What Have We Learned About New York Jets GM John Idzik?

Feb 21, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Jets general manager John Idzik speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

We have made it through the first months of John Idzik on the job. We have made it through the initial offseason period when John worked through the roster, reworking salary cap numbers to allow the team to make moves. We have been through offseason signings. Finally, we have been through the NFL draft, and the signings of the UDFAs. We have learned, under no uncertain terms, that it is a new day and age in Florham Park, NJ.

Gone are the rumors, gone are the leaks from the front office. Things have done quite the 180 degree turn over the past few months. But, let’s talk about the newest member of the front office. What have we learned about John Idzik? The answer is that we have learned a lot.

HE HAS A VISION

John Idzik has a vision for this football team. How do we know this? Because he has systematically reconstructed this organization and this roster. He first eliminated the older edge to this roster, with Bart, Bryan Thomas…etc. He was able to make temporary fixes to the salary cap. Between the draft and the UDFA’s, he has affected each and every position of need, making it younger and faster.

We have learned that John Idzik has an absolute vision.

HE IS HIS OWN MAN

What do I mean by that? I mean that John Idzik does what he wants to do, when he wants to do it, and nobody is going to influence the timing of a decision he makes. Look at the Tebow decision, for example. We all thought he should have been released weeks ago. Maybe he should have.

The point is that one man DIDN’T think so, so it didn’t happen. That man is John Idzik. He felt it was appropriate to keep him on the roster and try to make a trade, so that is what he did. No matter what anyone else felt, John did what he wanted to do, because that is the type of leader he is.

Look at the free agent signings as well. The first few days went by, and nothing happened. We were begging and begging, but nothing happened. What WAS happening? John Idzik was planning, restructuring, and preparing to make his moves. They may not have been flashy, the David Garrard signing, the Antwan Barnes signing..etc., but they fit a plan. They fit John Idzik’s plan, because he is his own man, making his own decisions, no matter what anyone else says.

HE BELIEVES IN BPA IN THE DRAFT

His draft strategy became crystal clear. He does not draft for need, he drafts the best player available. The first round is the most obvious evidence. There were plenty of outside pass rushers available when the Jets selected, but yet they chose a defensive tackle with the 13th pick. Why? Because John Idzik saw the best player available on the board, and he believes in bringing the best talent available to his team.

It means the coaching staff has to be flexible. John Idzik isn’t going to pick exactly into the style that the coach is necessarily accustomed to. The Sheldon Richardson choice is a prime example. He is not a fit for a typical Rex 3-4 set, but he is a fit for a new Rex, 4-3 set. With John Idzik at the helm, the coaching staff must be ready for anything. He will get you the best player available, no matter what.

What point am I trying to make here? A simple one. John Idzik is driving the bus now, and no outside influences are going to change his route. The new GM is going to get it done, in his vision, and nobody is going to tell him otherwise. The media isn’t, the coaches aren’t, and the fans aren’t.

There is a singular vision in charge of the New York Jets now. Let’s get on the bus, and see where John drives it.