Realities of the 2013 New York Jets

Despite the need for change, there are some realities that will have to be faced by John Idzik and the New York Jets.

Within the next couple of weeks, we will begin to see how good John Idzik really is. Come February 6th, the waiver period begins, and John Idzik can start working on this roster. As we have talked about many times before, Idzik has quite a few issues to work through with this team, both financially and with various positions.

We are all expecting a lot out of our new general manager right out of the gate. Everyone in the land of the Jets wants to see change right away, and with good reason. We are tired of the pathetic offense, and the losing. There is no doubt that we will see change, that the 2013 roster will be different from the 2012 version. However, there are some realities regarding the 2013 New York Jets that we all need to come to grips with in order to move forward. They fall under the heading of “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day”.

What does that mean? Well literally, it means that the city of Rome took longer than one day to build. The metaphorical meaning is that things take time. There is no way to expect a 6-10 team to turn into a Super Bowl winner overnight. Anything is possible, but if you go in EXPECING that to happen, you will be very disappointed. There are too many issues to overcome. Let’s take a look at some of the realities with the Jets to talk about why the Jets weren’t built in a day:

THE SALARY CAP IS A BIGGER ISSUE THAN PEOPLE THINK

The Jets are over the salary cap, this much we know. Don’t get me wrong, the Jets are going to get under it very quickly. There are pretty obvious moves that are going to be made, like the releases of Bart Scott and Calvin Pace. Nobody believes these two, among others, are going to be back with the Jets in 2013. As such, these cuts, among others, are going to bring the salary cap number way down, which is great. The problem with that is, there will only be 10-11 starters under contract at that point. So balancing the salary cap issue, with having starter quality players on the team is not going to be easy, but will be of the utmost importance.

Dec 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) drops to pass as Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams (94) rushes during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Jets 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

MARK SANCHEZ WILL BE HERE…..PROBABLY

I say probably because anything can happen, but the odds aren’t great. Facts are facts, Mark Sanchez makes a lot of money. If he were to be released, the dead money that the Jets would have to eat would be more than $17 million, and his number against the salary cap is over $12 million. Despite the fact that finances are not going to determine who starts, they always play a part in who makes the roster, whether we like it or not.

He could always restructure. One could argue that it would be in his best interest to restructure, to make it financially possible to leave town and restart his career in another city. But, he doesn’t have to. Would you give away millions of dollars, even if it meant to leave a bad situation? Not necessarily. How about a trade? The Jets could make a trade with a team willing to take on a big portion of the contract. Why would another team do that? They also saw Sanchez play last year. How can they be so sure that he will improve? I wouldn’t be as a rival GM. So, Mark Sanchez will most likely be here next year.

DARRELLE REVIS MAY NOT BE HERE

Yes, Woody Johnson denied this story, saying he had no idea where it came from. But, nobody in the Jets organization is definitive about KEEPING Darrelle either. The story won’t go away, and you know what they say, when there’s smoke, there’s fire.

According to various reports, GM”s around the league are very interested in Darrelle Revis, despite the fact that he is coming off of the knee injury. One report said that the market for him could be one of, if not the biggest trade market for a player EVER. Think about that. Who couldn’t benefit from having Revis on their team? Who might be willing to pay up? The possibilities could be endless. Our buddy Jake Steinberg is reporting that the more people he talks to, the more likely a trade seems to be, and his sources are typically right on the money. He says that the Patriots and the Bills are very interested. Not that I believe the Jets will trade him within the division, but seemingly there is a decent shot that he will be somewhere that isn’t here, so the defense would have to go on full time into the AR era (after Revis).

STARTING LINEBACKER CORP WILL BE BRAND NEW

This news is not all bad by any stretch of the imagination, as Rex will be saying goodbye to his “T-Rex” linebackers, Bart Scott and Calvin Pace. At times, we were looking at players that were slower than dirt, as they were beaten down the field by everybody. I don’t think anyone that roots for the Jets is going to be sad to see these guys go. What it means, however, is the starting group of linebackers will be new, and young.

David Harris will be there to anchor, but he will be joined by guys like Demario Davis and Nick Bellore, among others. Fact is that they will take time to get the chemistry of playing together. How long will that take? Nobody knows. But we know it will take time, and that the defensive play might suffer in the interim.

The bottom line, as I said before, is that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Idzik has a lot of work to do, and has issues that just may not be solved in 2013. Allow him time. Don’t expect miracles.