Thoughts on John Idzik/Marty Mornhinweg

Sep 30, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) talks with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. The Giants 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It’s official, John Idzik is our General Manager, and Marty Mornhinweg will be working along side coach Ryan as the offensive coordinator. Idzik’s press conference is set for Thursday morning, and I have not heard yet when Marty will be meeting with the media. I wanted to let some of the frenzy and excitement from yesterday die down, and take some time this morning to give my thoughts on both signings. First I am going to talk a bit about Mornhinweg.

This has the potential to be a great hire. That is not to say I am not happy, I am thrilled, I just say “potential” because we have to see the product on the field obviously. As far as his track record, it’s excellent. For one, he had a great run with the Eagles under Andy Reid. His offenses in Philly broke team records on more than one occasion, and he had multiple years in the top ten on offense. He led the top five yardage seasons and four of their top five scoring seasons.

He also was a major part of the comeback of one Michael Vick. That being said, I can’t think of one Jets fan that would be in favor of him coming in here. The point is he has great success in developing quarterbacks, a major deficiency with the Jets as we all know. In 2008, he directed the offense in which Donovan McNabb set franchise records in both yards and completions. Outside of the Eagles, he worked with other names that we all know at the quarterback position, such as Steve Young and Brett Favre. Those guys had pretty good NFL careers, wouldn’t you say?

The other exciting part of this piece would be the end of “Ground and Pound”. As a descendant of the Bill Walsh coaching tree, he is a West-Coast offense guy. For a team where the quarterbacks don’t have the strongest arms in the league, the concept could be a huge plus. It’s a variation on Walsh’s old system, but whatever that is, he knows that an NFL team has to score points, and he will get this offense going in that direction, and could be the perfect addition to Rex Ryan’s staff, where as we all know, he doesn’t know a great deal about offense.

On the next page I will go into my thoughts on Idzik.

Now to talk about the General Manager.

First of all, you have to give credit to Woody Johnson and Jed Hughes for how they handled the process. Hughes’ influence was clear, as you had minimal leaks out of the Jets during the process. The reporters were grasping at little bits and pieces through the entire process. Whether there were candidates that declined the opportunity or not, the fact is they stuck to what they believed in and got the man they wanted. Good job out of both of them.

Idzik is an interesting hire. I use the word “interesting” because his biography is similar to Tannenbaum’s. The bulk of experience under his belt is that of contracts, salary cap…etc. As we talked about yesterday, he worked budgets, contracts, travel arrangements, and things like that. He does have experience in the football area, as he has coaching experience, as well as time in the personnel department with the Buccaneers. So, he has had a hand in all parts of the football front office.

It’s a new voice in the Jets organization, which is a plus. We have had the same concepts, theories…etc., for many years now. A new direction is a good thing. He also has a connection with Matt Flynn, which could be a catalyst for a trade, which will interest some Jets fans. He seemed comfortable working with Rex which will also be a good thing. The biggest key for me will be how he handles his scouting hires. Idzik will bring in some of his own guys that he is comfortable with, and they will be key. If he sets up a good personnel department, this will be a great move. If the personnel dept is lacking, we will have more of the same.

It sounds like he is not going to have the power to fire Rex after one year, which is not good. After the one year, Rex should be free to be handled by the general manager, rather than the owner. It gives the image, accurate or not, that head coach Rex Ryan has more power than the general manager. But, Idzik has the final say in personnel decisions which is great, as long as he has the right guys around him. Rex should have a say, but the GM must have the final say. Hopefully, the voices in his ear will be quality ones.

All in all it was a good day for the Jets. How good? It remains to be seen.