WELL-ARMED: John Idzik’s decision to draft Geno Smith was one example of the Jets’ new general manager having the confidence to call his own shots. (AP)
Jets coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik sat next to each other at a table in front of the media Saturday evening answering questions about their 2013 draft class.
When Ryan was asked about the quarterback situation and said, “You can’t have six quarterbacks forever …” Idzik turned to Ryan and said softly enough that the microphones didn’t pick it up, “We can’t?” in a sarcastic, somewhat defiant tone.
That seems to be Idzik’s approach right now. He is going to do things his way and he really does not care what anyone outside the Jets organization thinks.
It is a departure from how the Jets have done business for the last few years when they have been influenced by public opinion and back pages.
Consider in the last eight days, Idzik traded the most talented player on his roster, drafted a quarterback that comes with a ton of upside but is no sure thing and drafted two defensive players in the first round despite the public outcry to add playmakers on offense.
The Jets hired Idzik in part because they believed he had the perfect temperament to calm things down around the team. He still has some work to do in that department, but he demonstrated he was in charge during the draft. Even Ryan seemed to shrink sitting next to Idzik. The blustery coach used to dominate any room he was in. During the draft, it looked as if he were clearly riding shotgun.
It’s unlikely the 2013 Jets will show the dividends of Idzik’s plan. He spent the draft grabbing players the team had rated highly on its board, not players that fill needs with an eye on 2014 and beyond.
They took quarterback Geno Smith of West Virginia, rated the highest at the position in the draft by many people, and got him in the second round. But people around the league are skeptical about how soon he’ll be ready to play.
“He should hold a clipboard for a year,” one league executive said.
In the near future, Idzik must figure out what to do with his quarterbacks. As of yesterday, sources close to Mark Sanchez said he had not been told anything beyond Smith was drafted to add to the competition. Sanchez will be back at the Jets training center today for offseason workouts.
There has been speculation Idzik could dump Sanchez soon. But Idzik has shown he is willing to wait on things. He did not trade Revis to the Buccaneers until the week before the draft despite pressure from his agents and the Bucs.
If you look at the Sanchez situation, other than a $500,000 workout bonus he earns as the offseason goes along, there is no reason to move quickly. The Jets could keep Sanchez into training camp, see if another team suffers an injury at the position and try to trade him then. The Jets would have to eat some of his salary, but Sanchez remains as good as most backups around the league.
Idzik has shown he has the stomach to go against popular opinion and make tough decisions. In the end, though, he will be judged in the long run on whether they were right or wrong.