply turned over the whole operation to him. He went on to draft 3 WR's with high 1st round picks. I'm not going to name them or list their stats or any of that shit. We all know the Lions were horrendous during the Millen era, and one major mistake he made was drafting with a one dimensional strategy.

The Jets have used a ton of draft picks on defensive players during the Ryan era. This is a league that is driven by offense. And at the very least I think you have to use balance when drafting, especially in the 1st couple rounds.

Pre-Ryan era we took Revis and Harris with our 1st 2 picks in 2007. Gholston with a very high pick in 2008. Ryan arrives in 2009 and we obviously took a QB with the #5 overall pick. But after that... Wilson (2010), Wilkerson/ Ellis first two (2011), Coples (2012), Milliner/ Richardson both top 15 picks (2013). Since 2007 we have had 2 different HC's and 2 different GM's. But there has been the same pattern of focusing on defense. Sadly our defense is not elite and still has major holes heading into the 2014 offseason.

The reason I am pointing this out is because we just simply can not continue to draft defense early. My fear is that Clowney and a bunch of other potential impactful pass rushers will be available with the 18th overall pick, and we need help at LB and with our overall pass rush. It will be tempting for Idzik, especially with Rex in his ear, to pull the trigger and try to give Coples a book end pass rushing OLB to complete our front 7. But on principle alone we need to create balance. The amount of WR's and TE's who will be available at 18 and who can have a huge impact on our offense is crazy. We need to focus our 1st four picks on offense. As the months progress I will analyze who to draft and who to stay away from, but the overall philosophy this offseason should be filling our 2 major holes on defense with free agents. Those 2 holes are Pass rushing OLB and FS BTW.

I have a very interesting idea for how to complete Rex's defense. Terrell Suggs will most likely be a cap causality in Baltimore. His history with Rex and our bounty of cap money makes the Jets the logical landing spot for him, if Newsome can't find a way to keep him. Suggs, combined with Coples and our outstanding defensive linemen would be a nightmare for QB's across the league. Harris and Davis at ILB are a solid way to complete our front 7. That leaves us the hole at FS.

My thinking is this... If we brought back Reed, signed Suggs and dropped Harris (which frees up 5 million in cap room) why oh why would Ray Lewis not seriously consider coming back for a year, reuniting with his comrades and helping his former coach finish what he started here in New York?

In an interview on MSG I once heard Ryan say that if he could pick only one person to be in a fox hole with he would chose Ray Lewis. And he didn't have to think for one second. That's the guy you need to win a super bowl. I know he's old, I know that ESPN is paying him a ton of cash and he seems to like TV. But every week this guy is on the air complaining about how defenses in this league are soft, how the rules aren't fair, and he looks like he wants to jump off the set and into a uniform.

I'm sure his conditioning is stellar and with a guy like Davis as the other ILB you could even limit Lewis's snaps. Reed, Suggs and Lewis as individuals are all old defensive players in a young man's game. But united, I think you get one magical year out of them. Our defense is very young overall, these 3 veterans would be the perfect addition to our locker room and they know what it takes to win it all. If we are going to be stuck with Rex Ryan why not use his influence to our advantage? I'd play Allen at SS, move reed to FS and the defense is complete. We spend a portion of our FA money on these three former Ravens and focus the rest of the cash and at least 5 or 6 of our draft picks on offense.

We would be building for the future and set to win today as well.

Another year of mediocrity ahead??

Rex Ryan will return as the head coach of the New York Jets in 2014. My nightmare has come true. I have tried to wait for the Ryan era to end, and to see a complete organizational change before commenting on this team again. I don't plan on boycotting any longer. Considering how much of a man crush Woody Johnson has on Rex, I may be waiting until my grand son is playing QB for the Jets before he's fired. So, I'll just try to focus on what I feel the Jets need to do to win games.

I'll make one final observation on this and then move on ... accepting that Rex is our coach:

The 4-6 1985 Bears would probably not win a Super Bowl these days. The rules are sooo skewed to benefit the offensive side of the ball that a defense with 11 probowlers and the best defensive mind in the league coaching them is useless without a big time QB and some game changers at WR and RB.

Lets look at the playoff picture. Manning, Brady, Dalton, Luck, Alex Smith and Rivers. The NFC: Wilson, Newton, Brees, Rodgers, Kapernick and Foles. That's who made the playoffs, I'm not mentioning their team names, it's these 12 men who made it happen, surrounded by offensive weapons and coaches.

Look at KC alone. 2-14 last year and 11 wins this year. They got a offensive minded coach and traded for a franchise QB. Essentially the same squad. 2 changes and they may win the SB this year. They have an excellent defense... but they had that last year as well. Smith and Reid are all the difference. Even guys like Rivera in Carolina and Fox in Denver who are defensive guys, have focused on their offenses and accepted that times have changed in the NFL. Defense is now a luxury in pro football. Rex doesn't think that way.

