Jets owner Woody Johnson was pleased enough with last season to bring Rex Ryan back as the team’s head coach.
But Johnson has made it clear he expects more this season.
“[An] 8-8 [record] was good, but I wasn’t satisfied,” Johnson said Wednesday during the team’s mini-camp. “That’s for sure. We’re not satisfied unless we go further than that.”
The Jets owner stopped short of saying the team needs to make the playoffs or reach a certain win total, but he clearly wants the 2014 Jets to be better than last year’s version.
“We take it game by game,” Johnson said when asked about his expectations. “What we have and what injuries if any, I hope none, how the young guys pan out and how the team comes together. As I said, the team is different every year. What team will show up on Day 1? We’ll have to see. I’m encouraged and I’m optimistic.”
The Jets have missed the playoffs for three straight years for the first time since Johnson bought the team in 2000. Many people expect Ryan to be fired after this season if that drought reaches four seasons.
Johnson was asked how disappointing it would be to go another season without making the playoffs.
“I’m not looking at it that way,” Johnson said. “I am looking at it as getting better each and every day.”
The Jets added wide receiver Eric Decker and running back Chris Johnson in free agency then used all 12 of their draft picks last month.
Johnson said he sees an improved team from the one that finished last season in Miami.
“Absolutely, but that’s not unique. I’ve felt that every year,” Johnson said. “But I think we have. We took all our picks. It looks like we made some good improvements on offense and defense and special teams. I think the team looks younger in some ways because we have all these new guys.”
Even with the new additions, the Jets have approximately $22.5 million in salary cap space, according to overthecap.com. Only the Jaguars, Browns and Bengals have more.
Johnson said no mandates were given to general manager John Idzik about what he could spend.
“John is using the cash that he has,” Johnson said. “Number one, he has some obligations going forward, as you guys know. But it’s really trying to find the best value and the best fit for the team, not just wantonly spending in free agency and doing that. Our culture is one of building ourselves. We’d rather take a player in the draft, mold him into what our culture is and have him be a Jet for us. That’s our ideal. Obviously, we got Eric Decker. We got some really good free agents. But we’re not just looking to spend money. We want to make sure it’s a value and it’s a good fit for us.”
Idzik defended his frugal approach, which has frustrated some fans.
“We’re operating off of really making well-informed, wise decisions, whether it be a personnel decision, a cap decision, player contracts, whatever,” Idzik said. “I’d say this: It’s certainly nice to have that flexibility in the season, so that you can make maneuvers. I view that as a benefit that going into 2014 that we have a little bit of flexibility that way.”