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Jets introduce John Idzik as new general manager – Metro US

Jets introduce John Idzik as new general manager

The Jets say they have their man in John Idzik, who was officially introduced as their new general manager Thursday morning. Idzik spent the last six seasons with the Seahawks as their vice president of football administration.

Despite a background which is heavy in salary cap and contract negotiations, much like the man he replaces in the recently fired Mike Tannenbaum, the Jets insist that Idzik has a deep background in player personnel. The Seahawks made the playoffs two of the past three years and Idzik takes over an aging team that hasn’t seen the postseason since 2010.

During his introductory press conference, Idzik spoke eloquently about the “power of we,” invoking the idea of collaboration in player personnel decisions.

“When I say a collaborative effort, that’s genuine. I think my role as a general manager is to provide some direction and develop a consensus so that when we make decisions, they’re Jets decisions,” Idzik said. “I may be the person who hands in that card, but what’s on the card is a Jet decision and that’s going to be a genuine decision.”

The Jets took a lengthy and protracted process en route to naming Idzik as general manager, interviewing 10 different candidates. From that group emerged Jets assistant general manager Scott Cohen, Steelers director of football and business Omar Khan, Falcons director of player personnel Dave Caldwell and Idzik. Khan, Caldwell and Idzik interviewed twice with the Jets, but Caldwell took the general manager job with the Jaguars, narrowing the group down.

No contract was ever offered to Caldwell as had been previously reported by some outlets. Cohen, because he was an internal candidate, only interviewed once with the Jets.

“After interviewing John Idzik that he was head and shoulders the best fit for the New York Jets,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said, later adding “he’s absolutely the right person to do this job.”

Idzik’s skillset is what the Jets were looking for to right a team that is 14-18 the past two seasons.

The Jets do run in Idzik’s blood. His father, also named John Idzik, was the offensive coordinator of the team from 1976-79 in a coaching career that spanned four decades. Thursday was the 60th anniversary for Idzik’s parents.

In an effort to validate an ability to make player personnel decisions, Idzik said he grew up around football since he was 6 years old, attending training camps with his father. He remembers spending time at the team’s facility in Hempstead, N.Y. and at Shea Stadium, watching his father as a coach. His upbringing is not unlike that of Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who grew up watching the teams of his father, the legendary coach Buddy Ryan.

It is from this mindset that made Idzik comment that the NFL Draft “will be a lifeline for us” as opposed to the team’s tendency the past few years to emphasize free agency in building their core.

“I’ve had a myriad of different perspectives and that’s inclusive of personnel, that’s inclusive of management, administration, operations, that’s inclusive of contracts and caps,” Idzik said. “And I think that will be a help for the New York Jets.”

Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.