Chip Kelly is a good example of the new breed of guys who will win championships in years to come. He developed and master minded a wide open fast paced offensive system that took the college football world by storm. He took over the Eagles and wouldn't name a starting QB until the end of the pre-season. He choose Vick, but he was injured, and Foles has flourished.

I think that losing the QB competition during camp has contributed to his success this season. When he got a chance to start he never looked back. Rex is all about crowning a guy ASAP because he thinks it creates stability. Geno Smith has done nothing to earn the right to be our starting QB going into camp. But I suspect he will be. I also suspect there will be little to no competition for him. That's a losing plan. Offense is an afterthought for any Ryan, especially Rex.

What I would have done is rolled the dice on Johnny Manziel in this years draft. Taking Geno last year was an OK decision. He will cost us less than 1 million against the cap each of the next 3 years and he has some nice upside. He can sit on the bench behind a guy like Manziel or a higher priced veteran in a way that a top 5 draft pick at QB couldn't. But I do understand that Manziel to the Jets won't happen. =(

I love the idea of hiring the offensive coordinator of the Seahawks Darrell Bevell, giving him Smith, Manziel and the best veteran available to battle it out in camp. I'd also spend 80% of that 49 million in cap money that we will have this offseason and at least 6 or our 9 draft picks on overhauling the offense. That would have been my plan. I guess it's time for plan B.

Plan B:

Fat boy stays. I have always liked the guy, but to win the big one you need the smartest guy in the room, a CEO style, culture establishing, well rounded X's and O's guy and a born leader. I don't think rex fits the bill, but he's our guy. Mr Ryan has been indulged by 2 GM's in the draft landing a bunch of 1st round blue chip defensive players. Wilson, Wilkerson, Couples, Milliner, Richardson. It's time to focus on offense.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Before free agents or the draft I would start with who stays and who goes.

I'd dump Sanchez, Holmes, Wilson, Reed, Winslow, Pace, Landry,  and Goodson. I would like to dump Stephen Hill and Cromartie as well, but Hill is still cheap and Cromartie will restructure his contract and there is hope that this was just an off season for him. So dumping either would be premature in 2014.

I keep:

... Powell and Ivory together. Love this duo. You have the grinder and the pass catching play maker. I'd search for a more well rounded RB in the draft. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd rounder. A guy who needs some development is fine. We can ride Ivory and Powell in 2014. But landing a solid future #1 back is important this offseason.

Kerly and Nelson should also hang around. They both could be huge for us if we had a solid #1 wide receiver and a top TE. They are the types of guys who win you games, but their not #1 WR's and they need single coverage. Cumberland and Sudfeld  are ok for depth but we need a game changing TE. A guy like Witten or Gates is what we need to find. There are some great prospects in the draft and we also need to look at FA's. Guys like Julius Thomas from Denver are out there. We need a go to player at this position.

Mike Oher from Baltimore will be available and we need to throw $$$ at him. Teams like the Ravens who have a huge portion of their cap money tied up in a QB provide a bounty of outstanding players who they can't afford. With our cap space we need to plunder these key players. I am OK with giving Winters the starting job in 2014, and D'Brick, Mangold and Colon are solid. Adding Oher at RT would easily give us a top 5 O-line again. The O-line is the foundation.

I like Demario Davis at ILB and think he may push Harris for the #1 spot next year. He was a an outstanding draft pick 2 years ago. Couples was OK at OLB, but he is lazy. He had some game changing plays, but I question his hunger. There will be free agents out there who can help impact our pass rush. I wouldn't draft any defensive player with our 1st 4 picks.

Milliner finally showed some flashes at the end of the season. I am not the type of guy who makes excuses for top 10 draft picks, but he was injured in OTA's and camp and Rex's defense does ask a lot of a corner. It takes time to learn the pro game. Feeling good about him in 2014. I already mentioned Cromartie. I really like Antonio Allen and I hate the fact that Reed took his job. let's get this guy back on the field as a starter next year. That leaves us some serious holes in our secondary. If I would consider a defensive player in the first 4 rounds this year it would be a game changing safety to play alongside Allen.

Love that Nick Folk has developed into a top kicker and that is something we have needed for years. I have hated Folk from the day he came here, but he has turned a corner.

That leaves the best squad on this team. The Son's of Anarchy: Richardson, Wilkerson and Harrison (Big Snacks). Wilkerson is a rare player. He's rock solid on and off the field. He changes games and sets the standard for the defense. He's our new Revis, and I would take him over that scumb bag any day of the week. Players like Couples who need a push from time to time will follow him. Idzik needs to wrap him up for life and pay him. We have depth on our line and I hope to see all of them back in 2014.

I'm thrilled to start looking at the free agents who will be available considering the money we have to spend as well as the 9 draft picks. This offseason is the center piece to the next 3 years for us as a franchise. With money being spent properly and the right draft picks even a guy like Rex might be able to win us the big one.